A lover of scented items, precious raw materials, dancing, and art, Whitney Dru Swales launched Wit & West in January 2021. Whitney is the founder and perfumer of this all-natural fragrance line based in Denver, CO, which she named after herself (Wit) and her husband, Rob Westendorf (West).
After discovering Wit & West on Instagram, I was first drawn to the line’s beautiful and pristine esthetics. As I browsed the website, I was impressed by the multiple offerings (Whitney is a very prolific perfumer) and the availability of 15 ml flacons, which always make collectors like me very happy. A few months later, I met Whitney at a virtual natural perfumery class offered by Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co. After that, we started talking and I began my journey into her creations.
Whitney’s artistic sense and passion for all things beautiful blossomed as she grew up in her dad’s store in Colorado Springs, a boutique that specialized in luxury goods from Great Britain.
Wit & West’s line includes fragrances that go from sparkling citruses to lavish florals to outdoorsy woods. The 15 fragrances are divided into cologne, signature, and reserve collections.
The cologne collection includes Fleur du Riad, Yuzu Pop, and Streetcar Magnolia, all characterized by light floral and citrus notes that contain essences at 5-10%. Of the three, my favorite is Yuzu Pop, an energizing yet enveloping interpretation of the sweet yet powerful yuzu citrus, dressed in layers of delicate jasmine and orange blossom. Sandalwood and frankincense add a grounding effect and cloves conveys a spicy touch.
The signature collection includes 10 fragrances made in the eau de parfum concentration (Brumaire Woods, Gavitella, Habari, Summit Rose, Rosa de Bolero, Jasmine Pet Noi, Jasmine Bae Saranae, Honeysuckle Halcyon, Rosé L.A., and Miki Mochi).
Dedicated to the bolero, Spain’s sensual dance, Rosa de Bolero is an ode to rose and Whitney’s passion for ballroom dancing. The fragrance bursts with saffron and pink pepper, two spices I love. I also detect something intensely aromatic and fruity with a camphoraceous hint. Perhaps that powerful vibe is conferred by the osmanthus absolute, with its undertones of apricot jam and leather. The osmanthus begins an intricate dance with a gothic rose, leading to the creation of a new flower that is deep, mysterious, and enticing. The fragrance is later mellowed by woods and frankincense.
The other fragrance that impressed me is Miki Mochi, dedicated to a Shiba Inu named Mochi. I was lucky to try two versions of this creation, the latest of which features a more prominent osmanthus note. Nevertheless, orris butter is the star here. This is a deeply earthy and slightly yeasty orris with green and powdery nuances that are probably enhanced by mimosa. The addition of osmanthus tames the overall terrestrial feel by adding fruity and spicy touches. I am an orris lover and this creation satisfies my penchant for this note.
Honorable mentions in the signature collection include Honeysuckle Halcyon, a sparkling fragrance starring honeysuckle and jasmine adorned with juicy peach and honeyed mimosa, and Summit Rose, a blend of rose and fir balsam that creates the crisp sensation of breathing in the icy mountain air.
Finally, the reserve collection includes two limited releases, Gardenia ‘Ono and La Valse. I haven’t tried either yet, so stay tuned for future reviews! You can read Whitney’s impressions about La Valse in the interview below.
Wit & West also offer a bespoke perfume service, tapping into Whitney’s creative artisanship, willingness to challenge herself, and empathetic ability to connect with other people’s visions and wishes.
Whitney handcrafts all her fragrances in her Colorado laboratory using traditional methods of artisanal perfumery. The fragrances are produced in small batches using 100% all-natural raw materials and the packaging is minimalistic and recyclable.
You can read more about the line and creations on the Wit & West official website. Fragrances are offered in 50 ml and 15 ml flacons. Samples of each are available in 1.5 ml vials.
Fragrance samples were purchased by me with additional ones gifted by Whitney. My 15 ml bottle of Rosa de Bolero was also kindly gifted to me by Whitney with no pressure to review or promote.
Photos are my own or provided by Whitney.
