Interviews

Modern Hedonists: Rebel Intuitive Perfumerie

05/02/15 08:36:50 

by: Jodi Battershell

 "Life is short. Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything
that made you smile."—Mae West

This quote from American sex symbol Mae West adorns the home page of Rebel Intuitive Perfumerie, an American independent natural perfumery based in Montpelier, VT. From the get-go, a Mae West quote suggests a certain hedonism, sensuality and eroticism on the part of the person who quotes it.  As I learned more about this house, it became even more apparent how perfectly suited this quote was for this frankly sexy new perfume house tucked away in the far Northeast of the United States.

Ninon Tryst (sample packet)

Rebel Intuitive was founded by perfumer Beckie Sheloske (a certified natural perfumer with the Natural Perfumers Guild) and art director Katy Knuth. Launched less than a year ago, in November 2014, I was impressed by how fully developed Rebel Intuitive's design and concept were, before I even had a chance to try the scents. Now that I have sniffed their debut collection—Ninon, a deep and sensual oriental fragrance, Grace at 67th, a crisp green with pronounced natural musk notes, and Winter Lewd, a tart and aromatic woody scent—I can CONFIRM how fully realized the house's concept is. A sexy, sensual vibe runs through the product design, the accompanying images and descriptions, culminating in the final product: pure perfumes composed entirely of natural ingredients in a way I've not quite experienced them before.

Katy and Beckie are a perfect team—friends and business partners who each bring unique talents and perspectives to the table. Rebel Intuitive is the fruit of their combined efforts, a labor of love and a dream made real. I set out to learn a little more about the interesting ladies behind this exciting new house.

Jodi: Please tell us about your name, Rebel Intuitive Perfumerie and your tagline, "Pure perfume for the modern hedonist." Why were they chosen? What do the name and your logo symbolize?

Beckie:  The name Rebel Intuitive came way back in 2009 when I first began self-taught studies into perfume. Although I did not have a brand yet I thought up the name from: “rebel” representing how I love going against status quo and the kind of perfumes I envisioned  and  “Intuitive” originated from  how I like to live my life knowing that using your intuition will always bring decisions resulting in success.

The logo represents the two of us, Katy as the wolf and I as the leopard. We actually both at separate times did a shamanic journey with the same shaman and met our animal counterparts. The flowers on the top of the logo are opoponax flowers which is our signature that we use in the handcrafted tinctures that we use as the bases for our perfumes. I chose opoponax for the ancient symbology of the plant which includes strengthening intuitive senses, sensory awareness and creativity, as well as the fact it is one of my very favorite notes. The jewel on the bottom of the logo represents our combined aesthetic and love for all things visually beautiful.

Katy:  Pure perfume for the modern hedonist is a lifestyle choice. It’s the celebration of pleasure with no extra baggage added on. It’s an awareness of a raw sensual animalistic side that resides in all of us and the celebration of it. The tagline comes from who we are and what we want people to experience for them.

Winter Lewd, Model: Katy Knuth. Photographer: Heather Gray

Jodi: The concept for your house and your scents is such a complete package: the names, the imagery, the packaging, the fragrance notes, etc. Which came first: scents or design concept?  

Beckie:   As I said in the question above I began formulating these perfumes in 2009, so the scents came first!   In the creation process inspirations sourced from specific individuals or abstract ideas lead to the perfumes. The perfume Ninon is homage toNinon De Lenclos, the 17th century French courtesan that had very progressive libertarian views on sexuality. I discovered Ninon while reading Irving Wallace’sNymphos and Other Maniacs.  Grace at 67th was originally inspired by Anita Pallenburg. I was absolutely mystified by Anita and her effortless sex appeal,  her relationship to Keith Richards, the Sixties and rock n’ roll. Winter Lewd was more abstract in that the inspiration was a moment of experience. The moment between dream and awake the suspension of consciousness, a place of lucidity. The note selection for each perfume comes next as I defined the feelings, places, emotions of how I imagined each inspiration. When Katy and I partnered we worked on the design concepts to a deeper level and how we could effectively bring the fragrances to life using all the senses, which is why we are drawn to poetic descriptions and strong imagery. We spend hours and hours of creative brainstorming and tend to end up swirling down philosophical rabbit holes when discussing our perfumes. We really break them down into emotion and build them back up synesthetically.

Katy: The synesthetic approach is the bridge we use to create the complete story for each scent. The entire process is fundamentally important to us. We are both artists who explore many mediums and being able to appeal to all the senses is a must for what we do. When Beckie and I became business partners she had an arsenal of beautiful perfume compositions that she shared with me. We picked the three we launched with because of the immediate creativity we connected to in how we bring these scents to life. Listening to Beckie talk about the inspiration and intention behind these blends I immediately became inspired by them.

Jodi: Please tell us a bit about the creative process behind Rebel Intuitive and the roles you occupy in this venture.

