Every human being has a distinct and distinguishable body odor. But, what if each of us could create our own scent? A unique perfume created by you, for you?
Somewhere in St-Martin, in a village called Grand Case, at the end of the airport’s road, is the beginning of an experience like no other; where your olfactory senses take off and land into a space of imagination and creation.
Although the Tijon Parfumerie should no longer be a mystery, having been featured in many publications such as the USA Today, Toronto Star, Bloomberg Television and Trip Advisor to name a few; many have yet to discover what Globe Guide has classified as one of the, “10 unforgettable think to do in St. Maarten/St-Martin.”
We all have a nose but it’s not every day that we get to be a nose. The sense of smell is the first tool of career of a perfume maker or composer. Though this isn’t a commonly ventured career path, in France a nose can make as little as 1700 euros and up to 2500 euros per month. CNN Money reported that, “a junior perfumer may start our making $60,000 but perfumers who come up with formulas for hit fragrances can easily command six figures.” That could stimulate more than one’s sense of smell, if you asked me…
When you walk into Tijon, you’re awaken by the different notes of odors, the glass bells besides every bottle of perfumes enabling you to sample their fragrances, the accessories made of natural stones and the inspiring quotes that trail the walls leading you to… a perfume organ?
Oh, the sweet smell of discovery!
Just like a musical organ, the perfume organ is set up to easily access the different oils. They are placed in alphabetical order from Acai Berry to Ylang-Ylang (which is one of the components of Chanel N° 5) and classified by their degree of evaporation.
Indeed, the top notes composed of citrus or herbs can last up to 30 minutes. These are the dominant notes which often determines whether we like a perfume or not. Then, the heart notes. In this category we find floral, green/fresh, fruity or spicy scent which are not as intense but last longer; between 30 minutes to four hours. Finally, the base notes. Lasting between one to 24 hours, these are the woodsy and earthy odors that linger on your clothing and trigger your memory.
Initially, the perfume organ was “just for show”. After frequent requests by customers to make their own perfume, John and Cindy decided to integrate this to their offer and it now represents half of their business.
Now, stepping into the laboratory, like over 12,000 people before you; you are handed a lab coat, a workbook and are given detailed instructions on how perfume is made. Emily, your friendly and enthusiastic helper reassures that, “there’s no wrong way of making a perfume. And having your own perfume triggers a feeling of achievement and pride.”
With your white coat on and cheat book in front of you, you select one of 12 pre-mixed oils which will be your primary notes. Then, like a chemist; choosing three out of the many synthetic and essential oils on the organ, you use your droppers to extract the oils from the jars, dropping a precise quantity into your beaker then diligently write down your formula.
Once you’ve made your three perfumes, you smell each beaker and chose your favorite which will be your actual perfume after a few more final steps.
Alcohol containing methanol is added to your mixture of oils, the methanol contained in the alcohol makes it undrinkable and therefore isn’t taxed by governments, so “all perfumers use that”. The purpose of the alcohol is to propel the scent as it burns off, followed by distilled water to cool it down and smooth it out and propylene glycol to help the fragrance carry on the skin.
Finally, you pour your favorite concoction in an elegant glass bottle of your choice with the help of a small funnel, top it with a perfume spray nozzle and voila! You’ve created in one hour what normally takes between two to six months and 100 trials to finalize.
Now this calls for a toast! You’ve passed your assignment. Your lab coat is now exchanged with a gift bag containing elements of your choice, a certificate and a glass of champagne or refreshment.
The experience offered at Tijon in Grand Case is just as interesting and unconventional as the story of its founder John. Despite his background in chemistry, John decided to go to law school, becoming a prosecuting attorney at 24, then a lobbyist and trade show executive. After vacationing in St-Martin in 1996, John and his wife fell in love with the island and decided that they wanted to move here as a sort of semi-retirement. Questioning what they would do to sustain themselves, they realized that there weren’t many things that were made in St-Martin and thought it would be a great idea to put John’s background in chemistry to use.
They created a lab in their house in Minnesota, met with perfumers and chemists, created different formulas and saved for ten years before they finally up and left for St-Martin to open Tijon in 2017; where they have been living up to one of the most striking quotes on the wall: “If you’re going to enjoy a perfume, enjoy happiness, you’re going to be sharing it with everybody else.”
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