Introducing a new line of original scents:
Skunkadelic!™

​Skunkadelic™ is part skunk, part funk! These three new trademarked perfumes celebrate multi-sensory creative inspiration of the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s and the era of Y2K. Skunkadelic is Midwestern Motown and Urban Funk; Chicago Blues and Cleveland Soul.
read more...

Essense was featured on WMUR's NH Chronicle,
           February 7th, 2017; August 10th, 2017; and February 6th, 2018!

Here is the link to the 1st whole show.  If you want to watch the Essense segment,
it begins at 2.25 minutes.

Photo by Jay Philbrick

Photo by Sarah Dennehy

Photo by Sarah Dennehy

The Essense Experience

The “Essense experience” is a journey of wonder led by your nose! Perfume can be as mysteriously complex or as joyfully simple as you'd like to make it. There are no rules, except Coco Chanel's: “fabulous.”

Perfumery is a traditional old-world craft using art and science, inspiration and magic. With over 27 years of experience in this trade, as well as a Master's degree in Behavioral Science, I consider myself both an alchemist of scents and a translator of memory and emotion.  I love my vocation as a perfumer because it allows me to work with people in a connected  interpersonal way, while guiding them on a mini-tour of creative self-discovery, via the sensory aspect of scent and smell.

Because of the intense connection between the sense of smell and  memory, making perfume can be intensely emotional and uniquely personal.  I love hearing the memories and stories that my customers are willing to share,  as well as creating perfumes and therefore new memories for them.

Essense features pure perfume oils and fragrance composite perfume oils, collected from all over the globe, as well as many natural essential oils for aromatherapy. Essense has created many original trade-mark perfumes, available only here. Additionally, Essense carries a selection of “ready made” designer-type fragrance oils that can be applied directly to pulse points, or further customized.

Essense is the original "indie" perfumery of New England. With over 550 perfume oils available, you are invited to sniff out every possibility of combinations, while creating your own unique signature scent. Prices range from $15 to $200 depending on how many perfume "notes" are blended together into a bottle. When stored properly a bottle of  this high quality Essense perfume will last for years. Nothing evokes memory as quickly as scent. Essense is happiness in a bottle!

Whether you come to create, watch, or just relax, your visit to Essense Parfumerie will be an occasion to remember.

I had a personal fragrance created by Essense almost 27 years ago, and I still use it! Not only has it become my signature scent and an element of my identity, but the oils last so long that its makes an economical choice for fragrance. Tamsan is the sweetest and so enthusiastic about what she does, she's made re-ordering my oils easy and effortless. She will help create a blend uniquely for you, or you can choose from Essense's delicious custom blends. Perfection!
                                       ~ Darcie S. NY, NY

Thanks to my FABULOUS Essense customers for their enthusiasm and loyalty, some for over 49 years! Thanks also, for the mysterious adventures in "sense," to all those adventurous patrons who have helped create some of the most intoxicating, unique, alluring, custom-blended perfumes and "signature scents" on the planet! There is nothing like a fabulous scent to lift our human spirits, to immerse ourselves in JOY.  Life has been be quite confusing and difficult these last 2 years; but the right scent is always captivating; sensory or sensual for our enjoyment; bequeathing variety to our senses; uplifting for our emotions and moods; giving us the energy for inspiration! 

Essense site design by Janina Lamb • Lamb & Lion Studio

OPEN BY APPOINTMENT
Spring, Summer, and Autumn of 2022!

This 50th Essense season, visits by groups of 1-4 people are by appointment only, beginning April 1st, 2022. The usual open "walk-in" hours, which normally begin in May will be reduced from 3 days to 1 day per week, on Saturdays. Through Labor Day Weekend, customers may "walk in" during the hours 12-Noon to 6 pm. The road for Rock Ridge Farm is closed on each end this summer, for repairs to the Snake River Bridge. You cannot get though from the Center Harbor end. Please call ahead, even if you plan to "walk in," for directions to prevent getting lost. For customers wishing to schedule appointments: please email, call, or text, to arrange times for custom-blending a personal fragrance.

For those who have experienced Essense in the past, you already know that making a perfume takes a minimum 1/2 hour per person, and often longer than that. Although I’ve often had “parties” of 4 to 14, this involves so much time together in a confined space that it couldn't be done safely the last 2 seasons. Although it seems we've turned the corner on the pandemic,  I'm opting not to host large parties for this 2022 season either, because I still have to work individually with each member of the party, which is still time intensive, within an enclosed space. Additionally, it would be impossible for customers to enjoy the process of sniffing, comparing, and choosing amongst the 550+ fragrances while wearing masks. Making a unique perfume cannot be achieved while masked up, so no masks are required when visiting the Parfumerie.

In order to maintain the sanitary conditions that will make the Parfumerie a safe place to visit this season, the perfume bottles must be wiped down after customers leave; and the perfume bar and seating stools must be disinfected. Additionally, the handling and sniffing of the apothecary bottles must be minimized. It's important to leave enough time between parties, in order that the perfumes bottle and perfume bar can be disinfected.

I'm here to make fabulous perfumes with you and for you. I love my work; I love meeting all of you, my Essense customers. Scheduling appointments may feel less spontaneous, and perhaps less 'vacation-y" but it guarantees that all of you will have individualized, personalized experiences, without other groups of people encroaching on your time spent here at the Essense Parfumerie.

How to Make an Appointment

Summer months of July and August are extremely busy for Essense;  you can beat the crowds by coming in before the appeal of Lakes Region's summers brings in the high volumes of tourists, all looking for things to do. Please consider visiting Essense during April, May, June, or September.

Appointments available with 24 hour notice, or same day only by luck or chance. Appointments can be made Wednesday ~ Saturday. Hours for appointments are 12 pm until 6 pm. Please, only groups of 1-4 people, this season. No more than 4 people, due to enclosed, climate-controlled space, and Covid-19 precautions. Appointments can be scheduled by emailing requests to Tamsan@Essense.com. Or by calling or texting  the phone number 603-409-2799. 

Sir Ruggles, CCO (Chief Canine Officer) of Essense Parfumerie

Mail-order perfumes available year-round.
​Check the Buy Online page for House-Blend and Essense Trademark Perfumes!