HOMEGROWN

BEAUTY THERAPIST AMY ERBACHER’S NEW FRAGRANCE COLLECTION DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM HER HOME IN ORANGE.

Orange-based beauty therapist Amy Erbacher celebrates the scent of roses in her fragrance range.

ROSES HAVE LONG BEEN A SYMBOL of love, but for Amy Erbacher, the flower represents a deeper joy beyond looking pretty in her garden in Orange, NSW.

“My daughter’s name is Rose, my mother’s name is Rosanne and my mother-in-law is

Rosalind,” says the celebrity beauty therapist turned perfumer. So it’s no surprise the fragrance inspires her work.

Growing up in Toowoomba, Queensland, Amy was drawn to nature and its scents. “I remember my nana’s rose garden and I was in awe of her little greenhouse beside their home. I have many fond memories of climbing out the window onto the trellis to pick grapes,” she says.

A self-confessed foodie and keen cook, Amy could have become a chef, but her passion for beauty was ignited by her mother. “She would use natural remedies such as lemon to lighten my hair, and chamomile lotion to treat my teenage spots,” she recalls. “I was fortunate that my mother was into self-care. She was my role model in how to look after skin and my overall beauty regimen.”

Amy moved to Sydney and dabbled in modelling, before embarking on a career as a beauty therapist. It was there that she founded three successful skin and wellness boutiques over a decade. While caring for the beauty and wellbeing of women from all walks of life, Amy also started working with celebrity clients including Miranda Kerr, Nicole Kidman and Delta Goodrem. It was at this time that she made her foray into the world of perfumery.

“I was working with other skincare brands as a beauty therapist,” she says. “It was only natural that I ended up creating my signature blends. Then through my training in clinical aromatherapy,

I would blend custom aromas for massage and gift the vials to my clients,” she says. “My hunger to learn the art of natural perfumery grew from there.”

Amy shifted her focus and began studying the science of scent. “The fragrance we wear – what we breathe in and apply to skin – is intertwined with our health. It has the power to uplift, invigorate and calm us,” she explains. “Scent and memory are also deeply connected. Positive experiences and joyous occasions are often linked with fragrance, transporting us to a specific time and place.”

When Amy moved to Orange two years ago with her fiancé, Mark, and their daughter, she began creating her own collection of products. “Going for long drives through the countryside always provides inspiration,” she says. “Lots of creative types live in Orange, so it’s been lovely to connect with like-minded people. I’m always intrigued by their journey as an artisan… everyone has a story to tell.”

From formulation to pouring, Amy’s new rose-inspired fragrance collection, which features a perfume oil, body and hair oil, and scented candle, has been hand-created using only nature’s botanicals, plant-based, certified organic ingredients and natural isolates.

“Natural materials are so complex – you never know how one may react with the other,” Amy says. “I will always be a student in perfumery as there are so many raw materials. The key is to know the essences off by heart and to understand how they synergise to create a harmonious fragrance. That is the secret to being a great perfume artisan.” Follow Amy on Instagram @amy_erbacher and visit amyerbacher.com