Stop and Smell the Roses: Behind Indie Perfumery Wit & West

Whitney Swales, the owner, co-founder and perfumer of Wit & West Perfumes, is no novice in the world of fragrance. Having grown up in Colorado Springs, home to her father’s British Imports boutique shop called Swale Hall, Swales was surrounded by perfumes, lotions and more. Brands such as Floris of London, one of the oldest perfume houses, were a staple in the shop and Swales’ household. 

“I’ve always loved perfume. It’s always been a part of my life growing up,” Swales said. “Both my parents wore perfume … I just thought that it was normal that everyone wore perfume.” 

Although Swales didn’t take a direct path to perfumery. Originally, Swales dove into finance and marketing, working a much more traditional job before returning to the world of fragrances. “I went to school for finance and I worked in corporate America for 20 years and just didn’t love it. I just didn’t feel a connection to it.”

After taking a step back and with the help of her husband Rob, Swales decided to take on the journey of becoming an indie natural perfumer. With guidance from natural perfumers such as Mandy Aftel of Aftelier Perfumes, Anya McCoy of Anya’s Garden Perfumes, Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Company and completing a program from the Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP), Swales and her husband launched Wit & West Perfumes in 2021. 

Why the name Wit & West you may ask? The name plays on both Swales’ name (Whitney) and her husband’s last name, Westendorf. Wit & West also takes on an air of whimsey with a bit of wit (get it?) and nods to the fact the perfumery is native to Colorado, situated right in the Wild West. The perfumery aims to give access to artisan natural perfumes whilst dancing with ideas of travel and complexity. 

Swales often shies away from perfume trends, making Wit & West truly unique. “I think all my fragrances smell very different and that’s intentional. I like to look at each one as an individual kind of project,” she said. “I like to create fragrances that are bold and complex… I don’t really create linear fragrances.” 

With each fragrance that Wit & West creates comes a story that captures an experience of travel and magic. The scents transport the wearer to a special place in time with each spray invoking new feelings and sensations. For example, Wit & West’s Fleur Du Riad pulls one into an alluring “ancient Moroccan medina” full of fresh jasmine blooms and sweet orange blossoms for a serene escape from the bustling world. 

As for choosing to use natural versus artificial ingredients, Swales explained that the choice was a stylistic decision rather than a holistic one. Right now the beauty world is heavily focusing on buzzwords such as “natural,” “clean” and “green.” More people are searching for “natural” products without fully researching the limitations of using natural ingredients. Swales stated that while Wit & West uses natural ingredients, there are scents the brand cannot replicate due to what the natural world has to offer. Think of oceanic fragrances or “clean laundry” scents, those particular aromas cannot be recreated without synthetic ingredients. However, that doesn’t stop Wit & West from composing innovative and captivating perfumes. 

“I always like to give a disclaimer [that] I’m not against synthetic fragrances. I love all perfumes,” Swales said. For her, natural perfumes are like an artistic style, “It’s kind of like a genre of music, I think of it like playing an acoustic guitar versus an electric guitar. The [natural] ingredients are really rich and bold. They’re complex, they’re kind of finicky and they’re challenging to work with.”

The biggest misconception? That natural perfume is akin to aromatherapy. Swales shared that different ingredients used in perfumery can or cannot be distilled and those that can, such as jasmine rose, can be solvent extracted to create an absolute oil, which cannot be used in aromatherapy but can be used in perfumery. 

“Between one and another, aromatherapy is usually a blend of a couple of ingredients with a specific purpose. Whereas I am doing this more as an aesthetic accessory that you wear. I also use natural isolates, which would be done via molecular distillation,” Swales said.

Not only does Wit & West have a catalog of gorgeous artisan fragrances, but the brand also offers a bespoke fragrance experience. The experience costs $850 but the price is well worth the work and artistry. The bespoke alternative allows a client to design a perfume that is solely unique to them. The option is perfect for when an individual wants to mark an occasion (such as a wedding) with a scent that captures the memory while tailoring the fragrance to the specific client. 

The difference between a bespoke perfume and a perfume from the brand’s current lines lies in the time and effort to hone in on what a client can imagine their perfect scent is. While each perfume within Wit & West’s inventory offers a new exploration into the fragrance world, sometimes what a client wants may not exist just yet. This leads to a new opportunity for Wit & West to bring those ideas to life. 

The bespoke process begins with an introduction to Wit & West’s perfume range and a detailed questionnaire to explore what type of perfumes the client gravitates towards. Swales will then create three mods in sample form for the client to give feedback, followed by a review for adjustments. After adjustments are implemented, Swales creates a batch of perfume to age for about three to six months. 

The aging process allows each ingredient to blend properly and grow into its correct potency. Think of it like the aging of wine, the longer certain wines can age, the better they taste. As is the aging of each scent, the longer they sit, the better and stronger they smell. There is an element of patience with the creation of each perfume, so be prepared for a (well worth it) wait.

After the aging is completed, the perfume is bottled and labeled with a description of the client’s choice. The bespoke experience offers a package of two 15 ml bottles and one 50 ml bottle and the option to order refills in the future starting at $60. Wit & West keeps the perfume formulation on file to ensure that a client can return for the specific perfume that was created. 

If you cannot dive into the bespoke experience, all of Wit & West’s perfumes are unique in complexity and scents. Wit & West offers price points for everyone with the option for samples starting at $10 to full bottles of perfume starting at $35. If you purchase the full Signature & Cologne sample set which boasts 13 samples, you can receive a $20 gift card for a full-size perfume. 

Whether you want something fresh and floral like Yuzu Pop or something spicey and mysterious like Jasmine Pet Noi, Wit & West has a plethora of stunning fragrances, ready to be smelled and adored. 

“We don’t all want to smell the same. I wanted to do something different that not everybody was doing,” Swales stated. “I’m creating [these perfumes] because I love it and it’s beautiful to me.” 

Photography courtesy of Wit &West Perfumes.