On the scent for your perfect wedding fragrance? NYC-based perfume expert Sue Phillips will help you discover that big-day aura and bottle it.
For the past 20 years, Phillips — a former fragrance exec for Tiffany and Lancôme — has blended custom scents for wedding parties and celebs like Katie Holmes in her cozy Tribeca “Scentarium.”
“Brides and grooms often come in together to design fragrances,” the South African-born Phillips explains. “And many of them offer these scents as wedding favors.”
She also hosts bridal showers and bachelorette parties at her atelier and other venues for groups up to 150, helping attendees create personalized perfumes.
But before she uncorks any bottles, Phillips gives a lifestyle quiz, asking customers for their favorite colors and other loves.
“It took me ages to develop this quiz, but it’s 99 percent accurate,” she insists. “Fragrance preferences are typically based on people’s personalities.”
Phillips then shows each client her 18 proprietary blends — including “amber,” “herbal” and “heady floral” — so they can concoct their own exclusive scent. A private session costs $500; a ¼-oz. glass bottle of your custom brew is an additional $95, while a 4-oz. crystal flacon is $350, with a variety of other shapes and price points on offer. Hosting a 10-person perfume party runs from $1,500 to $2,500.
“We have created nearly 6,000 custom scents,” Phillips says. “We find that people always choose fragrances that reflect their individuality.”
Ah, the scent of love.