Welcome to Essence Workshop by Ruby Brown, “a unique experience where you are able to create your own perfume from the world’s finest fragrances.ˮ
This amazing concept stemmed from the creator and owner Ruby Brown. As a former model, she travelled the world and spent many years in Paris and Grasse, the capital of perfume, where she cultivated her passion for scents. The idea of Essence Workshop stemmed from wanting to “share her passion and immerse people in the world of perfumery.” Her dream became a reality and her company has been flourishing for the past four years.
From essential oils to pastes, Essence Workshop offers the best raw materials from all over the globe. As you begin your experience, you hand pick all the notes for your perfume from the perfume organ, a wheel of scentsational smells and create a composition, your personal perfume. It’s truly, a musical work of art. All solutions of alcohol, water and raw material from the perfume organ, are premade without the use of conservative agents or coloring. Raw materials vary from Sandal wood from Turkey and India to Mimosa, a yellow flower from the south of France.
The perfume organ indulges your sense of smell with the seven olfactory families: Citrus, Leather, Woody, Fugère (fern), Chypre (cyprus) and Amber and Oriental. In the leather category, you discover scents such as tobacco leaves or a more animal appeal. While in the amber and oriental family, there’s more of a warm and enveloping feel from materials such as cocoa and vanilla. For a more fresh and powdery feel, the floral family is always very popular with jasmine and roses. There is something for everyone as the workshops are catered to men as they are to women.
When asked why she decided to start up her business in Montreal, she described that in Quebec there wasn’t a lot in the world of perfume except perhaps retail stores such as The Bay where you could find something decent if you were willing to pay the price. She on the other hand “wanted to offer something different.” Another incentive was how helpful Quebec is with start-up companies. Although creating your own company is daunting, a lot of programs and help were available to get started.
In ten years, Ruby hopes to have expanded her company and have developed a few branches possibly even becoming “an important player in the cosmetics sphere.”
Images obtained from Ruby Brown, owner of Essence Workshop