“I’ve always loved fragrances,” says Jennifer Libby-Barnes, 40, who recently went out on her own to launch JenniferSmells.com, a company featuring her own line of uniquely scented bath and body products.
Cinnamon Streusel, Lemon Pound Cake and Whoopie Pie are just a few of the scents in her Home Made Desserts collection, which Libby-Barnes describes as “more of a fun, whimsical line that will make you smile or make you remember something.”
Indeed, Libby-Barnes recalls entire periods of her life through her sense of smell. “I remember as a kid wearing Love’s Baby Soft, and then in high school, Ralph Lauren. And I remember going to London and getting a Laura Ashley scent.” When she smells those perfumes today, memories of those particular times in her life come rushing back to her.
We’ve all had the experience of a scent bringing back memories: freshly brewed coffee takes me straight to my grandmother’s kitchen, where she always had a pot on, and a whiff of Old Spice reminds me of watching my dad shave when I was a kid — but then, Libby-Barnes may be a bit more scent-aware than most.
For nearly 17 years, she worked in the men’s fragrance department at Filene’s in South Portland, a job she thoroughly enjoyed. She loved working with people and becoming an expert on all of the products. “I always thought it would be fun to have my own cologne,” she says, but she never seriously considered pursuing the idea until Filene’s was bought out by Macy’s two years ago.
With the store where spent nearly two decades closing, Libby-Barnes felt that her career was up in the air and that it was time to try something new. But the idea of sinking money into a business she wasn’t sure would succeed was a scary thought. “My husband was really key in getting me started,” she says. For Christmas that year he surprised her with bottles, labels and business cards he’d created with a graphic designer. He was the one who came up with the “JenniferSmells” name, and when she saw it in print Libby-Barnes fell in love with it right away.
“By providing me with all of the supplies I needed, he let me know it was OK for me to pursue this,” even though it was a financial risk. Libby-Barnes didn’t waste any time. “I started mixing things up that day — on Christmas.”
Today Libby-Barnes has about 80 fragrance oils on hand that she uses to create her trademark scents, and she also enjoys creating custom scents upon request. Recently, she duplicated a candle aroma for a friend, and at present she’s working with the Historical Society in Hingham, MA to create a scented product that will evoke their state flower, the Forget-me-not.
As the holidays approach, Libby-Barnes will be rolling out her seasonal Gingerbread and Balsam Fir scents (Strawberry Shortcake and Day at the Beach are two of her summertime fragrances) and she’s also hoping to start holding JenniferSmells at-home-parties which will work along the same lines as the Tupperware parties of old. Hosts will be eligible for some free products as well as a portion of the sales for the evening, and guests will get a chance to test out their olfactory abilities as Libby-Barnes demos her products.
In the meantime, her products are available at Hair Artistry Salon in Falmouth, as well as online at JenniferSmells.com. And if you do plan to schedule an at home party with Libby-Barnes for the holidays, be sure to have some tasty treats on hand for your guests. Because after smelling a few scents from the Homemade Desserts line, their sweet tooths will surely be ready for a snack.
— Belinda Ray