ÇaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery: Sandy Carr of BLUEHILL Fragrances +The Essence of New England Draw

Sandy Carr of BlueHILL Fragrances

Sandy Carr of BLUEHILL Fragrances

 Profile: Exploration, discovery, and creativity – this is what drives me today and has been a touchpoint all my life and in my work with BLUEHILL Fragrances. The beauty of my surroundings and the magical attraction of the sensory arts has fascinated me since day one. Colors, sounds, textures… not to mention the unique and compelling nature of how scent relates to taste. I intuitively built a strong foundation of endless curiosity and a desire to understand how the personal creative process works. This exploration led me to what I consider the highest form of art: perfumery.

Best Perfume books

Sandy Carr of BLUEHILL Fragrances Favorite books

My roots are now and forever in artistic expression even when powered by technology. After 11 years on staff with Harvard Business School developing multimedia and web-based programs, I decided to shift gears and follow another artistic venture: perfumery.  I attended courses and expositions in New York and visited International Flavors and Fragrance’s school of perfumery.  I read every book I could find on fragrance; the most inspiring for me were Jean Claude Ellena’s Perfume and Diary of a Nose as well as Chandler Burr’s The Perfect Scent.

Sandy Carr of Bluehill fragrances in jasmine fields Grasse

 jasmine fields in Grasse

Ultimately, my nose led me to the Grasse Institute of Perfumery, where I studied both synthetic and natural ingredients. I loved learning about the families of scent and how to recreate the formulas for classic French accords.  Completely enthralled with the art of perfumery, I returned home to begin to build my own collection of raw materials. I ventured into entrepreneurship, developing my own line of perfumes influenced by my passion for the natural beauty of Boston and the New England area.  Having spent many happy hours on the trails of the Blue Hill Reservation, I decided to name my company BLUEHILL Fragrances.

BLUEHILL Fragrances Metrogarden include notes of violet, rose, narcissus, sandalwood, Peru balsam, smoky vetiver

BLUEHILL Fragrances’ first trio of scents includes: Metrogarden – Homage to Boston’s majestic public garden where I often go to find inspiration, the floral rhapsody I experience while I am watching the Swan Boats sweeps me away.

Back Bay BLUEHILL Fragrances

 BLUE HILL Fragrances Back Bay includes notes of galbanum, iris and ambergris

Back Bay – This fragrance came to me during early morning strolls in this storied neighborhood, quietly grand yet modern, fresh and green like the scent of private gardens with just a hint of earth and ocean air.

Beach Rose Blue Hill Fragrances review

Beach Rose – The honeyed floral scent of roses that grow wild along the Atlantic Coast surrounded by sun and ocean air.

Boston as seen from the top of the Great Blue Hill

Boston as seen from the top of the Great Blue Hill

More scent journeys lie ahead… I enjoy finding those who love my fragrances and ask for more offerings.  I am always thinking about new scents as I explore New England: when I’m not hiking in the Blue Hills Reservation, you’ll find me walking the brownstone-lined streets of Boston proper or watching the foliage turn at our home in Milton. But my sanctuary is our getaway in Maine, Pemaquid Point, where you’ll find me walking through the fields or splashing in the surf (with my dog Ranger). So what’s next? Capturing a few of the chapters of New England’s history in Overboard and Midnight Ride.

Blue Hills Reservation

Sunlit lowground ferns in the Blue Hills Reservation

On Being an American Perfumer:  The olfactive inspiration for BLUEHILL Fragrances evolves from the natural beauty of Blue Hills Reservation just outside my Massachusetts home. The reservation is comprised of more than 7,000 acres traversing forests, marshes, swamps, ponds, flowering meadows, and a fragrant Atlantic white cedar bog. What’s most magical to me? The vantage point of the Great Blue Hill. I stand on this ridge grounded in the present day and imagine the past, the scents and sensibility of historic eras that spawned what I see before me: Boston’s lush parks, brick-lined neighborhoods, and well-loved gathering places such as Faneuil Hall and the old North Church.

Marlene Loznicka The Road to Barrens

Favorite American Artist: Perfumery is an art form in itself, yet for me the magical composition of elements resembles the assemblage of colors and shapes that we discover in fine art. The art that closely parallels my fragrance creations, a vision that truly speaks to me, are the paintings of Marlene Loznicka an artist whom I consider a friend and neighbor in New Harbor, Maine.  Like Winslow Homer before her, she reveals the New England landscape, roads not traveled or storm-washed coastlines. I love her work for its modern sensibility and honest vitality – that’s why I collect it and find it a source of inspiration as I compose my fragrances. This artist sees beyond the usual, she paints, as she says, “the essence of a place, seeing it as no one else has.” I would like to think that the fragrances I create are seamless, too, in their connection to earth, sea and sky as we experience it or even dream of it.

