The love she has is part of the story of the scents. It is this passion which lingers along with the fragrance. She is, as the French would say… ‘un artiste des parfums’
Ana Elena Sastrias
founder and owner of ÆSastrias, Art and Perfumery brand ÆS Création Naturel
Welcome to my Art and Life in Perfumery blog.
My name is Ana Elena Sastrías Bordes, owner of ÆSASTRIAS trading as AES Création Naturel ™ .
As a Perfumer Fragrance Consultant, I help adult individuals in many stages of life who cannot longer wear regular perfumes, offering the joy and safer alternative of wearing a scent again with my bespoke, natural perfumes and personalised packaging service delivered at The Blue Mountains Market Stalls in person or online shop. A “one-on-one” consultation for customised perfume fragrances is available at my online shop servicing Australia-wide at an affordable price.
Since the end of 2016, I started exploring the world of Perfumery. Then, through this experience, I have been dedicated to Product and Process Photography, in this case, applied to Perfumes, Soaps and Cosmetics.
This photographic activity became a document of frozen realities where I can recap and analyse, showing how the garden has grown and evolved and how the climate has changed it or impacted it. Through the experience of interacting with my garden, I started collecting so many rose petals and using them as a decorative motive in the house and making aromatic waters, perfumes and oil infusions.
My professional career was in Computer Engineering but since childhood, Art has been a constant in my life. As a visual artist, I sign “ÆSastrias”. Growing flowers and veggies and fruit started to be my passion in 2013 after the loss of my husband.
Fragrances and little perfume bottles were my fascination since childhood.
At the end of 2016, I was experiencing loneliness and I mentally reconnected to a moment in my childhood where I remembered my mother dressing me very nicely for a special occasion and I was having my little bag that contained inside, a napkin, a bill note and a little sample of perfume that I got given by aunties and friends of my mother. This gave me joy and an intense interest in learning the Art and Craft of Perfume Making. This became my priority. In my search for courses here in Australia, I found in my local area in Penrith great Perfumery and Cosmetics Body Care Courses at “Heirloom Body Care” and also, they became my main supplier since then. I try to source my own infused oils from my flowers and plants from my garden complementing with essential oils, absolutes and fragrances classed vegan gentle to the nose and skin. I also attended a very useful course in Cosmetics Business provided by “New Directions” at Marrickville in 2017.
On the 5th of February 2017, I opened my Etsy shop “AESCreationNaturel” which I have been growing it very gradually as I make my products from scratch and also customise perfume fragrances for my clients.
The experience of selling my online and face to face my perfumes has given me the ability to make connections with my clients. Some of my clients have become Loyal Clients throughout the years.
As she blends her fragrances she is able to live the colours and layers of the scents. They are part of the essence that is Ana Sastrias. The emotion generated by her experience infuses every fragrance.
In 2018 I had the opportunity to visit Mexico again for the purpose of visiting family and also meeting Dr. Luz Maria Calvo who worked as a Research Project Manager at the “CICY” (Centro de Investigación Cientifica de Yucatán (CICY)) a Scientific Research Institute in Yucatan dedicated to the Native Plants of Yucatan and the extraction of their Essential Oils and their Uses. While visiting the Research Centre and its Botanical Garden and Lab, Dr Luz Maria Calvo generously showed me the different varieties of Mayan Ethnical Flora and its uses and properties. Some Mexican Perfumers are starting using local Ethnical Flora.
This visit at CICY was most interesting to me and motivated me to continue studying at Grasse, France.
Then, in May 2019, I was able to go to the Ancient Town of Grasse in the French Riviera, the Centre of the World Perfume Industry, full of Historic Places, Museums and Important Perfume Distilleries and Perfume Companies. I was there in May for the Centifolia Rose Harvest and Festival where I had the opportunity to visit the Isnard Family Garden and Family Perfume Distillery business, which have been making perfume in Grasse for hundreds of years. Also, I was able to help with the harvest of roses on the farm and talk with the farmers about rose production. I visited the Fragonard Perfume Factory and Museum and Shop, I also visited the International Museum of Perfumery, where the famous French Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena has been behind the content in the museography of Scents presenting the Physiological, Scientific, Philosophical and Socio-Economical aspect of Perfumes.
I enrolled at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP) AFSO / PRODAROM, where I was able to study Natural Perfumes and had the experience of smelling all aromas to train my nose to memorise scents and categorise them in families, then, make accords and produce different types of perfumes. Also, I learned how to formulate Natural Cosmetics I was able to make measurements, use active ingredients and process cosmetics.
Ana smelling raw materials at GIP (Grasse Perfumery Institute). May 2019
Returning to Australia after the great experience of studying at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP), has giving me some challenges in applying what I learnt to my own perfume making practice, as It takes time and money to continue building the variety of Essential Oils, Absolutes and Isolates that I used in France. I have been growing my collection of exotic essences supplemented by the oils and essences produced from my home garden plants and flowers.
Ana is surely unique in her blend of such rich heritage and cultures. It informs her artistic sensitivity and is central to her sense of self. No matter where she is in the world she is always very much Mexican, Australian and European all at once.
Throughout the time between 21017 – 2020, my collection of handcrafted bespoke natural perfume fragrances has grown, making now 26 established fragrances within the Floral, Fruity and Woody Lines Collections/
Thanks to my previous and current clients who have trusted in me in making a customised perfume fragrance and so later on, there will be a selection of new perfumes coming.
My products are made by order and I make them in small batches in an artisanal way. My services are making customised perfume fragrances in a personalised way and I am open to having some collaboration or project for Events or Special Occasions. I am working at the moment in preparing material for Olfactive Experience workshops should you be interested.
Alongside the fragrances, I have used my photography to complement the perfumes as wrapping paper, and gift cards. Also, I have done some designs that I am gradually working on and improving for labels, cards and business cards. My next project with my photography will be printing in textiles complementing the perfumes with bags with my photography printed motifs or adding the floral theme in fabrics to use in fashion.
WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY ABOUT MY CREATIONS
Click on my Etsy shop Reviews to read more feedback
For any specific enquiry, do not hesitate to contact me.