Interview
I enjoyed talking to Whitney about scented memories, the emotional and cultural connections between dancing and perfumery, the bespoke perfume experience, and her love for rare natural materials.
You grew up surrounded by perfumes and other scented items, both at home and in your dad’s boutique. What are your oldest and fondest scent memories?
As you alluded to, scent has always been part of my life, even as a child. My dad owned a boutique in Colorado Springs called Swale Hall that featured British lifestyle and home goods, beauty, and personal care products, including wool sweaters and scarves, British teas, candies and chocolates, as well as perfumes, soaps, lotions, and scented body powders from Floris of London. I remember being really interested in all the Floris of London bath and body products and especially the perfumes. In particular, I remember loving the Lavender and Lily of the Valley Floris of London perfumes and dusting powders (the latter is no longer produced) and feeling like they were sophisticated, regal and grown up (they still hold a Royal Warrant of Appointment which is considered to be the ultimate mark of recognition for those who have supplied the highest quality of goods or services to the households of Her Majesty The Queen or His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales). To this day, I still have a small bottle of Lily of the Valley and every time I smell it, I am flooded with wonderful memories of my childhood and time spent in my family’s shop.
As a ballroom dancer, you dedicated two rose-centered fragrances to dances. Why did you pick this flower and note?
Much like perfumery, dance is a sensorial artform of great significance from a cultural and historical perspective. To me, perfume (olfactorily) and dance (visually and auditorily) both have this amazing ability to tap into our feelings and emotions by connecting us to memories and past experiences. Versatile and dynamic, both artforms can be molded or adjusted depending on the feeling or mood we are trying to elicit. The rose, a symbol of love and known as the “queen of flowers,” is a beautifully versatile note in perfumery. In addition to being versatile, the rose is one of my favorite notes in perfumery and one that I felt could deliver when it came to two of my favorite ballroom dances, the bolero and the waltz.
Rosa de Bolero, an eau de parfum in the Wit & West Signature Collection, is a perfume that pays homage to the ballroom dance in the rhythm category known as the bolero. The bolero has both Cuban and Spanish roots and is a mix of waltz, tango, and rumba, which together represent beauty, love, devotion, lust, and passion. Rosa de Bolero is a juxtaposition of the idea of a traditional rose turned upside down into a darker, spicier, and more exotic rose with pink peppercorn, saffron, osmanthus, and patchouli.
La Valse, an eau de parfum in the Wit & West Reserve Collection, focuses on the waltz (“la valse” is French for “the waltz”). The waltz is danced to slower music in ¾ time – often classical music – making it one of the more formal of the ballroom dances that is characterized by an elegant gracefulness with a romantic and sometimes melancholic impression. La Valse’s focus on the grace and elegance of the waltz, transports the dancer to a time when fashionable members of high society originally discovered the novel sensation. Scandalized and beloved due to its flamboyant turns and close embrace, the nature of the waltz allowed for affections, conversation, and perfume to be shared only with one’s partner. Rose is elevated and transformed with the combination of rosa bourbonia and damascena to create a velvety-rich floral air closely shadowed by a boozy honey. The finale showcases an artisanal vanilla tincture with a dash of patchouli ensuring only those close can detect its whisper.
Is there a particular fragrance(s) you like to wear or spray in a room while you’re dancing?
In preparation for a show or competition, I feel like wearing a fragrance that exemplifies confidence and beauty is most appropriate. For example, if I am doing a showcase performance (generally on a stage in front of a crowd) and dancing an American tango or rumba, I might wear something in ambrée family because these dances have a personality and style that match these seductive and voluptuous fragrances. For situations such as a dance competition where I am dancing all nine dances in the American Style of ballroom dancing, I might wear something to represent the two higher-level categories: American Smooth and American Rhythm. For American Smooth style (waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, and foxtrot) I would pick something that is light and refreshing (fresh citrus fragrance family) or a soliflore (single note floral fragrance family) because these dances represent a formal, elegant, and feminine personality. For American Rhythm (cha cha, rumba, mambo, swing, and bolero) I would go with something fun, flirty, and sassy like a gourmand, floral musk, or floral amber.
