Nicknamed 'Swan' by her loved ones growing up (Cygnet Perfumery pays homage to her pet name), Sondrine’s gentle nature further informed her career choice. She went on to study midwifery, supporting women during pregnancy and birth.
Moreton Bay fig, into a cosy workshop where aromatics are stored in temperature-controlled wine fridges. “There's a lovely intimacy in the space where I create, and where my daughters spend time with me.”
“After my placements we moved to the peninsula in 2016. It was a magical start to our life here, as my partner, Patrick, and I moved in together to Shoreham with my sister and her husband. We both fell pregnant within two weeks of each other.”
It’s in this sensorial makers-space that Sondrine makes tinctures, filters and macerates and bottles perfumes by hand, which can take four to six months for each small batch to age. Some of her tinctures (the processing of raw aromatic materials in alcohol to release their essence and natural scents) take up to a year.
“Things had been hectic before that but suddenly life started to slow down. This enabled me to think about the sort of lifestyle I wanted. Cygnet Perfumery was born around my values and desire to be with my children, while feeling fulfilled and returning to my passion. During mothering I think it’s important to have a creative and purposeful outlet while you’re also nurturing others.” Sondrine’s talent for scent recognition and sustainable production philosophy supported her vision for Cygnet Perfumery. She foresaw that interest from conscious consumers in handcrafted fragrance without synthetic aromas was slowly growing.
“Australian’s are seeking out slow-made products with mindful application in their development. It's a rewarding time to grow this sort of business when the market tells us there's interest. I source ingredients direct from farmers and distillers for our skincare which is no small feat as a small-batch business. For our fragrances, which contain upwards of 30 different botanical aromatics in each one, I work with two reputable suppliers in Italy and America who have a beautiful selection of products and aromatics for my perfumes.”
There's a lovely intimacy in the space where I create, and where my daughters spend time with me
“While producing and retailing extrait de parfum is wellestablished in Europe, botanical perfume is a small industry in Australia. There's just a handful of businesses producing small batch scents; direct access to ingredients and supplies are hard to source, and natural perfume isn’t a part of our culture. But there’s a definite movement towards it now,” she says. “We have an established slow food and slow fashion movement in Australia, I'd really love to see us evolve with a slow scent and skincare movement too.” A move from Shoreham to five acres in Cape Schanck saw Sondrine convert their garden shed, under the shade of giant
Sondrine has grown her business further, now hand blending soil to skin organic, regenerative skincare. The small batch luxury perfume producer has a big heart when it comes to sustainable practices and ethical earth care. “I've invested time becoming informed about endangered species and what we are going to lose by sourcing such products as Mysore sandalwood which is close to extinction, and overharvested crops like frankincense. Wildcrafted can be a complex industry with positives and negatives so I'm always careful about who I source from. It’s equally important to be knowledgeable on behalf of my consumers and ensure I work with suppliers whose workers are paid a fair wage.” Through a carbon neutral initiative, the business plants a tree for every skin care product sold. The Mornington Peninsula has proven a stimulating muse. continued page 14...
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12 | PENINSULA
April 2022