Sandy Carr, perfumer and owner of  BLUEHILL Fragrances

BLUEHILL fragrances

BLUEHILL fragrances

Thanks to Sandy Carr of BLUEHILL Fragrances we have a reader’s choice for a registered reader in the USA of 50 ml of either Back Bay, Beach Rose or MetroGarden. You must be a registered reader.  A sample set is available worldwide. There is only one winner.  To be eligible please leave a comment with what you found fascinating about Sandy Carr’s path to perfumery, where you live and what you would like to win. Draw closes 1/26/2020 and BLUEHILL Fragrances is the first of the new year!!

Sandy Carr is our 149th American perfumer in our series, which officially began in 2011 with Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes.

All photos belong to Sandy Carr of BLUEHILL Fragrances unless otherwise noted.

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29 comments

  • Tobacco11 says:

    Great article.
    I’m most interested in the Grasse connection, in the Jean Patou Joy review, each batch uses 10660 Jasmine flowers grown in fields around Grasse.
    Roja Perfumes are also blended in Grasse then sent to England as concentrate to be diluted and bottled.
    I like to support small, independent perfumers, Back Bay sounds most appealing to me but the sample set would be great.

    SK, Canada

  • Patricia says:

    What a riveting journey from corporate business to the world of perfume. I live in Vermont and would love to meet or visit Sandy Carr and learn more about her experience in Grasse studying classic accords. I love to support Indie perfumers so even if I don’t win I will buy the sample set. Back Bay and Metrogarden sound wonderful

  • chrisskins says:

    Sandy Carr is a brilliant example of walking away from a sure thing to follow your dreams. And she certainly did her homework before launching her line. I live in the USA and would love to try MetroGarden.

  • twong says:

    Wow what an interesting path to perfumery! Talk about a 180 degrees change in career choice from technology development to perfume creation. I am jealous and impressed at the same time, considering the tough decisions and steep learning curve that Sandy must have faced in doing that. Would love to win the Back Bay perfume. Regards from Boston USA — Go Boston!

  • INYA says:

    I enjoyed learning about a new independent perfumer’s journey. The Blue Hills Reservation sounds like a wonderful and peaceful place. If lucky, I’d choose Back Bay. I liked CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery. USA

  • Dami says:

    I love how this perfumer is inspired by New England’s beauty and how the three perfumes are dedicated to different parts of Boston, one of my favorite cities. This isn’t an easy choice but I would like to win Beach Rose, which sounds quite unusual with rose, honey, tomato leaves, and oceanic notes. I am in the USA.

  • Westly T. Morris says:

    Fascinating story about a woman who followed her passion for Perfumery! I love all of your fragrances & look forward to smelling new scents that you continue to introduce to the world- Congratulations Sandy!

  • Carboytony826 says:

    Sandy, thank you so much for letting us know about your perfume journey and for the generosity of the draw.

    I’m ashamed to say that I’m just the other side of Boston, but this is my first time hearing of you and your perfumery. I think it’s really cool how you jumped from one creative media into another. That seems to be a common thread amongst perfumers, and I think it clearly shows that artistic talent transcends the medium to which it is ascribed. It sounds like you have had a fantastic and all-encompassing journey into perfumery and a very well-rounded journey at that! I’d love to go to Grasse someday and study and experience all that I can.

    It’s thrilling to see and smell scents that are local and familiar and put into an interpreted olfactory portrait.

    I would love to win Beach Rose as I love the fragrance of them, from Downeast Maine to the Cape, I always stop to smell the roses.

    Whether I win or not, I’ll definitely be purchasing a sample set and look forward to supporting your local indie house!

    Thank you again!

    Tony in Wakefield, MA USA

  • Trinity33 says:

    The transition from Harvard business school to independent perfumer must have been an interesting one. I admire her approach to immersing herself in the fragrance business. It seems all olfactory roads run through Grasse. As someone who lives close to a beach, I would love to try Beach Rose. I’m in the US

  • Shamrock1313 says:

    Been to Boston many times and this brought back many fond memories.
    I would choose Back Bay.
    Thanks for the great review/storytelling and giveaway.
    Pennsylvania USA

  • Salem says:

    What i found most fascinating was the fact that her true source of inspiration was, as should be, nature. That the hours spent in the nature inspired and justified her creations and that she wanted to honor Bluehill with her art.
    I live in the EU, so I would be delighted to win the sample set. Thank you!

  • donguri says:

    it’s always interesting reading about how curiosity leads to entrepreneurship, especially in art & design. “back bay” would b my pick from california

  • linelle says:

    I feel do supportive for women (and men, of course) who dare to switch their life path completely towards their passion! It shows that it’s never too late. The compositions of the perfumes draw my attention also and would like to try all of them! I will be very happy if I win the sample set (I even hit the like CaFleurebon Profiles in American Perfumery to count my entry twice).
    I live in Lithuania, EU
    Lina

  • bigscoundrel says:

    I like that Sandy draws inspiration from their artist friend. As Sandy Carr journeys through New England, Boston in particular, Sandy is always seeing beyond the usual. I’m very interested in Back Bay. New Jersey, USA.

