Perfectly Imperfect, Apprentice Perfumer Ashley Hofmann

Perfectly Imperfect

This fragrance begins with red raspberries that are uniquely paired with a sparkling lemon and bergamot blend. A clean and refreshing ozonic opening leads to a bouquet of white florals of muguet and gardenia with subtle notes of violet and lilac. The leafy green rounds out the full floral. The lasting impression of warm sandalwood, woody amber, and dry musk finishes off the fragrance.

Top: Fresh raspberry, sparkling lemon, Italian bergamot, clean and refreshing ozone;
Middle: Bouquet of lily of the valley, gardenia, violet, and light lilac. Leafy green Floral.
Bottom: Warm sandalwood, woody amber, dry musk

Ashely Hofmann

How did you find out about the fragrance industry?

I was looking for an internship for my last semester of college. I met with one of my advisors and they gave me contact information for Alpha Aromatics. I was hired for an internship and after working in the industry for three months, I couldn't imagine working without being involved in the fragrance field. It was just crazy because before I had the internship I wasn't sure what I wanted to do after college!

What made you want to be a perfumer?

My mentor, Roger Howell, would take an hour a day and teach me all about perfumery. He would start with the basics and then he would assign a project for me to work on outside of my scheduled work so that I would become familiar with fragrances and start creating on a small scale. When I got the chance to make something creative, I felt really in my element and had the chance to express myself and I think that's when I knew I wanted to become a perfumer.

What are some of your favorite and least favorite scents?

For men's fine fragrance my favorite is Sauvage by Christian Dior, and woman's fine fragrance I would say Daisy by Marc Jacobs. My least favorite scent is clove: ever since I had a dry socket after getting my wisdom teeth out the scent just reminds me of a bad experience. I have many favorite scents, but I'd say my favorite is a sugar cookie. It reminds me of Christmas time with my family. I feel all my favorite scents have a story that brings back a memory from my past.

What are the hardest obstacles you have found when working in perfumery?

I think the hardest part is just getting familiar with all of the materials and essential oils. Lately, I have been working on finding the differences between essential oils based on the region. I look forward to the day where I am confident with all the materials and essential oils.

MENTOR: ROGER A. HOWELL

Roger is the Vice President of Operations at Alpha Aromatics as well as the holder of the same title for the American Society of Perfumers. Roger Howell has been creating some of the world’s most masterful fragrance compositions for more than three decades.

Almost as magical as Merlin with fragrance creations (the wizard of Arthurian legend) Howell’s creative and scientific expertise in perfume creation is not conjured from sleight-of-hand. Instead, it is borne from extensive research, hands-on experience, hard work and studied extrapolation.

As a Master Perfumer and man of many accomplishments, Roger Howell takes great pride in the personal one-on-one service he gives so generously to each and every one of his satisfied clients.

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The American Society of Perfumers is a members-only organization of established professionals in the art and science of perfumery:

"Our mission is to Educate, Support and Promote the Perfumer in the fragrance industry both domestically and abroad. Together with other industry organizations, we ensure appropriate regulatory guidelines and standards set for safe and beautiful fragrances. The high code of perfumery ethics established by our organization maintains respect for perfumery as an artistic work of the mind. Most importantly, we strive to inspire artistic creativity, incorporate scientific ingenuity and maintain the integrity of our profession.

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Perfumarie is a sensory tasting room, retail lab, and brand incubator with fragrance flights, pop-up exhibitions, and an ever-evolving collection of makers-fueled products from around the world, each chosen for their values of quality and originality. Our innovation lab offers advisory, scent design, and blending for companies and private clients.