Beauty: Frazer Parfum Engaging the Senses

Frazer Parfum [South Africa]

Shrouded in mystery and intrigue; the art of perfumery has to be an incredibly personal process as the perfume maker chooses and blends the scents that essentially please their nose, but at the same time requiring an element of commercial appeal. Frazer Parfum is a niche perfume house based in Cape Town, South Africa; the scents produced are in essence a fragrant ode to the owner and parfumer Tammy Frazer’s travels to the source of the materials used, meeting all those involved in the production and gathering inspiration along the way. Grouped into chapters; each reflecting a particular source of inspiration, the perfumes are created using natural and organic raw materials sourced by Tammy herself from farmers around the world. Delving into her family history one could say that it was inevitable Tammy would end up in the career she has. Her grandfather was Graham Wulff, a chemist and inventor who created the world’s leading beauty fluid, ‘Oil of Olay’ in 1959; her father worked at Swiss perfume house, Givaudan; and an aunt and uncle both chemists helped popularise homeopathy in South Africa. A legacy like that would surely come with pressure to succeed, and for Tammy it has been one that has unquestionably had a profound effect on her as she did not receive a conventional education in the cosmetics industry; instead learning every aspect of the business from leading scholars around the world.

[Image credit: Frazer Parfume]

Frazer Parfum believes in sourcing locally, championing entrepreneurship and protecting ecology and works to uphold responsible farming and support conservation efforts like the African Blackwood Conservation Project. Before creating a scent Tammy researches the history, horticulture and locality to help create the framework and ensures Frazer Parfum is involved in every aspect of harvesting and production. Frazer Parfum does not use synthetic molecules or chemicals; the perfumes contain no pesticides, paraffin or genetically modified materials and are not tested on animals; instead, all scents are 100% vegetal, natural and biodegradable.

[Image credit: Parfum Solide – Frazer Parfume]

Selecting a perfume really engages the senses; from the smell to the look and feel of the bottle, so creating a scent is only a part of the process. Frazer Parfum’s glass flacons housing their scents are each hand-blown by leading South African glass artist David Reade and come enveloped in silk to heighten the luxury experience. Available in liquid and solid forms, I love the packaging for the parfum solide, which come in a uniquely carved sustainable African Blackwood compact. They are so chic and elegant, perfect for travelling and look so tactile to touch cradled in the palm of your hand. Frazer Parfum products retail at the exclusive Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie in Harrods, London a private room dedicated to celebrating creative perfumery and the Annindriya Perfume Lounge in Oud-Zuid, Amsterdam. Tammy also runs a consultancy service creating bespoke scents for private clients upon request.