You make the scent
Welcome to Scenthusiasm
The complete introductory course to perfumery for only £295
An online perfume-making course like no other, created by award-winning perfumer Sarah McCartney.
Dreaming of crafting your own scents? This course takes you through an exciting journey of perfumery with ease and inspiration. You’ll get all the information you need to get started: a recommended materials list, explainer films on using your equipment and materials, and an in-depth look at 12 popular scent styles.
Along the way, Sarah shares stories behind the fragrances to stir your imagination, plus step-by-step formulas you can follow and adjust to make them truly your own.
By the end, you’ll have a collection of perfumes made with your own hands; some inspired by classic styles, others entirely original. If you’ve ever wanted to explore the art of indie perfume making, this is where it all begins.
Full access for 24 months for only £295 (including VAT).
This course isn’t meant to be done just once. Think of it like a circuit workout; each time you complete a round, you gain strength and deepen your understanding.
"If you're looking for deeper understanding of perfume, away from the mainstream and the best seller options, you've knocked at the right door."
Cesar Martinez
Sarah McCartney
I'm Sarah McCartney, indie perfumer, and founder of 4160Tuesdays, and I set up Scenthusiasm because I'm asked every day for help to get people started in perfumery. I can, but becoming an artisan perfumer is a challenge. If you're ready for that, read on.
I have a reputation for two things:
1) making adventurous, award winning fragrances. 4160Tuesdays fragrances are sold in some of the world's most original specialist scent shops, including Lucky Scent in LA and New York, and Perfumology in Philadelphia. I've also created fragrances for Sarah Baker, Black Cliff, Oxford Botanic Garden, the Courtauld Gallery, Google, Chivas, Samsung and Hyundai.
2) telling it the way it is with a combination of enthusiasm and practicality. I make perfumes the way most indie companies do, with both natural materials and synthetics: mixed media. I choose naturals when they are available, ethical and sustainable, and use biodegradable aromachemicals to help bring out the best from them.
"Sarah has encyclopaedic knowledge of all things perfume"
Kokoroko
My course is for you:
If you're intrigued by fragrances and want to know how they're put together or
you've been working just with naturals and want to know how to use synthetics too or
you've read so much contradictory information it's made your head spin or
you've been experimenting but the results haven't worked out the way you were hoping or
you suspect there must be more to it than a "notes pyramid", but you're not sure how to find out or
you've already bought some materials and don't want to waste them making mistakes or
any or all of the above.
What do you get?
Following this course will jump-start your perfumery. It unlocks the secret door and makes sense of perfumes mysteries.
If you're a complete beginner this will put you on the right path and help you save time and materials.
Take time, practise your skills and enjoy the journey, because while there is no instant way to get good at this, our Scenthusiasm School will help you make positive progress.
What you will get: new insights and skills, assignments, exercises, your first steps on the route to becoming an artisan perfumer, an invitation to join our enthusiastic community, advice, formulas, films which you can watch as many times as you like, and a sound method for you to use and practise to help you get better and better.
What you won't get: a technical qualification, a route into an industry job, the formulas for other brands' fragrances (except 4160Tuesdays).
If you jump right in and follow the assignments, repeat the exercises, make up then adapt the formulas, and devote your spare time to making accords and understanding your materials, you'll make yourself some decent fragrances.
Charlie Emma, Sussex
"I've spent the last week at virtual perfumery school with Sarah and highly recommend her courses… it was both brilliant and huge fun."
Before you start... is this for you?
If you're not yet sure, watch our short videos on Instagram or the sample video below, and read our terms and conditions. If you like my style, then let's go for it.
Scenthusiasm on Patreon - The Additional Route; I also run an ongoing Scent School and Community on Patreon. This starts at £10 + VAT per month - for DIY perfumers - up to £30 + VAT per month - for people who intend to start their own perfume businesses. If you'd prefer a slower pace, or to follow up these courses in our social scent community, take a look.
At our Scenthusiasm Patreon you'll meet people who have already followed one of my courses, live or online, who enjoy being part of a small but dedicated perfume-making community made up of like-minded people in a similar situation to their own. We have three Art & Olfaction Awards winners there and three nominees (including me).
"I now understand why I like the fragrances I do, I created a bespoke perfume just for me"
Sarah J Wallis
Sample video
The materials we will be using
At recommended dilutions
Materials
- 24 Naturals
- Absolutes (or Bases to practise with)
- Benzoin Resinoid 10%
- Blackcurrant bud absolute - or a cassis base 5%
- Jasmine absolute or a jasmine base. 5%
- Labdanum absolute10%
- Orris butter - or an orris base; I use Orris Givco 5%
- Rose absolute - or a rose base; I use Rose Givco 5%
- Tobacco absolute 5%
- Essential Oils
- Bergamot (FCF) 10%
- Cedar Atlas 10%
- Cedar Virginian 10%
- Davana 5%
- Frankincense 10%
- Galbanum 5%
- Geranium (Rose) 5%
- Lavender 10%
- Lemon 10%
- Nutmeg 5%
- Patchouli 10%
- Peppermint 5%
- Petitgrain Bigarade 10%
- Pink Peppercorn 5%
- Sweet Orange 10%
- Sandalwood (or Amyris) 10%
- Vetiver 10%
24 Synthetics
Ambrettolide - musk 10%
Ambrox or similar 5%
Bicyclononalactone 10%
Calone 5%
Cedramber 20%
Cis-3-Hexenol 5%
Coumarin 5%
Dihydro myrcenol 10%
Dreamwood Base 10%
Ethyl Maltol 5%
Ethylene Brassylate - musk 20%
Hedione 20%
Iso E Super 20%
Karmawood 5%
Lilybelle/Hydrofleur 5%
Methyl Ionone gamma 20%
Methyl Pamplemousse 10%
Gamma Nonalactone 10%
Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol 10%
Phenyl Ethyl Phenyl Acetate 10%
Raspberry Ketone 5%
Romandolide - musk 20%
Gamma Undecalactone 10%
Vanillin 5%
Veramoss 10%
What people say
"I've spent the last week at virtual perfumery school with Sarah and highly recommend her courses (don't worry, your kitchen table need not look as mad as mine and Sarah will provide you with all the materials you need). This was the first virtual course I've taken having attended a number of different in person workshops and courses (including several with Sarah) and it was both brilliant and huge fun. There is virtually no one who is actually both successfully creating and selling their own fine fragrances and teaching as Sarah does and she is a brilliant teacher, hugely generous with her knowledge and time." - Charlie Emma, Sussex
About the materials we use.
You can download the list of materials that we use in the course, a set of commonly used naturals and synthetics to give you a good start.
You might already have some or all of them - or none at all - so we like to be flexible. Ours are already diluted in perfume grade organic ethanol, TSDA (trade specific denatured alcohol), which you need a government license to buy in the UK.
If you already have a collection of materials, then you're welcome to use your own. There is absolutely no obligation to use ours, but we've made it easier for you to start from scratch by including ours in your course price.
You can also buy materials from our friends at Perfumers Apprentice in the US. We have no financial interest; we just know that theirs are great quality.
A little note on perfumery materials:
Natural materials are not safer, nor are they always more expensive than aromachemicals. If you're hoping that synthetics are "cheap", you're in for a shock. If you've heard that naturals are gentle and kind, then you're in for another one.
Note: In accordance with UK law on downloads and streaming, the materials list and the films on this page are free to use and watch. When you sign up, you can cancel and be refunded within 14 days as long as you have not downloaded any published course materials or watched any of our course videos.