The unique business of fragrance profiling. isleofman.com Business News

IT’S AN intriguing and fascinating fact of life that certain people like certain fragrances and that some fragrances suit one person that may not suit the next. And most of us may not understand quite why this is the case. However, there is a lady who lives on the Island who has launched a new company to help us to understand.

Linda Bowers-Kasch established Aurora Lifestyle & Design in 2010 which she set up from her stylish home just outside of Andreas. One of Aurora’s services is a bespoke on-line fragrance profiling service.

Through this service Aurora can help to identify the fragrances that individuals are most likely to be attracted to by identifying the categories or ‘Notes’ that an individual shows a preference for.

However, that’s only part of the service as clients are also provided with suggested fragrances that they may wish to try. These are selected from the preferred ‘Notes’ and also what the information has indicated for that particular client.

Linda made a life changing decision to leave her very senior position of vice president in one of the global financial institutions on the Isle of Man. She has now thrown her energies into her own company where she is using her skills to operate the lifestyle businesses, including interior decoration and design and the fragrance profiling.

“When I worked in the finance sector, people used to say ‘we love getting in the lift after you as it always smells so gorgeous when you have been there’ “, she said. “It was a lovely compliment and added to my thoughts that people are very conscious of fragrances even though they may not be aware of it.”

For the fragrance profiling business, clients are required to provide information via an on-line questionnaire about their likes and dislikes and also any good or bad memories fragrances evoke. ‘Memory can play a huge part in our own personal likes and dislikes’ observes Linda.

Linda’s research shows that the fragrance market is very much led by advertising, with many people buying a product purely based on the glossy magazine ads or the name of the celebrity on the bottle. She also offers a word of caution about the sales pushes in retail outlets and in airport duty free shops who offer seemingly unlimited free ‘sprays’ , samples and testers.

“They are working for an employer and one week they are pushing one fragrance and then the next they are selling another. It’s all about turnover, not about the client.”

Aurora is not tied to any particular perfume house, so her advice to clients is totally impartial. She also understands that everyone has different budgets, so each profile also takes into account that not everyone can afford the world’s most expensive fragrances - which can be as much as an eye-watering £180,000 a bottle (ok that one does come with a diamond solitaire perfume stopper!)!

The world of perfume is a multi billion pound industry with a staggering range of fragrances and associated products. One quick look at the huge range of testers available in the duty free sections at international airports is not even scratching the surface of the diversity of what is available globally.

Aurora can help to identify and introduce clients to some of the world’s most exclusive perfumes and that “something special”, perhaps a one-off buy in someone’s life for a special event such as a wedding or anniversary. She has some really unusual and fascinating fragrances from her own personal collection including the favourites of people like Kim Cattrall, icons such as Jackie Onassis , Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and even Cary Grant (yes, Aurora provides bespoke fragrance profiling for men too).

But it’s not all about how much you spend. “Of course, you can spend a small fortune on a bottle of fragrance,” said Linda. “But it’s not all about the cost - it’s more about what each individual is attracted to. Aurora is about providing a service and advice, it’s not about selling products.”

Linda Bowers-Kasch also runs an interior decoration and design business from her home which has been styled in a unique fashion and has some stunning features, displaying her sheer enthusiasm for design.

Aurora Lifestyle and Design offers a bespoke service which uses many of the same philosophies of the fragrance profiling business. “Interior design and decoration is very personal,” she added. “I understand completely that not everyone would like the way I have designed the interior of my house for instance. It is an entirely individual matter of personal ‘likes’ and lifestyle.”

Linda’s obvious passion for design, style and her love of collectibles, fabrics and antiques gives her a broad span of knowledge which she has recently expanded with a summer course at the KLC School of Design at the prestigious Chelsea Harbour.

Sample boards showing the colours, fabrics and special details of an interior decoration scheme are an important part of Linda’s interiors presentation along with a concept board, offering her own insight into how a design concept should progress. “Concept boards keep you on track otherwise there is great temptation deviate!” advises Linda.

“I like to think this is a fresh approach in the Isle of Man,” she added. “It’s not ‘off the shelf’ and I find the whole process fascinating and stimulating and one I can share with my clients. I also find it really interesting that some of the designers from many years ago are still having an influence today. The history of interior design is absolutely absorbing.”

Aurora: “Goddess of the Dawn”. An atmospheric phenomenon consisting of bands of light caused by charged solar particles.

Aurora Lifestyle & Design.

E-mail: info@auroralifeanddesign.co.uk

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