Interview with

Liz Cook

Can you speak on your background?

My background is varied! I originally wanted to be a nurse, so attended university for 2 years to study nursing then decided it wasn't for me, and headed into studying social science, but that wasn't fulfilling for me at the time either! All the while I was working as a photographer to support my studies, and so then I went full time into photography for a while before deciding I needed to follow my passion in natural beauty, and I opened my first business in 2001 at the age of 25. I opened 3 retail stores over the next 6 years, then sold that business in 2007, but devoted myself to self-directed studies in aromatherapy and natural skincare. In the back of my mind I had a plan to fill a gap in the market for natural perfumery once I sold that first business, and so in 2009 I launched One Seed.

I am a natural researcher and very passionate about natural health, beauty and wellness, so this has enabled me to learn a lot about perfumery and formulation over the years, and enabled me to create products for both businesses as well as for other skincare companies.

Do you have any profound scent memories from growing up?

I don't think I have one specific one. But I do recall scent and taste in a very vivid way. Some of my favourite scent memories are of cut grass (still one of my favourite scents), jasmine bushes, the smell of rain on the road on a hot summer evening and my mum's peanut butter cookies!

What were you doing before you became involved with scent and the perfume world?

Answered in the first question! :)

Can you remember the moment you decided to commit to becoming a perfumer?
Did you know it would be such a big part of your life?

Yes, it was when I was just about to launch my first collection of three fragrances and I was completely doubting my ability to create scent that people loved. It happened to be that my husband was very cynical about my journey into perfumery at the time, and he wasn't a big fan of many perfumes generally, and definitely not of natural ones. But one afternoon in our kitchen I asked him to sit down and sample what I was ready to launch, and his reaction really cemented in my mind that I could now actually call myself a perfumer. He loved all three of them! Not that anyone should actually base a business decision on the opinion of ones family or friends (that is often the biggest way to failure in business) but it was really his opinion that I needed at that time. I had dozens of people test the perfumes and love them, but if he wasn't able to see it too, I probably would have held off a bit longer. My journey is part of his journey too after all!

When you create a scent what are the things that inspires you?

So many things. Mainly for me it is moments in time, like sitting on the beach in Coolangatta(New South Wales) watching my children run and jump in the sand hills while the sun sank slowly in the distance and a cool breeze tickled my cheek. Those types of memories are profound, and while there is not a strong scent involved, I love to create fragrance that mimic the feelings I had at that moment.

I am also inspired by words or beautiful quotes. I will always start my fragrance creation with a word and and associated quote before brainstorming what that means to me, and what notes might reflect those sentiments or feelings.

How would you like your work to effect the person that wears it?

Yes, One Seed is about the beauty in life and the uniqueness of each person. We refuse to be about sex or sexuality, which is very different in our industry as the perfumer world is run on sex-fueled themes and advertising. As a brand we want to connect with people on a very human level, and allow people to feel a freedom in their humanness, and a connection with the world around them.

We name our perfumes after human experiences, such as Freedom, Devotion and Courage, and each one has a beautiful quote attached also. My aim is for the person who wears a One Seed scent to feel uplifted, moved, more human, encouraged, beautiful, more of who they really are.

What would your biggest passion in life be at this point?

Wellness and humanity. I have a massive passion for all things natural and organic, and live an organic lifestyle. I am also studying nutritional medicine, which I absolutely love. But I also have a passion for people seeing themselves and others in a more beautiful way. I would love for each person to be able to see the beauty in the way God made them, that they were formed and birthed for a purpose. When we can see that in ourselves it also helps us to see the same in others, not matter who they are.

Lastly where do you see the fragrance world headed?

There is a definite move toward naturals and also niche fragrances. I'm sure celebrity fragrances will continue in a big way, but the big shift is, and will be toward using more natural ingredients.