What are your favorite fragrances or fragrance styles? Are any of your creations inspired by the classics?
What a hard question – all of them! If I had to choose just a handful, I would say my favorite fragrance styles include those in fragrance families such as ambrée, soliflore, chypre, citrus fresh, and gourmand. In terms of fragrances in the Wit & West Perfumes line that are inspired by the classics, I would say Brumaire Woods, an eau de parfum in our Signature Collection and a take on a classic fougère, which features bergamot, lavender, jasmine, neroli, oakmoss, and tobacco. I would also mention Fleur du Riad of our Cologne Collection, my interpretation of a classic cologne with a focus on neroli, orange blossom, jasmine, vetiver, and oakmoss.
You are known to create custom-designed fragrances in addition to your collection. What do you enjoy about the bespoke experience?
The Wit & West Bespoke Experience is one of my favorite product offerings. Custom fragrance creation is like having someone outside myself be in the lead of the perfume creation process – from ideation to development to implementation of the final perfume. It is always fun to see what people are interested in and what they ultimately select as their final perfume. What I have found most intriguing (and sometimes challenging) is when I have a client who selects a theme or focus of the perfume that I would never have thought of myself. In these situations, I find myself being forced out of my comfort zone into a world that tests my own preconceived notions and boundaries. As a perfumer who is focused on the artistry of perfumery, this is a wonderful experience for me because it provides a new way of thinking about how I should approach future perfume creations in the Wit & West line.
What are your favorite materials to work with?
If I were to break it down into top, middle, and base notes and the raw materials within each of those categories, I would have to say that my favorite top notes are citruses (red mandarin, yuzu and bergamot), middle notes are rose (rose de mai and damascena – also I prefer absolutes or CO2 extractions over the distilled / essential oil extractions) and jasmine sambac, and base notes are sandalwood, patchouli, agarwood/oud, labdanum, and tonka bean.
What are the joys and challenges of working with natural materials?
Natural materials tell a story and come alive – both when you are formulating with them and when you wear them on your skin. I love seeking out rare natural ingredients from different corners of the globe and I am always on the hunt for things that are often impossible to find. One raw material I have been searching for over 3 years for is tiaré flower absolute (Tahitian gardenia flower). Currently, I use an almost equally rare gardenia absolute (gardenia grandiflora) in Gardenia ‘Ono, one of the perfumes in the Wit & West Reserve Collection. I am very close to sourcing the tiaré flower absolute and I know I will one day (hopefully soon).
The public understanding of natural perfume vs. mainstream perfume is an area I often find myself thinking about. To solve this challenge, I have been looking at options for holding Wit & West events that include an educational component to highlight raw materials and their extraction process, as well as a historical look at how perfumery has evolved over 5,000 years across many different civilizations including Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Cyprus.
I do not feel limited by working with all-natural ingredients except when I think about certain effects that are difficult to replicate in natural perfumes such as aquatic/ozonic or aldehydic notes.
How do you see the future of women in perfumery and what does the perfume industry need more of?
The world of indie perfumery has really changed the game by creating a more inclusive and accessible way for people to learn about perfumery. Organizations such as the Institute for Art & Olfaction provide a way for individuals of all skill levels and interests to gain access to perfumery education – both online and in-person at their location in Los Angeles, CA. I have been lucky enough to learn perfumery from several world renowned women in the world of natural perfumery including Anya McCoy of Anya’s Garden Perfumes and the Natural Perfumery Institute, Mandy Aftel, of Aftelier Perfumes, and Charna Ethier, of Providence Perfume Co. Beyond general accessibility, I think that indie perfumery is allowing people of all genders to see their place in the world of perfumery and how they can shine – regardless of whether they trained at one of the top perfumery schools in Europe or not. I am confident that this profession will continue to grow and expand to a larger group of passionate and committed individuals with diverse and unique backgrounds, education, and life experiences. As an olfactory artform, this is exactly how it should be; full of possibilities and without strict parameters established decades and decades ago by large corporations. I look forward to seeing indie perfumery and women in perfumery continue to thrive and succeed.
