Stop Daydreaming & Take Action
Do you remember the last light-bulb moment you had?
Yes, that one, that made your life change course in a meaningful way?
It had been 12 years since I had worn perfume. Ever since my first pregnancy, I had not been able to wear perfume again. They all seemed harsh, overwhelming and gave me a headache.
My trip to London in 2015 had given me a ray of hope to find something different, or even better make my own. But the feeling of “take matters into my own hands” had only been a prolonged daydream.
Do you have those unending daydreams or “someday I will moments”?
Time goes by, and before you know it years go by. The daydream is still alive, but there’s no tangible perfume or anything else to show for.
Fast forward three years and we were on our way to Ireland for our summer vacation.
Our two weeks were carefully mapped out and we were ready to have a road trip full of adventure, biking, hiking, and even a castle stay. And of course off the beaten path kind of places were at the top of our list!
This trip was a daydream that was really coming true. We had biked Ireland in our heads for a while.
Halfway through our trip we were in the dramatic landscape of The Burren, famously known for the Cliffs of Moher.
As the name implies, The Burren is mostly limestone, so an average tourist would never know that 70% of Ireland’s flowers are found there.
It’s no wonder the Burren Perfumery finds inspiration from the beauty that surrounds them.
The road to get there was so narrow, that our small car was having trouble fitting.
If you have been to the Irish countryside, you know that those are some narrow roads!
Tour buses DO NOT fit, which was my sure way of giving this perfumery a stamp of approval.
This was a place off the beaten path and a great find… one of those gems that would keep coming back in our conversations for years to come.
After a nerve-wracking drive including passing a tractor (still not sure how we accomplished this) we arrived!
The parking lot was unassuming, only about 3-4 cars, and definitely NO tour buses.
We entered the store and browsed for a bit. They had a perfume making tour scheduled for the day.
Perfect timing!
The tour was not set to start for a while, which meant that we could linger for a little longer.
Even better!
We went to the small courtyard to explore. To our delight, they had a café!
We entered, and I immediately thought, “My kind of place”.
They had a colorful menu on their wall, written in perfect brush lettering with a total of 5 items.
This was farm to table at its best. Most ingredients were from their organic garden in the back.
We sat down and ordered one of each for our family of four, plus homemade lemonade.
As we feasted, I couldn’t stop the thought, “I could stay here all summer!”
The tour started. By this time, we had been in their premises for more than an hour.
We had browsed their store, eaten in the café, and toured their gardens, which featured all the flowers used in their beauty products and perfumes.
We had also gotten some gossip.
A famous actress from the United States had been there the day before.
They had recently won an award for their facial rose serum, and it was all the rage throughout Europe.
That explained all the people from the different countries we had met on the tour - Switzerland, Austria, Italy and the United States.
I had already fallen in love with this burren perfumery and we were barely starting.
As we were going through the tour, hearing out about their process, ingredients, and attention to detail… I had a life changing moment!
I distinctly remember the feeling - that heart expansion and silly smile.
I remember looking at my husband and saying, “I can do this!”
All of the sudden, I felt as if a myth had been debunked. To make award winning, world acclaimed, natural perfume, I did NOT need a huge operation.
This hidden gem opened my eyes to possibilities.
What I learned that day:
You can be small AND mighty
World-renowned
Win big awards
But most importantly:
Attention to detail is key
Beauty is in simplicity
Perfume ingredients should be showcased in a garden
We came back to the United States and my perfume journey stopped being a daydream.