Kristine Ambrose shares her passion for blending natural perfumes.

The parts of the human brain that process emotions and memory are also responsible for the sense of smell, so it’s no wonder that scents such as soup bubbling on a stovetop or a fresh-cut rose can instantly conjure vivid memories. For Bend-based perfumer Kristine Ambrose, the power of scent has been life-altering.

Five years ago, Ambrose was living in Los Angeles when she entered a deep depression, something she soon realized had been impacting her throughout her life. She had recently begun gardening as a hobby, and a friend suggested she take a class on natural perfumes. Ambrose recalled how the friend suggested taking the herbs from her garden and turning them into something therapeutic so the coping skills for dealing with depression would be with her every step of the way. “It helped,” said Ambrose.

Ambrose began to understand the healing power of nature. She and her husband made a move to Bend three years ago, where she knew easy access to hiking and paddle boarding on the river would be beneficial. What had been just a hobby began to flourish into something more.

“Here was this whole new world of herbs and flowers and trees that I could work with: pine needles, Russian sage and lavender,” Ambrose said about Bend’s natural surroundings.

A year after moving to Bend, she established her natural perfume company Hikishémé, a new word she coined by blending the Japanese and French languages, representing two cultures she reveres. To her it means “inspiration of cultures.” She began selling her perfumes, such as Amber Rose and Woodland, on her website and at local farmers markets, then expanded her business with a perfume lab
in 2022.

Hīkishémé Perfume Lab

In the home studio in her garage, Ambrose welcomes guests by appointment to make perfumes and shop. She also hosts natural perfume workshops, including perfume blending and hand-rolling incense cones. The space, inspired by the bohemian vibe of Venice, California 30 years ago, can be described as “modern photography studio meets apothecary,” and is adorned with vintage lamps and rugs. An artist at heart, Ambrose said blending scent notes together is an art form and she likens it to making fine wine. Her workshops bring together groups looking for a sense of community, and the methodical process allows people to be in the moment.

The Art of Scent

To make a natural scent, perfumers typically blend essential oils and dilute them with alcohol. Ambrose takes this a step further, creating her own tinctures by soaking herbs and flowers in grain alcohol and continually adding new ones to the tincture for up to a year and a half. “I’ve learned the more you go into the process, the more of an artist you become. I know I’m doing art when my mind is free of thought,” Ambrose said. Before using the oils, she burns off the last remnants of the alcohol in a reduction process similar to reducing balsamic vinegar. The scents become intensely aromatic and layered. “The lavender tincture smells like a deep dark lavender cotton candy,” she explained.

These tinctures, which Ambrose calls “vintages,” date back to 2019 and include jasmine, mint, oregano, citrus, anise, lavender, pine needle, sage and more. They serve as the base of Ambrose’s perfumes which are then blended with high-quality essential oils that are diluted so they don’t burn the skin. In her workshops, guests craft luxurious, custom blends that could never be mass-produced. “They are truly made right from the garden, right from my trees, just for you,” Ambrose shared.

Her favorite scent, white jasmine, blooms in Southern California in the spring and reminds her of how far she has come. She sees it as her mission to share the mental health benefits of natural scents with a wider audience. “These coping skills are right at the tips of our fingers,” Ambrose said. “Open the door, walk outside and get into nature; take a deep breath, smell something different.” See hikisheme.com.

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