Beckie:  Our creative process is zany but at the same time very deliberate. Yes, I am the perfumer and Katy is the art director but we are constantly working together and bouncing ideas off each other. There is not a part of this that not a collective venture in the decision making behind the brand. Leading up to the launch of RI we defined the style guide of the brand together. Moving forward we have complete trust in each other that either one will make choices for the brand under their own jurisdictions to be able to efficiently uphold the integrity of the brand. We enlisted our friends to help us bring the vision to life. One of the most important relationships we have is with our friend and photographer Heather Gray who we joke is like our “Annie Leibowitz.”  Heather is a strong part of our team that will remain.

The Rebels: Katy Knuth and Beckie Sheloske. Photographer: Heather Gray

Katy:  When Beckie and I decided to move RI forward into the brand you see today we worked side by side on all aspects of this business. We created Rebel Intuitive as you see it together. Josh Turner is a dear friend and the amazing graphic designer we work with. He created our logo from a sketch we had and pushed us to create the box art that we launched with. Beckie and I created original pieces of art for each box.Ninon is an illustration Beckie created, Winter Lewd is a water color I made and Grace at 67th is a photo collage we created together. Josh took the original pieces of art we gave him and created the boxes that house our perfume.

Jodi: What compelled you to work exclusively with natural fragrance components?

Beckie:  I wanted the challenge, really. It wasn’t for health reasons or to be “green” and I don’t believe that natural perfumes are better or worse for someone to wear on their body. I smoke cigarettes and sometimes you can find me drinking a Diet Coke. But I also buy organic vegetables and meditate. It’s a balance, really and I enjoy identifying my pleasures in life. As I learned more about perfume construction and the chemical makeup of naturals vs. synthetics, I was compelled to create using naturals because of their complexity. I was determined to create intriguing, balanced perfumes using only naturals. I am always surprised how natural perfume opens up on different skin in comparison to perfumes with synthetic components. When I smell into a particular natural aromatic note it reveals so many layers and connections to me, which is how I chose the notes to include when building the accords in my perfumes.

Katy: I find it very intriguing how so many natural products are marketed. Beckie and I enjoy a challenge, and choose to market our natural products in a nontraditional fashion. We are both drawn to the gritty, raw side of beauty. In marketing our product, I want it to convey the story behind it. I am excited to be pushing the boundaries of how natural products are marketed. Natural does not equal safe or healthy. I see natural as more raw and sexy. It’s unadultered. Hell, if I can get all heady here, working with naturals is the orgy of virgins we orchestrated. I want to capture that moment for our brand.

Jodi: Why have you chosen to offer all your fragrances as pure perfumes, in lieu of eau de toilette, eau de parfum, etc.?

Beckie:  I feel with the use of naturals that delivering the fragrance in pure perfume form allows the wearer to fully experience the composition in the way I intended. The aromatic molecules are tight and inclusive. In an EDP or EDT I feel the aromatics are given more space to spread out and can jump around each other with other and the results are very different. Possibly depending on the perfume in the future an EDP may be in the works, but it would be an ethereal and airy intention. Personally I am drawn to heavier, sultry compositions.

Jodi: What are your favorite scents? Is there a "fantasy" or dream note you would to have available in the natural perfumery palette? Are there favorite notes you enjoy working with or notes you find particularly challenging?

Beckie:  One of my favorite scents is the smell after I water all my plants or the smell of freshly watered dirt in a greenhouse. I could drown in a vat of Bulgarian rose absolute I would be completely happy going out that way. The arms and the nape of my lover’s neck are up there on my list. One scent memory that is I always go to is the smell of my Aunt Louise’s house which was a mixture of kielbasa and Youth Dew. I really enjoy vintage perfumes such as Liu by Guerlain. I also like Un Jardin Sur Le Nil by Hermès. There are so many I wish to smell such as Elsa Schiaparelli’s Shocking, Tabu by Dana and Scandal by Lanvin which I am sure I would love. The funny thing is I don’t often wear perfume besides my own blends to see their performance qualities or to try out new accords. I enjoy testing other brands of perfume for composition qualities. I don’t believe in having a signature scent just like I don’t really like the idea of marriage. How could I possibly limit myself to one for the rest of my days? There really isn’t a “fantasy” note that I would like to have available because to me somewhere in any naturally derived aromatic are the building blocks for what is not currently available to the natural perfumer’s palette. I am very determined to create similar effects with naturals that may be found in perfumes using synthetics. I know that it is possible. Maybe some of those notes exist in essential oils or absolutes that haven’t been discovered yet. And that is very exciting to me.

Katy: I never considered myself a “perfume person” and it was Beckie who turned me on to it. Years ago when we were just getting to know each other she brought over a new scent she was working on, an early edition of Winter Lewd. The scent itself transported me to another place that was both familiar and brand new. I am still new to the perfume world, learning about it daily. I find myself drawn to deep and dark scents. Blue tansy stands out as one of my favorite notes. Every morning after waking I put on a silk ROBE, I fully enjoy two espressos with lemon zest before my day begins. It is one of my biggest pleasures. The smell of coffee has become a scent I love because of this ritual.

