The scent of memories, explored in a Meredith perfumery

MEREDITH — Scents bring back memories, they elevate our mood, and evoke thoughts of past experiences, proving smell is indeed a powerful part of the human condition. It is a fascinating belief, and a big part of Essense Parfumerie.

Tamsan Lee Beattie, the owner of Esssense, knows a great deal about how people respond to scents and the psychology behind each response. She even refers to Cleopatra, a famous historical figure, and what scents she preferred as the queen of Egypt. She chose perfumes for the power of attraction, which meant combining the power of authority by marriage and the acquisition of entire kingdoms. Indeed, perfumes can be very powerful.

Perfumes continue to be important in the modern world, and Beattie takes clients on a journey into the world of scents, from flowery to musky to spicy, at Essense Parfumerie. Located in a beautiful, renovated barn at Rock Ridge Farm, just outside Meredith. You do not have to have a favorite perfume in order to visit, and in a way, it is as well to remain open to a variety of scents as you enter the perfume bar.

Taking a seat at the antique wooden bar and gazing at shelf upon shelf of bottles holding scented oils, visitors prepare for a unique experience. Beattie stands behind the bar, ready to talk with people to learn their story before bringing bottles of scented oils from the shelves, allowing each person — male and female — to smell the hundreds of scents.

“I have 550-plus scents at Essense,” Beattie says. The dizzying array of oils are held in apothecary bottles and range in name from Rain (the most popular fragrance, according to Beattie) to Sudanese Amber Resin, to name but a few. If left up to the customer, it would certainly be difficult to create a bottle of perfect perfume to take home.

That is where Beattie’s years of experience factor into Essense. She purchased Essense in 1991, when it was located on Martha’s Vineyard; at the time she named the business Essense of Martha’s Vineyard. It was a great place for the busy shop, with many visitors seeking individualized perfumes.

Once her daughter finished high school, Beattie decided it was time for a move and she began to search for a new home with space for Essense. “I wanted a historic farmhouse and we looked at a lot of places. Once I saw this property, which was built in 1796, I loved it and made the decision to move to New Hampshire,” Beattie recalls.

Along with Beattie came her perfumes and oils… and also the circa 1800s, 16-foot long mahogany bar. This is where visitors sit and chat with Beattie as she creates a perfect perfume for each person.

“After making an appointment, the visitor comes to Essense and we do a meet-and-greet. As they sit at the bar of the parfumerie, I ask them questions, such as what they do for work, what scents they like, and how they want to use scents in their lives," Beattie explained. "I want to know what their lifestyle might be. Do they want a scent to wear to their job, or for something else? I also might ask what scents they do not like. Then I begin to pull bottles of scents.”

As she applies a dot of each scented oil to the person’s arm, and they respond to the fragrance, Beattie separates the bottles on the bar into sections: favorites, maybes and a no section. Matching the fragrances to the customer comes from Beattie’s knowledge and years of experience. “I know the strengths, and the viscosity and power of each fragrance. The portion of each as I mix them is important. Should it be half and half or another mix of the scents? The portions are very important.”

Beattie majored in English literature with a minor in studio art, and her creativity is apparent in the decor of Essense and in the barn lounge area as well as the perfume bar.

Beattie was born in Chicago. Life brought her back there when she transferred to The University of Chicago and earned a master’s degree in behavioral science and social sciences with a triple major in psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

Before purchasing Essense, she apprenticed with two well-known perfumers. Her experience in how human beings behave and their response to such things as scents has been a huge help when creating unique perfumes.

Beattie views perfume as a very personal investigation to discover a person’s “power” whether it be to feel joy, to relax, to attract other people, to bond with a mate or to bring back sentimental or positive memories.

“People’s stories intrigue me,” Beattie said. “Essense is like counseling through scents and people go away after a visit feeling happy. I love the scents which bring back memories — it’s a journey.”

Beattie will learn about the visitor, hear their stories, determine their likes and dislikes, and pull bottles of scents that will match the overall picture of the person. Scents will be mixes from three categories: single note perfumes, house blends and imported perfumes. Once the perfume is created, and before the visit ends, the customer will get to name their perfume. When they leave, they take with them a bottle of individually mixed perfume.

Many customers are drawn to the imported blends because they wonder what a scent from Egypt or Tunisia might be like. Beattie's personal favorite perfume is Blueberry Letter 22, a mixture of Tunisian Amber, patchouli flower and blueberry oil, which she created and named as a wonderful scent all her own.

With so many scents in apothecary bottles lining the shelves, visitors need the expert help of Beattie. Otherwise, how could one resist smelling and mixing such intriguing scents as Cherry Blossom, Chocolate, Snow Pea, or Fig, for example? Choosing the appropriate scents and mixing them in the correct proportion takes experience and knowledge.

“I have created about 23,000 perfumes over the years; that is a lot of people I have helped on their journey of self-expression,” Beattie says.

Essense Parfumerie is open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. Visit essense.com for more.