Perfume is very evocative of time and place and a very personal experience for the wearer. In the case of South African perfume house, Rose en Bos, founded by entrepreneur Emily Pienaar, the inspiration comes from the spectacular and world-renowned Cape Floral Kingdom. To wear these perfumes is to be transported to this beautiful, unspoilt and unique part of the world.
LoA chatted to Rose en Bos founder, Emily Pienaar this month, to find out more about this wonderful company and its fragrances.
What does your company do?
Rose en Bos was launched in 2010 as a niche perfume house specialising in elegant, unusual and luxury natural fragrances. It represents a marriage of European and African sensibilities: traditional French perfume-making inspired by Southern Africa, and its diversity of cultures, flora and geography. Rose en Bos uses South African grown ingredients wherever possible. In 2012 we branched out and started making all natural bath and beauty products to go with our perfumes.
"Rose en Bos was launched in 2010 as a niche perfume house specialising in elegant, unusual and luxury natural fragrances. It represents a marriage of European and African sensibilities: traditional French perfume-making inspired by Southern Africa, and its diversity of cultures, flora and geography."
What inspired you to start your company?
I've always been fascinated with herbs and scented plants, and then living in the Western Cape the Cape Floral Kingdom is a huge inspiration. Living in Bermuda with my husband, I managed to get a job at the Bermuda Perfumery, which opened my eyes to the possibilities of small, niche orientated companies.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Rose en Bos bath and beauty products will appeal to those who are interested in the highest quality ingredients, and to those who wish for products that are an alternative to the mass production of commercial beauty products.
"I've always been fascinated with herbs and scented plants, and then living in the Western Cape the Cape Floral Kingdom is a huge inspiration."
Tell us more about your wonderful perfumes
All of our fragrances are hand-blended in small batches, according to traditional 17th and 18th century French practices, and are certified 100% natural by the Natural Perfumer's Guild. Because Rose en Bos perfumes are made the old fashioned way, without the use of synthetic fixatives they are more unstable than perfumes manufactured by large commercial perfume houses and therefore they do not last as long on the skin. Botanical fragrances are subtle and stay close to the wearer. They can smell completely different from one person to the next, as they mix completely and magically with each individual’s personal body chemistry. Rose en Bos perfumes will appeal to those who wish for a scent that is an alternative to the mass production of commercial perfumery, to those who are interested in fragrances with personality and to those who are interested in the highest quality ingredients.
At this time, Rose en Bos has four distinct and unique fragrances:
Imithi: A soft and woody aromatic fragrance with layers of forest and resinous wood. Imithi has notes of sweet vanilla and lavender.
Viridescent: A volatile citrus, fresh with orange and frankincense.
Dark Heart: A spicy and intoxicating floriental with notes of jasmine and rose, melted into an exotic base of luxurious dark chocolate, rock rose and sandalwood. This is a bold scent, not recommended for the faint-hearted!
Rose & Vines: A tribute to the winelands of the Western Cape this fragrance is a sweet and spicy floral with a heart of pink rose, rose geranium and the exquisite night flowering tuberose. Base notes include cognac, and Atlas cedar.
Van Hunks: Our latest fragrance! This unisex scent is inspired by the legend of Van Hunks and the Devil. Together they sat on a hill overlooking the sea and competed to see who could outsmoke the other. They smoked for days until the mountain was covered in the haze. Inspired by this legend this fragrance is a smoky blend sandalwood and muhuhu with a dry down of tobacco.
All of our fragrances are hand-blended in small batches, according to traditional 17th and 18th century French practices, and are certified 100% natural by the Natural Perfumer's Guild.
Tell us a little about your team
All our products are hand crafted in small batches at our workshops in Somerset West and Cape Town by a small but hardworking team of ladies. I would not be where I am today without the help and support of my mom who is by turn box designer, box builder, accountant, secretary, moral support, inspiration and soap wrapper. The two of us are helped by two very special ladies named Neliswa and Nosicelo who are endlessly patient and hardworking. We outsource very little, preferring to do everything 'in house' - from artwork to packaging to production and marketing.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Prior to starting Rose en Bos, I worked at Lili Bermuda in Bermuda for a short time, and free-lanced as an illustrator. Illustration gave me the confidence to do my own packaging, although I still have so much to learn. Apart from a stint selling t-shirts at the local craft market as a teenager, Rose en Bos is my first entrepreneurial endeavour.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I want to continue to expand and grow and to expose more people to the benefit of natural ingredients. I am planning to move into a bigger space in the next couple of years, and to expand my product range. In the long term, I would love to have my own branded shops.
"Rose en Bos perfumes will appeal to those who wish for a scent that is an alternative to the mass production of commercial perfumery, to those who are interested in fragrances with personality and to those who are interested in the highest quality ingredients. "
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
I love the freedom (and responsibility!) of being my own boss. I take great satisfaction in making something from nothing, and from working with my hands, and from teaching others the skills to do the same.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
It sounds obvious but you really have to love what you do. The passion will be needed to carry you through the dry times! Surround yourself with supportive and practical people as far as possible.
Contact or follow Rose en Bos
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | EMAIL emily@roseenbos.com
Why LoA loves it….
Like millions of women around the world, at LoA we have a passion for perfume, especially those created here on the African continent. Rose en Bos is a wonderful example of a young woman entrepreneur following her passion for perfumery and combining that with a love of the unique flora of her country, capturing all those ingredients in a bottle for her customers around the world to fall in love with. We think this is one proudly South African perfume brand to watch in 2016. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and editor-in-chief of Lionesses of Africa