Welcome to My Salon: Interview with Natural Perfumer Liz Zorn (part I)
Liz Zorn of Liz Zorn Perfume is a natural perfumer extraordinaire. Part artist, part musician and part visionary, Liz creates her beautiful perfumes in Morrow, Ohio. She has been making natural perfumes for several years and opened her boutique, Zz’s Petals Parfume Moderne, in 2006.
Liz and I spoke by phone and email. She is very articulate, refreshingly candid, and quite passionate about perfumery. Join me as we get to know more about Liz and her views on making perfume.
The Perfume Bee: Hi, Liz. How long have you been creating perfumes?
Liz Zorn: I became interested in essential oils and using them to create personal fragrances in my teens. I continued to read and study over the years. Creating scented gifts for friends and occasionally a custom perfume.
As with a lot of folks, I did some soul searching after 9/11. I decided to focus more seriously on my music (another love of mine) and to see where perfumery would take me. By then I had a pretty good working knowledge of the craft. I have been traveling down that road ever since.
Bee: What is the process of making perfume like for you? Do you get hit with sudden inspirations at odd times, or do you work more methodically?
Liz: For the most part I start with an idea, and try to build a scent around it. It can be anything, from trying to capture my grandmother’s laugh, to the scent patterns of a color.
Bee: How do you source your ingredients? What are the criteria you use?
Liz: I have no stone written formula for that. I buy materials from people who have the best of what I am looking for. It can be a small supplier, or a large distiller. My primary guide is my nose. Whatever the material, it has to meet my brain’s expectations of what a particular thing should smell like. Quality is always my first rule. Get that right and everything else will fall in line.
Bee: Have you ever made what you thought was a real clunker, and it turned out to be a winner? Or vice-versa?
Liz: Yes, this can happen more often that one might think. Particularly when working with natural materials, because they can take their own sweet time revealing their secrets. Not all perfumes age at the same rate, either. I have created perfumes that smelled quite raw after a couple months of aging, and just divine after a year or two.
Bee: What is your philosophy regarding the use of synthetics in fragrances?
Liz: I am a firm believer in balance. I believe that there is room at the table for all. I am very excited that there are so many independent perfumers working today. Creating beautiful perfumes that people love. This crosses all philosophies: from mainstream to niche, natural or synthetic and to a mix of both. Every time something good happens for a small perfumer like myself I take it as a personal success. I love to see others doing well, and enjoying their work. It makes my work so much more meaningful.
Bee: You and your husband own an organic farm called Peace Angel Farm. How does this impact your perfumery?
Liz: Actually, Mr. Z owns the farm, and is the grower. I take none of the credit for his hard work. As far as impacting my perfumery, this is my home, and I feel blessed to be living here.
Bee: Do you distill and tincture some or most of your perfumery ingredients yourself?
Liz: I have distilled some things in the past. But, I am doing less and less of that now. I purchased a new distiller last year and have yet to establish an area to set it up. I do tincture quite a bit. I use a lot of dried organic fruits, and herbs, most of which I purchase elsewhere. I use exotic and tropical things that are not grown in this area, or available as a natural aroma note.
Bee: What is the most unusual item you have ever tinctured?
Liz: I have tinctured a lot of things. But nothing really strikes me as unusual. Dirt maybe. Cat hair, all sorts of dried sea veggies, whatever peaks my curiosity, I will plop a bit of it into a jar of alcohol just to see what happens…….
Bee: Your boutique, Zz’s Petals Parfume Moderne, is located just north of Cincinnati. If we can’t make it to Ohio, are there other stores where we can find your perfumes?
Liz: We are working on that now. We had initially begun to accept inquiries from other retailers, but realized that we needed more preparation. I have a long list of folks both in the US and Europe who have been waiting for us to set up a wholesale plan. We are also looking into other areas where we would like to be represented. A lot is set to happen in the next few months, but I can’t really get into it all now.
In the meantime. The perfumes are available on our web site: lizzorn.com, and we do offer samples.
Bee: Which is your personal favorite fragrance in your collection?
Liz: The next one. I am always in love with whatever I am working on at the time. I wear it, test it and get personally involved with its energy and vitality. Then I let it go and move on to the next adventure. I am a process artist all the way. I have no problems letting my babies go.
But to be more accurate: When I want to wear perfume, I usually mix together a few drops from a couple of my pre-made diluted bases, and dab it on. I could wear something different everyday. Today I am wearing a blend of six different mosses, with a mixed wood/amber base. I smell like I’ve been rolling in the dirt.
Bee: (LOL at the image!)
Do you make bespoke fragrances?
Liz: The short answer is yes. But for the most part in a less involved way than you might think. Someone will come in to the boutique and ask for a Sandalwood and Vanilla, or something simple like a three or four note scent that contains common ingredients, like patchouli or lavender. If I don’t have that as a fragrance I will make it for them. This happens a lot. People like familiar things. Particularly scents that evoke memories.
Occasionally I will design a complex fragrance. But am doing less and less of that, due to the demands of the business as a whole.