  • patrick_348 says:

    I like so much the idea of perfumers who are linked to a specific geographic location that inspires their work. I think Ms. Carr is so lucky to be able to be doing something that she clearly loves and had the courage to make a career change. I would choose Back Bay. Although I have never lived in Boston, my daughter has, so I have some knowledge of the city, which makes this exciting. I live in the US, in North Carolina. I will be hitting “like” for Profiles in American Perfumery.

  • Sngash says:

    It’s always great to hear it straight from the source and I’m always amazed at the myriad places inspiration for fragrances come from. I’d love to win Back Bay which captured my imagination with that morning stroll 🙂 Thank you Sandy Carr for the article and for the giveaway. I’m in USA

  • redwheelbarrow says:

    I love reading about perfumers in my native New England. These three fragrances sound lovely. These three perfumes do sound evocative of New England and Boston. I love the sound of Back Bay because it incorporates the earth and ocean air. Thank you for the draw! I’m in the US.

  • Diana D says:

    Blue Hill sounds like such a beautiful place! No wonder she used it as her inspiration for this fragrance line. I’d never heard of this perfumer and would like to explore her fragrances. I’m keeping them on my radar. I’m a big rose fan so I’d choose Beach Rose, though, Metrogarden sounds gorgeous, as well!.
    I live in the USA.

  • Christie says:

    I really enjoyed hearing about Sandy’s career and fragrant journey! It makes my heart happy to see someone actually go and do what they’re passionate about. I would very much like to try BLUEHILL fragrances. All of three of them sound lovely, but I think Back Bay is calling my name. Much success to Sandy Carr. I live in the USA.

  • Joyceee says:

    Thanks, Cafleurebon, for introducing another perfumer to us. Thanks for a great article, Sandy! I love how you completely changed course and followed your other passion – perfumery. Just like you, I love the Boston public garden. I’m also partial to rose scents so I’d love to win any of those two. Thanks for this draw. – CA, USA

  • Bryant Worley says:

    I appreciated Sandy walking us through her journey up to, and the inspiration into her fragrances. She was detailed and very colorful in her wording. I live in Waldorf, MD, USA, and would like to win Metrogarden.

  • Michael Prince says:

    I loved learning about Sandy Carr’s path to perfumery and how she established BLUEHILL fragrances. If I win I would pick Back Bay. I am from the USA.

  • Thefuture says:

    Everyone’s journey is fascinating in that you can see yourself in those shoes. Her artistic drive led her to scents whereas others it would be music or painting or architecture or even sports. I enjoy the stories behind a scent and her hiking through Blue Hills and attempting to capture moments in a bottle is impressive. Literally a bottle of perfume. Others capture there moments now on the phone camera which to some degree is an art as well…
    I live in NYC and would like a chance to win Beach Rose

  • Gypsy Parfumista says:

    What was most intriguing, to me personally, was the way she dovetails fine art (painting, more precisely) and the wonderful scentscapes of Mother Nature into what read (and I osmagine) will be “not your ordinary average perfumes”. No frilly fruity-floral for “Her” or a boisee-sec aquatic freshie for “Him” with a “good old” Oriental/incense construct. These looks and (no doubt waft) like breaths of fresh fragrant air to this sniffeur!

    Should I be blessed enough to win: I usually opt for quality of choice over quantity of jus…but; in this case, Back Bay 50mL is calling out to me. That picture with hyacinth (& irises) and just a wee sprig of cypress sandalwood *AND* ambergris?! Um yes please.

    I live in the US (Pennsylvania state).

    A wonderful addition to a series that basically amounts to a “Who’s Who” of American Perfumery! Thanks to Ms. Carr for the wonderful prizes and as always to the whole team!

    smell swell & be well,
    GP xox

  • NiceVULady says:

    Sandy has indeed found many ways to her company, both business and artistic. Reading and various institutes have prepared her very well. I’d love Back Bay with its scent of private gardens. Thank you for sharing this journey with us and thank you for the generous draw..
    I’m in the USA.

  • bumbuliuki says:

    What an interesting journey for Sandy Carr! It takes courage and hard work to make such a huge career change.
    I appreciate that the Bluehills Reservation is the source of olfactory inspiration for Bluehill fragrances.
    Marlene Loznicka’s painting are beautiful and capture the essence of the New England landscape in a unique way.
    Thank you for the sharing Sandy Carr’s story and profile! Would love to try the sample set.
    I’m already following the CaFleurebon Profiles in American Perfumery page.
    I’m in the EU.

  • gtabasso says:

    What an amazing career change! And interesting inspirations. I would most like to try Beach Rose. I’m in USA.

  • Richard G says:

    I live in the US and my mom’s family is from West Massachusetts. It’s a beautiful state and I absolutely love the look and feel of autumn up there as the leaves turn. I see I’m a couple of days late, but will be picking up a sample set if I can. Metrogarden and Back Bay sound so nice.