no. 6 STEVE LAMATTINA

Perfume Playground Club Member.

Steve, tell us a little about yourself!

I currently live in the inner north of Melbourne with my partner Andre, our ginger cat Pokey, and chocolate lab Pistachio. I’ve worked in Arts Management, Film Production, and more recently in Tech, with communities and communication always at the forefront of my roles. I love reading sci-fi, playing video games, discovering new music and playing around with scent, either through candles or perfume!

 You attended our club in Melbourne, what was your driver for coming along, and what did you enjoy most?

Having finally decided to give perfumery ago, I thought jumping into a hands-on class with Perfume Playground would be the best way to give me a bit of confidence and have something to come away with! Before this, I had toyed with synthetics and online forums but found the complexity of other approaches to be somewhat overwhelming. 

What kind of fragrance did you end up with? and did you go into the WORKSHOP knowing exactly what you wanted to create?

I didn’t have an exact idea, no, but I did have a general idea based on a memory from my childhood. I was with my grandparents, and we were up the east coast on holiday, and I remember the mix of woody pines and my sweet raspberry icy pole – so that mix of woody and sweet/tart was my starting point. Once I started smelling all the natural oils, I had a lot of ideas! But I ended up with something relatively close to my idea, using a base of Fir Absolute and adding Petitgrain, Pink Peppercorn, Clary Sage, and a tiny bit of Patchouli. I still have a bit left, and it’s become an even warmer and sweeter scent over time! 

                                        

you then went on to attend our online native & wild course. having been to an in-person event, how did you find this online experience?

It was great to learn another way of making perfume! It didn’t have quite the same kind of interpersonal energy but solids are really not that difficult, and it ended up smelling great! 

 

i love to hear that you’re carrying out natural scent experiments at home! do you have an ultimate vision in mind?

At the moment, it’s just a passion I’m exploring. I’m one of those people who find it hard to stick to one thing, so I jump in and out of perfume. But, to date, I’ve made around 5 or 6 practice scents in the last year, and it’s always fun because you get to wear new perfumes each time! Ginger is one of my new favourite scents, I’ve been playing around with it in most of my creations.

scent is intrinsically linked to memory. can you share one of your favourite scent memories with us?

Whenever I smell Lotus oil it takes me back to a wonderful holiday in Bali where me and my friends stayed in a beautiful villa for my 30th. I’ve been several times, but that was a special one, and the smell always reminds me of the balmy nights, and taking cool showers in a private outdoor garden.

 

What advice would you give someone thinking about attending a perfume playground event? 

Just do it! I like having the guidance a class can bring, and it has given me the confidence to continue doing work at home afterwards – I still use the calculations, methods and sheets from the class when creating my blends at home!

At perfume playground, we’re all about enhancing wellbeing? Do you have any self-care practices or ways of living that facilitate your mental or emotional health that you could share with us? 

Just getting out to walk at least a couple of times a day, and even better if you pop on a podcast or mindfulness walking meditation. I find just playing around with my natural oils on weekends puts me in a great mood too… what’s better than being surrounded by amazing scents? 

What’s your life motto?

Fake it ‘til you make it!