In this introductory workshop, Ruby member Heather D’Angelo, founder of the sustainable fragrance brand Carta, will guide students through the process of designing and crafting a custom fragrance. Students will have the chance to work with a palette of over 30 essential oils, absolutes, and natural isolates, including a few rare ingredients that Heather personally sourced from the Amazon rainforest and were featured in Carta’s debut fragrance, Moena 12|69.

The class will cover the structure of perfume, including basic technical info on top, middle, and base notes in relation to fragrance families, the tools of the trade, recipe development, how to build accords, and simple blending techniques. Heather will also go over how to read material safety data sheets in order to provide students with an understanding of essential oil safety, and the importance of sustainable sourcing when choosing natural materials.

Students will leave with a bottle of fragrance that they have developed under Heather’s guidance, as well as information about how to continue their exploration with fragrance at home.

No previous experience with fragrance design is necessary.

PLEASE NOTE: For Ruby members, there is a materials fee of $20, payable at the start of class. For nonmembers, your materials fee is included in the price of your ticket.

About Heather D’Angelo

Heather D’Angelo is a San Francisco-based perfumer, musician (with the band Au Revoir Simone), and ecologist. The dream for Carta originated while she was collecting botanical samples from the Malaysian rainforest as part of her research at Columbia University. After several years of working with plant-based aromatic compounds, she developed an understanding that scent, like music, is a transformative instrument. Both have the arcane power to suspend moments and places in time.

With Carta, D’Angelo explores the artistry of perfume craft through her mastery of musical composition and ongoing scientific inquiry. Rooted in her passion for environmental conservation, D’Angelo’s romance with perfume is shaped and driven by a commitment to conscious practices and a desire to share the stories behind Carta’s ingredients.

Intro to Natural Perfumery with Heather D’Angelo of Carta