Read our story: Amanda and her inspiration behind Connock London
Today marks the start of National Fragrance week (5-11 March). A week where we celebrate our love of scent, and fragrance as a powerful tool for building lasting memories and creating long and loving relationships. This is something Amanda, the founder and inspiration behind Connock London knows about very well.
Amanda’s love of fragrance is deep rooted in her family’s passion for perfumery and cosmetics. Amanda believes that memories created from scents are so deep-rooted that they focus on the emotional rather than rational part of the brain.
“I have vivid memories as a child of making floral waters in buckets in our family’s back garden in Dorset (where Connock London is based from today) using rose petals and cherry blossom. I would often find myself in Dad’s office while he worked, smelling all the different bottles and imagining what fragrances my brother and I could make to sell to Mum and Dad’s friends when they visited”.
Amanda’s parents were founders of A&E Connock, suppliers of specialty ingredients to the perfumery and cosmetics industry. Her father, Alan, had a passion for fragrance and nature, having studied Horticulture and followed this with over 12 years’ technical experience in the industry. Amanda’s mother, Elizabeth, had an Honours Degree in Biochemistry - so it’s safe to say that a passion for working with plants and natural ingredients runs in the family.
Amanda says “the memories evoked from a scent, whether it’s cut grass on a summer’s day, freshly washed linen or a favourite perfume are some of the strongest for developing deep connections with friends and loved-ones. My passion for scent is so strong that there was no doubt I wanted to follow in my parent's footsteps, so after I completed a business degree, I worked closely with Dad for four wonderful years before he suddenly passed away”.
Amanda’s Dad’s passion is still very much alive in Connock London today. “I realised that there was an opportunity to develop a range of products and to tell Mum and Dad's stories again using my own experience and my family's heritage in the industry”. And so, Connock London was born.