Peruse the wall of products and testers to try different scents at Roux Saint James (Credit: Mariah William)
If you battle with sensitive skin, then you understand how hard it can be to find products that don’t cause a reaction. Krista Lacey at Roux Saint James is all too familiar with this challenge. That’s why she created a line of intention-based botanical compounds for her Austin-based perfumery.
What Is Roux Saint James?
Roux Saint James is an Austin-based perfumery (Credit: Krista Lacey)
Lacey expanded from her home studio in September 2018, into a personal work studio and showroom in east Austin. She’s always pined after the area, especially since Canopy opened up. Once she saw Springdale General, she knew it was the place for her.
After seven years of running her business from home, the Austin entrepreneur took the plunge and got a separate space to continue crafting her perfumes.
Boss Lady Perfumer Krista Lacey
Krista Lacey is the mastermind behind Roux Saint James (Credit: Krista Lacey)
Lacey has always been interested in scent, but her fascination grew after a bad allergic reaction to a product when she was in her teens. After that incident, she became very cautious about certain ingredients. In the early 1990s, as interest in natural products began to grow, Lacey learned about essential oils. But she didn’t realize the benefits until a fateful trip to New Orleans, where she purchased a body oil that contained essential oils.
Flash forward to 2011. Lacey was working as a designer at the time, but she lost her job due to the economy. The lay-off ended up being a sign for her to follow her passion. She began testing fragrances and attending makers’ markets, in order to refine her art.
Lacy moved from using only partial natural ingredients, to making products that were 100 percent natural by 2014. The technique she developed gave her perfumes more depth.
Individuality on Display
In addition to the eight classic perfumes in Lacey’s collection, custom scents are also available. Lacey has done this for several local brands, such as Hotel Saint Cecilia, and for women and men who come to her wanting to wear their own unique scent.
Lacey hopes to put the spotlight back on the art form of perfumery and its roots, when perfumers use to pick ingredients by hand before soaking them in alcohol or fats to get the scents out.
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Inspiration Behind the Scents
Scent inspiration comes from a multitude of sources (Credit: Krista Lacey)
When creating a new scent, Lacey draws from everything around her, whether a piece of art, music, or even a concept. She builds a story and intention behind each scent, experimenting with different ingredients until she achieves perfection.
As an example of Lacey’s concept-based creativity, five of the perfumes in the current fragrance line are based on the five elements. The scent titled 1920 is a throwback to the tradition of perfumery.
Sometimes, inspiration strikes from new ingredients from Lacey’s distributors. After she smells them for the first time, she imagines what scents would mix well and continues experimenting.
1920 is reminiscent of the time when perfume was coming to its height (Credit: Krista Lacey)
One of Lacey’s favorite parts of the job is helping people create their own perfumes and get their own inspiration to create a custom scent. This happens through one-on-one mini sessions, called Mini Bespoke Sessions, or through workshops. Event attendees experiment with different ingredients to see what triggers their natural senses. The process is about self-exploration and delving into what makes you happy. These workshops take place twice a month, once on a weeknight and once on a weekend.
“There’s no wrong way to do something when you’re making it for yourself,” Lacey says. If you’re interested in learning more about what she calls her “little works of art” or trying out one of her workshops, then make sure to check out her shop at the link below.
1023 Springdale Road — Website
@theAustinot wants to know:
Have you tried any of the scents at Roux Saint James?
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