When Jessica, the creative genius behind J.Hannah Co, asked if I wanted to attend one of her workshops, I was all "Hell to the yes!!!" because what's not to love about a cool girl creating beautiful, custom, and natural fragrances in Austin. Every morning, I spritz myself with one of the bottles on my vanity that I have been wearing since high school and it was certainly time for a change-up. A scent soul-searching, if you will. So, I headed out to her studio last Saturday, and I can't recommend the experience enough.

After walking up to her door and being greeted by her cute pup Julep on the balcony, she led me to the most cozy and cool studio space. Light filled the corner that held her precious oils - all super high quality and made with care. I'm talking hundreds of gorgeous bottles filled with oils derived from moss, fir, rose, jasmine, lavender, cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, and some sort of cat-pee-harvested-from-a-particular-rock scent (I don't recommend that one) tucked neatly in rows, ready for the picking. She literally has a collection that would make Ariel from The Little Mermaid wicked jealous. We had a little chat about perfume-based murder mystery movies, career insights and just generally being two Chicago girls that wear cool glasses in Austin, and then got right to the nitty gritty: perfume 101.

So, all perfumes are comprised of three notes: base, middle and top. Base notes are typically those deep, heavy and long-lasting scents that ground the scent. The "dirt," you could call it. The middle is the heart of the perfume, where all the pretty florals and fairy dust live. Then, just like the cherry on top, you have a top note - a burst of scent that introduces the fragrance with a bang, then quickly evaporates. Jessica, being the wise sage she is, did point out that all these lovely scents are influenced by one 4th element: you! Everyone's body chemistry and natural scent is different, so the same perfumes will smell totally different on someone else (which was very much the case with my blend!).

We went down the line, sniffing and sampling pairings of the bases, middles and top notes that I was attracted to. You know, one of the most interesting things that I learned was just how different different species of plants can smell. Take lavender, for example. We tested three of Jessica's lavender oils out and I was shocked by how different each variety smells - one was very savory, the other sweet, and another I would not have even known had it been a blind smell test.

Anywho, I was really drawn to a fancy bouquet of vetiver, labdanum, a hint of frankincense, ylang ylang, jasmine, rose, lavender, pink grapfruit, cardamom, and ginger so that's what Jessica blended up, carefully dropping each precious oil in the vial. It's tangy and earthy, with a bright floral burst in the middle with just the right amount of nostalgia swirled in. I chose cardamom because it reminds me of our Swedish Christmas celebrations, pink grapefuit in homage to the boxfuls that my Dad doles out on behalf of our generous family friends in the valley, and lavender because it makes me think of my mom. So, there you have it.....eau de Triple Max Tons. I think it's pretty much the next Chanel No 5. ;)

Many, many thanks to Jessica for hosting me, and I can't encourage you all enough to visit her for a workshop or private session. Jessica is such a gem, and you'll not only leave feeling like a bona fide betty thanks to your uniquely tailored scent that conjurs up all your sweetest memories, but you'll also leave with some new-found knowledge. A smarty pants that smells good...all in a good day's work. Sign up yourself and a friend, host your very own perfume birthday party (how fun would this be for a bridal shower or birthday gift!?), and start blending the day away!