My dream to create Rebecca Tracey - Perfumed Workshop was born when I was living among aromatic, heady and sensuous fragrances in the colourful, sub tropical, wilds of Andalucía in southern Spain.
These lands are blessed with golden sunshine, vivid blue skies, dazzling flora and the intoxicating natural scents of jasmine, hibiscus, oleander, dama de la noche, bougainvea, and complimented by the citrus fragrances of orange and lemon blossoms.
It was in these perfectly natural, balmy surroundings that 10 years ago I became entranced by the art of creating wondrous 100% natural fragrances - working with internationally acclaimed and award winning master perfumer Nicholas Jennings.
Nick was a decade or more ahead of me. When he moved to Provence, from the exotic Far East, he began studying and experimenting with pure essential organic oils to create his very own unique bouquets.
He had an excellent reason for doing so. You see Nick was left out of the 'smelling good' stakes because he suffered from allergies that made using synthetic, commercial products (even the sky-high priced, big name brands) absolutely taboo.
That mix of passion and necessity (plus a few years of perfecting his craft) saw the launch of Sharini Perfumes - a marque soon to be internationally acclaimed as one of the world's finest organic perfumes.
It's not stretching it to say that we were proud of our creations. They won prizes and high praise at top exhibitions in Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Nuremburg and London.
But time and tides move on.....and so six years ago my husband Danny and I moved to wonderful Stratford-upon-Avon. We make a great team because Nick and Danny are childhood friends who shared many ventures together.
So it's in this picturesque, historic town of William Shakespeare that is home to my Rebecca Tracey Perfumed Workshop. I am based at the delightful Bonds centre (www.bondslifestyle.co.uk), an intriguing Aladdin’s Cave of varied marketing outlets a mile or so from the town centre.
In these artisan surroundings I delight in creating and developing my dreams and products which are enjoyed by a growing, loyal following throughout the country.
At the heart of it all, we share above all the original, pure and organic ethos to lovingly hand make gorgeous scents and products. My most sought after fragrance creations include: Lemon, Patchouli & Lemongrass; Frankincense, Lavender and Geranium; Oakmoss & Sandalwood and Lavender & Orange, which you can enjoy in our beautiful Candles, Natural Reed Diffusers and Aromatherapy Room Fragrances.
If you are ever in Stratford please stop by and meet me at Bonds ... and should you perchance find yourself in the South of France, there is no finer destination than the magical medieval village of St Guilhem le Desert, a UNESCO heritage site and one of the most beautiful areas in France.
Either here or there, you’ll be sure of a warm welcome and inspiring aromas filling the air.