Grace at 67th, Models: Maggie Lenz-McQuilken and Ben Roy. Photographer: Heather Gray

Jodi: I admire the unabashedly sexy and sensual vibe of your house—the images, the fragrance names and the fragrances themselves, the editorial content on your site ... What is perfume's role in sexuality or pleasure? Is perfume purely for pleasure?

Katy:  Beckie and I are sexual people in the literal and esoteric sense of the word. When we create for the brand we can’t help but bring ourselves into what we do and what we want to see. We have been known to; at sometimes with great lengths and suggestive motions, describe the three perfumes we launched with as different types of sex. Ninon is the intimate close sex, opening of oneself to pure sensuality the giving and receiving from your lover. Grace at 67th is the lustful sex, the one night stand that leaves you inspired. Winter Lewd is the kinky unabashed hold back nothing and get freaky type of sex. The deep understanding of our perfumes on so many levels allows us to create the images, and content you see. Perfume in of itself is not sexuality or sensuality it is the catalyst. I see any channel to actively partake in pleasure is a must.

Ninon, Model: Hannah Satterlee. Photographer: Heather Gray

Beckie:  Scent is literally the fastest way to pleasure. Perfume is for pleasure. One of my very favorite quotes by a perfumer I am very inspired by, Christophe Laudamiel, sums it up, “… Scent goes inside you because you have to breathe and because it’s made of molecules. So if I smell a melon, there is a little bit of melon that comes inside of me so that I can detect it … So there is this extra feeling that makes scent maybe even more sexual, cannibalistic, or engaging.”

Jodi: Tell us about the perfume market and perfume community in Vermont, where you're based. 

Beckie:  The perfume market is very small here in Vermont. Layla Bringas, a friend of mine, owns Lunaroma, an aromatic apocathary in Burlington. She sells very high quality essential oils and we work with her to source rare aromatics. She has a natural perfume line available at her shop as well as many other amazing beauty products and synergistic aromatherapy blends, which is her specialty. We are very excited to begin collaboration with Alice & the Magician, based in Burlington. They focus on edible perfumes for culinary and cocktail use. We actually are very excited to say that we will be collaborating with them, Crystal Madiera chef of Kismet restaurant in Montpelier on a Harvest scent dinner this Fall. I think Vermont will see a burgeoning industry in essential oil production and aromatic plant cultivation in the coming years. We look forward to inspiring a growing appreciation for scent culture here in Vermont.

Beckie and Katy, selfie in Italy

Jodi: I know you just launched in November 2014. How long was the perfume house in the works, and what are you plans for Rebel Intuitive? What can we look forward to in the coming year?

Beckie:  Rebel Intuitive was in the works since 2009, Katy and I joined forces a little over a year ago to forge the vision into a brand. During the years before Katy and I partnered I studied everything I could about classic French perfume construction, history of perfume, the industry and how it developed and the current perfume industry, notes and worked on building compositions. Although we came out withNinon, Grace at 67th and Winter Lewd in our official launch, I have formulated recipes for four other women’s perfumes and four colognes for men that we will eventually release in the coming years. There is a concept that we came up with together from inspiration we found on a recent trip to Italy. I am working on a Castoreum Collection which will feature three fragrances that use castoreum as the focus, similarly to a soliflore but what I like to call a “solianimaux.”  I have a true castoreum tincture that I have been aging since 2011 which I will use in these perfumes and it will most likely be a limited edition collection. We also have ideas to add scented powders alongside our perfumes, but we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves and primarily would like to focus our efforts on perfumes.

Katy: I am really excited about a perfume we hope to launch this coming Fall. Walking down the street in Milan I saw two people on the street lounging around and sharing a moment. I hit Beckie on the shoulder to look so she could see what I saw. What we witnessed in that moment is the inspiration for our new perfume, Hobos in Love.

Beckie:  The perfume is still in the early stages but it is shaping up to include winy, boozy, and tobacco notes, somewhat gourmand with doses of heady white flowers.

THANK YOU to Beckie and Katy for the opportunity to try the Rebel Intuitive fragrances and for sharing your story with Fragrantica readers. Please visit the official website of Rebel Intuitive Perfumerie to learn more and purchase Trysts (samples) or bottles of all three parfums.

All images courtesy of Rebel Intuitive Perfumerie, photographer: Heather Gray

Jodi Battershell(NebraskaLovesScent) is a lifelong Nebraskan who transplanted herself to Philadelphia after 42 years on the Great Plains. An appreciator of fine fragrances since childhood, she tried her hand at natural perfumery and fragrance-mixing for a number of years, ultimately concluding she was better suited to appreciating the fragrance creations of others. She is pleased to finally be putting her English degree to use as a writer and editor for Fragrantica.com.