DIY perfume

In remembrance of her grandmother, Chicagoan Jessica Dunne created her own perfume called Ellie.

She sought out Michel Roudnitska, a perfumer who lives in France, to be her collaborator. Her family in her hometown of Villanova, Pa., served as her focus group. A friend volunteered to tie by hand the grosgrain ribbon bow that decorates each package. Then Ms. Dunne cold-called Claudia Lucas, the perfume buyer at Henri Bendel in Manhattan, and asked whether she could send a sample of the perfume.

More information about Ellie, as well as a more contemporary scent called Ellie Nuit, is available on Dunne’s site.

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