You know what your brand looks like, how it speaks, and how you want people to feel when they encounter it.
But what does it smell like?
We develop original fragrances for brands, spaces, products, gifting, and other scent applications. Each fragrance is composed from the ground up by fragrance composer Susan Ankersen in our Los Angeles studio. It is not selected from a library of existing scents or adapted from a stock formula.
It begins with your brand.
What This Creates for Your Brand.
Our fragrances are meticulously formulated using a blend of natural botanical materials and man-made molecules. This harmonious fusion creates scents that are safer and can be fresh and also long lasting, which is not possible with naturals alone.
Eau de Parfum Strength
Each fragrance is carefully diluted to Eau de Parfum strength, containing between 12-18% concentrated oil expertly blended with alcohol. This concentration offers a balanced and long-lasting olfactory experience. This also makes every bottle last longer and creates less waste.
Compliance with IFRA Standards
We take pride in adhering to safety standards. Many essential oils and absolutes, such as Jasmine and Rose Damascena, along with synthetic chemicals like eugenol and hydroxycitronellal, are used in our fragrances at levels that align closely with the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 49th Amendment standards.
After your discovery call, Susan will begin composing your fragrance according to the brief developed during your consultation. This phase typically takes 6–10 weeks, after which we will send roughly 6 custom fragrance samples for your review.
From there, the scent is refined collaboratively through feedback and modification until the final direction is approved.
As a small, family-owned artisan brand, we create each fragrance in small batches and bottle and label every order by hand.
Every project begins with a conversation about your brand, your audience, how the fragrance will be used, and what you want it to accomplish.
From there, Susan begins composing.
Development includes the initial fragrance direction and up to two rounds of modifications based on your feedback, followed by finalization of the approved direction.
If additional modification rounds are requested beyond those included in your project, they may be purchased for $1,250 per round.
The specific scope, deliverables, timeline, and terms for your project are defined in your project agreement.
The development fee covers the creative development of your fragrance, including the initial fragrance direction and up to two rounds of modifications based on your feedback.
Additional modification rounds may be purchased for $1,250 per round.
Production, product testing, regulatory documentation, formula ownership, licensing, rights transfer, and other services are quoted separately based on the requirements of your project.
Once the fragrance is approved, Susan James Fragrances can produce the finished fragrance in small batches or prepare the formula for qualified third-party manufacturing, depending on the project.
Production is quoted separately based on the final formula, concentration, quantity, packaging, and production requirements.
Formula exclusivity, ownership, transfer of rights, and licensing are separate from the fragrance development fee.
These rights are scoped and priced individually based on the intended application, term, territory, exclusivity, and other rights requested.
Most custom fragrance projects require approximately 2–8 months, depending on scope, complexity, and the timing of client feedback.
Because each fragrance is developed individually, we accept a limited number of custom projects at a time.Availability on this page indicates that we are currently accepting new projects.
Have a project in mind?Tell us what you're creating.