Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Hello & thanks for stopping by! I am Monica Gordon, Founder & Perfume Designer for Wildflower Perfumes. 

When I began studying perfumery, I was astounded at the high percentage of synthetic materials that were in most mainstream commercial perfumes. Being a perfume lover as well as an appreciator of authentic scents of nature, this was pretty disappointing especially since I had always assumed at least a FEW of the flowers in my favorite perfumes were made from the real thing. It was quite a let down to know that was generally not the case with mainstream big brand perfumes, and what I was mostly smelling was the artificial replacements of those precious flowers. Being a person who has always been prone to allergies and chemical sensitivities, I began experimenting with them with trepidation, but assumed it was the only way to make "real" perfume. (Looking back I shake my head at that thought!)

However, unlike many staunch purists out there or what all the current "green washing" pushes for, I personally do not believe that all synthetics are dangerous or bad and that all naturals are safe or better than synthetics. That is a total fallacy and unfortunately, it is being used rampantly in the world of marketing perfumes as a guilt or fear tactic. The fact is, of course, that all matter is made up of chemicals. All those so called "clean" perfumes out there? Chemicals. (And mostly synthetic to boot!) Natural essences are made of chemicals too, they are simply more complex and found and extracted from nature rather than created in a lab to be more powerful, more "efficient", and yes, oftentimes cheaper. 

However, to villainize man-made chemicals and canonize natural materials, which are also chock full of potentially harmful chemicals (if overdosed), is very misleading and disingenuous. I refuse to jump on that marketing bandwagon. I veer away from gimmicks, soapbox virtues, feel good fads, or trying to sell my brand using personal views or stances that are based on anything other than my actual product. I abhor dishonest tactics in marketing and refuse to partake, even if it means my brand won't grow or be invited to the "cool" parties. I care about being honest and true to myself, my art, and to YOU. See why I named my brand Wildflower? I don't grow too well in a forced or neatly "tended row" ;)

When it comes to safety, I believe in the old adage, "The dose makes the poison."  It is credited to Paracelsus who expressed the classic toxicology maxim "All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison."  So I approach making my perfume formulations with what I consider simple common sense. I use a wide variety of materials, taking each chemical component into consideration so there is not too high of a concentration of one particular thing in the formulation, whether it be synthetic or naturally derived, which can lead to allergies and/or sensitization. Of course just as with food, allergies to any wearable fragrance is possible and care should always be taken when applying them whether made with a majority of synthetics or all natural ingredients.

Synthetics can be very useful replacers for highly allergenic naturals, to replace animal ingredients and to help avoid the over harvesting of certain endangered plants and trees, to name only a few uses. They are wonderful marvels of engineering and should be appreciated and admired. Yet aside from those exceptions, for the most commonly used flowers in perfumery such as Jasmine, Rose and Ylang-Ylang, I personally prefer to work with the authentic botanical ingredients and enjoy experiencing them much more than their synthetic counterparts. I am personally drawn to natural essences in a way I can only explain as; They simply fascinate me! So throughout my collection, I use real extracts of flowers wherever possible, to add that " je ne sais quoi", or as I like to call it, the "nuance of naturals" that  sets my perfumes apart from many mainstream fragrance brands.

So with all of this in my artistic mind and heart, with many late nights of study and learned experience, and with curiosity, passion and perseverance, I set out to make my own fragrances, composing them carefully with beautiful materials sparing no expense, using only the finest fragrance oils and materials I could procure. After a fascinating journey and countless trials, I chose my favorites to offer through this little small batch, micro-company that I am so excited to share with you! Thank you for your interest in Wildflower Perfumes, and I would be so honored if you gave our samples a try!

Always Sincerely, 

Monica Gordon