LIBRARY
Studying an ancient art
Perfumery is one of the few remaining artisanal practices in our modern era. It occupies a rare intersection of science, art, and craftsmanship, whereby stories are told and worlds are created through the hand of the perfumer. Its materials, methods, and accumulated knowledge have come from varying geographies, cultures, and alchemical practices over millenia, yet its purpose remains consistent despite our changing times and growing resources, making perfumery a uniquely immersive discipline to study.
The Library encompasses formal tutelage, one-off masterclasses and workshops, and a collection of resources for the study of perfumery and scent. Structured tutelage follows the Asia Perfume Foundation curriculum, while masterclasses and workshops offer singular encounters with particular materials, techniques, histories, and applications. The Library is intended for those approaching perfumery as a professional discipline, a creative practice, or simply as a subject worthy of deeper study.
Tutelage is offered individually or in small groups, in person.
Masterclasses
Masterclasses are guided workshops with low numbers so that students can learn with care and close guidance from the instructor.
We currently offer two Masterclasses:
Compose a fine fragrance
Create a scented artwork
Masterclasses are for complete beginners and usually run for approximately 2.5-3.5 hours.
Masterclasses can be organised on request for those who are not able to attend on advertised dates.
For more in-depth perfumery tutelage, please see the section entitled The Art of Perfumery.
Current Classes
Using ingredients that are classic to the industry as well as some rarities from the VITSLEY collection, we will guide you along the journey of creating your own perfume.
Compose a fine fragrance - $290
Create a fragrance using both classic raw materials found in the industry as well as rarities from VITSLEY’s private collection.
Class includes:
- Hands-on guidance
- 30ml Eau de Parfum fragrance
- All materials
- Tea and refreshments
Please advise in advance if you have sensitive skin or dietary risks
Create a unique painting that emits scent - a hybrid artform taught nowhere else.
Create a scented painting - $290
Explore this new art style in the only class to offer this experience: a painting that emits scent.
This is a unique art style that very few people in the world practice, and it is an exceptional means of self-expression as well as a way to create an gentle ambient scent.
Class includes:
- 20cm x 20cm canvas
- All materials and equipment
- Optional frame
Please wear suitable clothing that can take spills and splashes.
The Art of Perfumery
Certified Courses
Vitsley Olfactive Studio offers structured tutelage in perfumery through the Asia Perfume Foundation curriculum, taught individually or in small groups. The syllabus provides a foundation in the history, materials, composition, and formulation of fragrance, while study is adapted to the student's experience, interests, and aims. Whether pursued as a professional discipline, a creative practice, or a deeper study of the art of fragrance, the Library offers a considered and thorough introduction to the craft.
There are three Levels
Scholar
Apprentice
Alchemist
The entire syllabus takes the student from absolute beginner to autonomous perfume maker.
Vitsley Olfactive Studio certified course are accredited by the Asia Perfume Foundation, giving automatic registration to the APF. To learn more about the Asia Perfume Foundation, visit their website.
Scholar
All the foundational work needed to understand perfumery and create your first fragrance. Successful completion of this course guarantees a Certificate in Level 1 Perfumery from the Asia Perfume Foundation.
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Starting from the very origins of aromatic practises right through to creating your own perfume, the tools and ingredients are provided to get Scholars started on their perfume journey.
Step-by-step guidance through the process of creating your own perfumes. Scholars explore ingredients and discover new scent notes as you create something truly theirs.
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Where did the bottles we see on shelves originally come from? What are the classics and what makes them ground-breaking? How did we get from handmade bottles of scented water to the mass market of today?
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From the anatomy of a bottle of perfume to the fine art of formulation, learn how perfume is crafted from concept, to notes, to formulation.
This course offers unlimited access to 40 materials, and involves making several small practice perfumes and a final Graduation Fine Fragrance. There is an exam in the final lesson, and students are certified to Level 1 with that Asia Perfume Foundation.
1250 AUD
or foreign equivalent if taught outside of AustraliaApprentice
Designated one-on-one training to get a perfumery student feeling confident to work alone. Successful completion of this course guarantees a Certificate in Level 2 Perfumery from the Asia Perfume Foundation.
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Learn how materials make their way into a perfumer’s organ.
Students have unlimited access to 80 raw materials and perfume-making equipment.
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The backbone of perfumery, classic accords still stand the test of time for winning fragrances.
Using trial and error guided by theoretical principles, the apprentice learns to craft accords on their own with the help of the instructor.
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By creating multiple accords over several lessons, apprentices can craft a small collection of fragrances to wear individually or combine to create a complex fine fragrance.
Course for those who have completed the Scholar course and are ready to learn more complex perfumery.
1750 AUD
or foreign equivalent if taught outside of AustraliaAlchemist
Study of formulation techniques to create 3 types of scented media, including a self-guided project. Successful completion of this course guarantees a Certificate in Level 3 Perfumery from the Asia Perfume Foundation.
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How formulations are composed and techniques to balance materials from molecules to resins.
Using known formulations and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry reports, learn to read fragrances line by line.
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There is more to perfumery than just fine fragrance. Solid perfumes, perfume oils, diffuser oil, and candles are other channels through which perfumes are experienced.
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Under mentorship, Alchemists compose a complex fine fragrance according to a brief, from creative interpretation, to formulation, to business techniques incuding intended audience and profit margin.
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Alchemist students can add a beginner’s perfume organ and equipment bundle for an additional cost
Advanced-level certification in Perfumery
1850 AUD
or foreign equivalent if taught outside of Australia
Perfumer’s organ with 36 dilutions
High-precision 0.001g scales
Beakers, pipettes, funnels
Tutelage resources
Self-guided
Reading
Perfumery & Composition
Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume
Mandy Aftel · 2001
Perfumes: The A–Z Guide
Luca Turin & Tania Sanchez · 2008
The Secret of Scent
Luca Turin · 2006
Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent
Jean-Claude Ellena · 2009
Perfumery: Practice and Principles
Robert R. Calkin & J. Stephan Jellinek · 1994
Materials, Science & Safety
Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals
Robert Tisserand & Rodney Young · 2013
The New Perfume Handbook
Nigel Groom · 1997
Atlas of Perfumed Botany
Jean-Claude Ellena · 2021
In Search of Perfumes: The Stories of the World's Great Fragrances
Dominique Roques · 2021
History & Tradition
The Art of Perfumery and the Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants
G. W. Septimus Piesse · 1857
Contemporary Olfactory Culture
Nez: The Olfactory Magazine
Jeanne Doré, Mathieu Chévara & the Nez editorial collective · 2016–present
Listening
The Perfume Making Podcast
Karen Gilbert
Perfumery, natural materials, fragrance creation, and the practicalities of developing a perfume practice.
On The Scent
Nicola Bonn & Suzy Nightingale
Perfume criticism, fragrance culture, interviews with perfumers and creators, and explorations of contemporary fragrance.
Perfume Room
Emma Vernon
Conversations with perfumers, fragrance industry figures, independent creators, and perfume enthusiasts, with an emphasis on the people and stories behind scent.
Paperback Perfumes
Clare Presser
An exploration of the relationship between fragrance and literature, pairing perfumes with books, memories, and personal narratives.
“I firmly believe that much of the quality we call intelligence is quantitative: he who finds the correct solution to a problem has simply tried out more things that he who does not.”
— Luca Turin, perfume critic and journalist