In a recent Healthline article, the International Fragrance Association declared that out of 2,947 possible fragrance ingredients, almost all contain hundreds of chemicals, most of which are synthetic. Driven by a passion for clean living and all things beauty, Erin Cazes (Romney Studios) has painstakingly created two fragrances you can enjoy without concern for these endocrine disrupting additives. Through her perpetual exploration for new avenues of wellness, Erin’s development of these fragrances is no exception. I chatted briefly with her to learn more about the debut scents; Sombre and Lumière.Â
What prompted you to create a fragrance?
I’ve always been a perfume lover but understanding how truly toxic it is for the endocrine system; I couldn’t keep using it. I also didn’t want my daughter exposed to something on a daily basis that might harm her health. It’s a preventable thing really, we just need good options. The other natural scents on the market felt too hippy, dippy for my taste so I created my own. My favorite scent was Santal 33, but it’s not clean. In the process of trying to recreate a clean version, Sombre was born.
Can you describe each scent?
The scents smell alive is the best way I can describe them. Lumière is my daytime scent. It’s light, floral, fun and flirty. Teens love it. Sombre is the nighttime scent. It’s deeper, richer- a very sexy scent. Rose is one of the highest vibrational scents so I knew that would be included in both. A garden rose for Lumière and a deeper, red rose for Sombre. I also added some plum and tobacco to Sombre to give it a richer scent.
Do you think certain types of people are drawn to one vs the other?
Sombre has a huge fan base! So many are drawn to it. Sometimes I’ll smell it on people and pause because it’s so uniquely beautiful on each person’s skin. I find the men like Lumière when they smell it. It’s not necessarily a men’s scent but they like it. With this being a natural scent (vs a chemical type scent) I try to carry a smaller travel bottle with me (coming soon) to reapply throughout the day for a refresh.
Can you describe the process of creating your own scent? From plants/herb selection to bottle?
I had the assistance of a French perfumer who grew the flowers, herbs and plants for her scents in her own fields. She helped guide me along in the process. I was originally going to make a more elaborate bottle and label but lost the core goal of the simplicity of the product, so I went with a clean, more modern approach.
What’s next? Will you continue to produce these scents for the foreseeable future? Add more or expand into other areas?
Yes! I’m going to do a more masculine scent next! I’ll do a lighter scent for younger guys and a deeper one for the men. I got lots of recommendations for cleaner version requests so stay tuned for that! The existing scents will also be made into candles very soon. I’m having my second huge order of scent being made (a painstaking process that is very precise) and shipped in from out of the country.
To try one of the scents, you can visit Romney Studios website or in person at #5619 Magazine Street.
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