When I founded Twinkle Apothecary in 2015, my whole business model was based on the idea of having a range of fun, all-natural body care fragrances to choose from, along with matching perfumes. The point was to get creative, mix and match, layer, and play with your fragrances in the same way you would change up an outfit, or any other accessories as you go about your life...
At the opening of my first mini-brick-and-mortar shop in OKC circa 2017 - just LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE BOTTLES, OMG!
And it was fun, but as you can see, it was a lot. A LOT of work (and overhead expenses!) for me to keep all of those different products and fun fragrances stocked.
I guess in the beginning I thought that eventually, I'd have help - that I'd outsource production or hire employees to take over other aspects of my work...
But as we all know, life happened.
The past few years haven't been easy for small businesses, so the goals that I originally had for my business don't quite align with today's reality.
Also in today's reality: I LOVE being the person who hand-makes all of these products. I've learned that I actually want to keep my business small so that I can continue to explore my craft and personally provide you with the highest quality natural products.
In order to make the *small artisan craft business* of today's dreams a reality, I had to make the difficult decision to say goodbye to all of the excess with my recent re(un)branding.
This picture is from May 2021 - the day I reopened my brick-and-mortar after having closed down to be my son's virtual school teacher for a full year during the pandemic. Still, I say, LOOK AT ALL OF THAT STUFF OMG!
Saying goodbye to excess has been such a good thing because streamlining my collection and my production process has cleared space for me to create fresh, new, even more effective, beautiful products.
Just one scent
Honestly, the thought of reducing my deodorant and body care products down to just one scent was daunting at first. My first instinct was to play it safe and make something that everyone was sure to love.
Then, I remembered - oh yeah - I've been making and selling fragrances for 7 years and have learned nothing if not that it is IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE EVERYONE.
Also, natural fragrances are my passion. Since this is my brand I would be doing myself a disservice to create a scent that didn't fully excite me, just to try to please the masses.
Still, so much thought and experimentation went into formulating a scent that would be equally effective and lovely to wear day-in-and-day-out for the foreseeable future.
Eee... hope you like the scent of sandalwood as much as I do because I LOVE what that toffee-colored sandalwood powder does for my new deodorant formula!
I wanted to make something effective - that would make us feel refreshed and smell great all over - and I also wanted to make something that felt MAGICAL enough that we'd be excited to apply it to our bodies every single day.
I also wanted it to have functional aromatherapy benefits - because that's one of the best things about formulating with natural ingredients that come from real plants!
And, I wanted it to be gender neutral - something that anyone could wear without it coming off as too "masculine" or too "feminine."
Eventually, I realized that I already had a framework for an effective, magical, refreshing, aromatherapeutic fragrance that I already knew I loved wearing every morning - Madam VP - the scent I designed with heart-healing in mind after the 2020 presidential election.
I pared that scent down to just the good good heart notes - rose, lavender, clary sage, and copaiba balsam - and combined it with sandalwood powder for my deodorant and dry shampoo for a little extra grounding oomph. I also used it in my bath salts, body powder, and wave spray, so that we could all streamline and enjoy the same scent all over.
What it smells like
The scent is fresh, light but impactful, CLASSY, but also sage-y, floral but not cloying or overly "feminine." It reminds me of a fine tea, and also the forest. It's everything I want a natural fragrance to be. And it makes my armpits not stink for the entire day, so, mission accomplished.
With four different varieties of lavender, clary sage, which is my favorite mood-lifting essential oil, and copaiba balsam, which, fun fact- interacts with the cannabinoid receptors in your body to release endorphins - my aromatherapy mission was accomplished too.
Of course, it was only a matter of time before I made this body and hair care fragrance into a matching perfume!
I'm just calling it "aromatherapy blend" and it's available in an oil-based roll-on or a room/body/linen/hair mist.
This nameless but gorgeous aromatherapy scent is simply a mix of my lavender, rose, and sandalwood single note accords, blended with clary sage and copaiba balsam. It's equal parts practical and pretty - uplifting and grounding - and is meant to lightly compliment your head-to-toe twinkle fragrance and boost your mood as needed. I love it as an air freshener in my home just as much as I love wearing it on my body.
And I hope you'll love it just as much as I do.
Click here to order a sample - and don't forget to try it in my new and improved deodorant formula too - I'm proud of how well it turned out!
I can't wait to hear your thoughts.
Cheers to the next chapter and enjoying more beautiful natural fragrances together throughout this crazy journey that is life. Thanks for trusting me to make all of the magical things for your body!
Stefanie
