Shelley Waddington

# Shelley Waddington: Artisan Perfumer from Carmel-by-the-Sea

## From Music to Scent

Shelley Waddington grew up in the artist colony of Carmel-by-the-Sea, one of the most picturesque villages on the California coast. A true polymath, she holds an M.A. in Existential-Phenomenological Psychology, taught music for ten years, and plays instruments ranging from clarinet and saxophone to accordion and guitar. She first tried making perfume at age ten, a spark that would eventually define her career.

Her formal training took her to Galimard in Grasse, France, where she studied classic perfumery techniques. Back in California, she established herself as Chief Perfumer of the Carmel Perfumery by 2009, crafting fragrances that evoked the history and landscapes of her hometown. She went on to found EnVoyage Perfumes, an indie house known for inventive, small-batch creations using a high percentage of natural materials and proprietary blends. Her passion for ethnobotany, the study of how indigenous peoples use plants, deeply informs her approach to fragrance.

## Zoologist Collaborations and Recognition

Waddington's talent for translating the natural world into scent made her a natural fit for Zoologist. She created [Hummingbird](/perfume/zoologist-hummingbird), a shimmering floral nectar composition built around [cherry](/note/cherry) blossom and tropical fruits, and [Civet](/perfume/zoologist-civet), a rich, animalic composition featuring [black pepper](/note/black-pepper), [bergamot](/note/bergamot), and opulent florals wrapped in warm musks. The two fragrances are polar opposites: Hummingbird is aerial and sun-drenched, while Civet is luxuriously dark and sly.

Her work has earned significant recognition, including being named CaFleureBon's Indie Rising Star of the Year in 2011. She also authored Perfuming with Natural Isolates (2012), a reference book that expanded on her Natural Perfume Academy coursework and helped educate a new generation of artisan perfumers.