A Fragrant Education with The Perfume Society’s Lorna McKay

Education and fragrance go hand in hand and for Lorna McKay, it has been a career that has grown from this combination. As a qualified teacher, Lorna understands the importance of developing our sense of smell and allowing and creating a space to journey through the power of scent. The Perfume Society is a space that caters to this exploration and understanding of fragrances with different tools to accompany the way consumers define and shop. With the ever-changing landscape of consumer habits, The Perfume Society provides digestible and educational information for the consumer. In this interview we discover more about Lorna’s journey into fragrance and why education in the industry is so important.

What does the power of scent mean to you?

Positivity, happiness, feel-good factor, confidence, control, personality and last but not least it allows me to indulge in my hobby!

What has your experience been like in fragrance education?

My education started as an avid reader of magazines as a teenager to find out what was in and what was out. I was interested in fashion, but it was “beauty” that really spoke to me. Whilst Assistant Buyer in Men’s Grooming at Harrods in 1979, I fell in love with Fragrance. My ‘perfume’ of choice was Habit Rouge by Guerlain. I then moved to Harrods International Buyer when I created a bath and body range with Harrods packaging. I was hungry to learn about how products were made and why people bought them.

Interest sparked obsession and that has never waned since I found my love of fragrance. My in-depth knowledge came as the Perfume & Cosmetics Buyer when I had access to many amazing and talented people: perfumers, creators, distributors, brands, manufacturers and the customers. I wanted to help the customer experience and find fragrances they loved, which is why I created The Perfume Society’s Find-A-Fragrance tool.

Although I did not focus so much on fragrance at QVC beauty department, which I started in 1992, I was fortunate enough as a consultant to be asked to be involved in Liz Earle’s Botanical Essence fragrance. This opened the creative manufacturing side to me so much more than I had experienced – working with Fragrance Houses, designers etc.

As a qualified teacher education is at the heart of everything I have done in retail and at The Perfume Society. Lack of awareness of our sense of smell, at least until 2021 was astonishing – most people are more aware now of the importance of the sense of smell than ever before. In France the children have a week in primary school – “semaine de gout” where the senses are explored – this is SO important as we respond more consciously to visual stimuli.

Fortunately, today there are so many resources and people all willing to collaborate and share expertise, experience and information to help grow our knowledge about fragrance and I feel privileged every day to be part of it.

To start the year right, how would you encourage the industry to champion education in schools and further education?

Educate the children in how things grow – help them understand how something in a field ends up not just on their plate, but in the toiletries they use. Maths, sustainability, psychology chemistry, creative writing, etc - most subjects could be used to make the learning topics more interesting and aspirational. The industry should create videos and educational documentaries explaining the process and the potential careers in the whole industry. We are making small inroads but there is a huge opportunity to be had.

The way the consumer understands products is dependent on the service and experience provided by brands, how do you think we can make the language used to describe fragrance easier to digest and connect with?

Vocabulary and how we communicate smell and excellent training schemes for all levels are key. The Perfume Society is working on expanding the language used around the feeling or mood created by fragrances. We hope to include fragrance houses and their consultants to make it much easier for the customer.

I am already working on it. I am hoping to involve other areas- Fragrance houses, brands and consumers…

Empower the Consultants – work together to create perfume Language the customers and consultant can share.

The fragrance industry is seeing a rise in the expectation of transparent brands, how does The Perfume Society champion this?

This has been happening for a long time with many responsible companies. It is very easy to “jump on the bandwagon” In the early 90’s we were already listing all the ingredients on the packaging of Liz Earle fragrances. Sustainability has become hugely important to the industry with many brands now work alongside ingredient suppliers to protect and nurture crops.

What tools and resources does The Perfume Society offer the consumer?

We are a source of independent, accurate and current information for customers, consultants, journalists, and content creators through our website sampling, blogs, emails, social multi- award-winning FREE magazine online and most importantly our Find- A Fragrance where we share the brands information in order to edit the overwhelming choice for the customer.

What would you encourage the consumer to look out for when purchasing a fragrance?

1) Authentic sellers

2) No Dupes

3) Promotions

4) Loyalty shopping

What new innovations in fragrance are inspiring you?

Neuroscience – proof. Positive AI – really helpful in the creation for perfumers experimenting.

Perfume with Purpose – wellbeing and feelgood factor.

People – more people are engaging on a deeper level.

What is one of your scent memories?

The smell of summer – ( I know!!! we do have summers in Scotland I remember long days of sunshine and fun.

Growing up in Scotland I was not privileged to smell exotic flowers every day but pink carnations will always have a place in my heart as they meant summer, school holidays and making “perfume” – never understood how it didn’t smell good in my creation as it did in the garden…