This week Karen is talking to Silvia Yonkova, founder of Rose Overdose, a company that grows roses and produces stunning fragrances from them. But, on top of this, Silva also hosts a yearly ‘Rose Retreat’ where budding perfumers can experience what it’s like to harvest roses and work with organic materials. In this interview with Karen, Silvia shares her family's rich history with roses, what inspired her to move into the world of perfumery and gives details of her not-to-be-missed retreat.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Silvia grew up in a family of rose growers. However, when she was young she began to notice a huge difference between the roses her family grew and those available to the public. She explains how this set her on her journey to perfumery. 
• Synthetic rose materials are used in most perfume creations. Silvia explains why this is the case which leads the ladies into a discussion about the differences between natural and synthetic rose materials. 
• Silvia explains what happens at her rose retreats and how she aims to give visitors a different experience from the standard tourist one.
• Despite her rich history with and love for roses, as Silvia explains to Karen, it was her desire to show the world that Bulgaria doesn’t just smell of roses that led her to perfume making. 

 

BEST MOMENTS 

“What makes the Bulgarian rose so unique is that it is unapologetic.”

“Don’t be in a rush to create your fragrances. Enjoy the journey and let the materials reveal themselves to you.”

“What you smell with synthetic rose materials is not what roses actually smell like. There is no comparison.”

 

EPISODE LINKS

Rose Overdose Website

Rose Overdose Retreat

Rose Overdose Instagram

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind  

In-person class

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. 

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

CONTACT DETAILS

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Email