About Susan James Fragrances
Some moments deserve to be felt, not just seen.
A celebration. Direct mail marketing. A wedding weekend. A hotel stay. A private dinner. A handwritten note tucked inside a package.
These are the details people remember before they fully understand why. The texture of the paper. The glow of the light. The sound of glasses on a table. The scent that lingers in the air, on the card, on the skin, or in the memory long after the moment has passed.
At Susan James Fragrances, we create small-batch perfumes and custom scent experiences for people, brands, events, and places that want to be remembered in a more personal way.
We believe scent is not just something you wear.
It is a way to hold a feeling.
For us, scent begins with story. Before we think about notes, we think about feeling. What should this moment carry? Warmth, ease, confidence, intimacy, celebration, calm, nostalgia, adventure, quiet luxury?
Then we translate that feeling through color, texture, temperature, place, and identity.
A scent might feel creamy, powdery, green, sun-warmed, mineral, soft like cashmere, bright like citrus on the skin, or smoky like wood and leather after dark. It might bring to mind a garden after rain, a hotel lobby at golden hour, a handwritten invitation scented with fresh-cut grass, or a bottle of perfume kept as a memory of one particular day.
Every fragrance is composed and hand-blended in our Los Angeles studio in small batches. We work with natural essences, absolutes, and fine fragrance materials to create original formulas that feel thoughtful, personal, and alive.
We are not a designer factory. We are not here to spray something generic on a card and call it luxury.
We are a small scent atelier creating fragrances and sensory details with care, imagination, and emotional precision.
Susan James Fragrances was created by Susan Ankersen and James Nissen, partners in life and in craft. Susan is a perfumer and artist with more than fifteen years of experience composing scent for personal fragrance, exhibitions, weddings, events, and brand experiences. James brings a background in design, publishing, storytelling, and visual identity.
Together, we help turn invisible feelings into something people can breathe in, carry home, and remember.
Whether you are choosing a perfume for yourself, creating a scented wedding detail, planning an event, or building a more memorable brand experience, you are welcome here.
This is where scent becomes part of the story and Moments Magically Remembered.