Smells Good: The Enchanting World of Boutique Fragrance

When you set foot inside Sweet Fern on Armstrong Street South (see note) you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve stepped through a secret door into some magical enchanted land.  Plants, trinkets and curiosities hang from the roof, adorn the shelves and line the walls. But the real adventure is in getting to know what aromas appeal to your unique sense of smell and style.

Sweet Fern is a boutique store for lovers of perfumes, skin care products, unique gifts and home fragrances.

Carlyn Mobbs has been the owner of Sweet Fern for a little over 3 years. Originally from Auckland in New Zealand, Carlyn’s background is in legal work and finance but with a flair for interior design and a love of perfumes, Carlyn was destined to take over the boutique store.  “I visited Sweet Fern as a customer in the first week that it opened [with the previous owner]. It was love at first sight,” Carlyn says. “I did one of the masterclasses that were on offer at the time. I learned so much during that class that I became a regular customer and even more passionate about fragrance than I already was. When the shop went on the market I jumped at the opportunity.”

When Carlyn took over the store, she was keen to expand the range of perfumes made by independent makers who use traditional methods. “A lot of perfumes on the market are owned by big corporates and are made in commercial quantities,” Carlyn explains. “I’m really passionate about stocking niche fragrances that support the creators and reflect the true artistry of perfume making.”

Shopping at Sweet Fern is an indulgent experience of self-discovery. Customers are invited to take part in a perfume profiling activity where Carlyn or one of her staff members will step the customer through the Michael Edwards Fragrance Wheel. “Working through the fragrance wheel with customers helps to identify what scents they find appealing and even what memories some fragrances can evoke.”

Similarly to wine or coffee, fragrances have subtle notes that work together in harmony. The ‘top notes’ of a fragrance is the first aroma that is detected. “The top note is the initial feeling you get from a fragrance,” Carlyn says, “but the top notes fade out after ten to thirty seconds.” The middle notes are more prominent and as Carlyn explains, generally “ground’ the fragrance for the “finale” or the base notes. The base notes are what that linger on the skin long after application. “We often encourage customers to try on a perfume and then go out for a coffee before coming back and making their decision. That way they get a real sense of how the perfume alters and changes over a period of time on their skin.”

With perfume being a popular gift to give, Carlyn and her team go the extra distance to make sure the eventual recipient is happy. “If someone comes into buy perfume as a gift, we use the fragrance wheel to help find a perfume similar to what they may wear already. But we always provide a sample bottle, so the recipient can wear the perfume a few times and hopefully be happy with what has been selected for them,” Carlyn says.

Carlyn has also continued to host fragrance workshops at the store. Workshops give attendees a chance to learn about the artistry that goes into perfume making, the raw materials that are used and also provides a deep dive into the notes that appeal to each individual. “We do a lot of corporate groups and bridal showers,” Carlyn says. She goes on to explain that when doing a workshop as part of a bridal shower, she invites the groom to come into the store afterwards. “We like to match the fragrance that the bride has chosen with a fragrance for the groom,” she explains. “You don’t want the fragrances to overpower one another or for the fragrances to clash. We can find a perfume to suit both the bride and the groom for their big day.”

Maintaining a commitment to style and individuality, the décor of Sweet Fern is vastly different to the glass shelving, neon lights and bold colours normally associated with perfume displays in chemists, airports and big department stores. Carlyn, who also holds a Diploma in Interior Design has created a bespoke space for customers to slow down and meander at leisure through the store. Despite being small, Sweet Fern is decorated in such a way that customers are intrigued enough to circle back through the store multiple times.

Using classic furniture, eye catching ornaments, greenery and eclectic lighting to display the products, Carlyn also weaves in antiques and relics that reflect Ballarat’s heritage. “We have a letterpress and desk that I acquired from Berry Anderson Printing,” she explains. “I like to repurpose things, especially if they have can reflect Ballarat in some way,” Carlyn says. And her sense of style is always a talking point with customers. “People always say it’s such a lovely little shop and that’s nice to hear.” Carlyn says, modestly.

Carlyn explains that Sweet Fern appeals to a wide variety of people. “We have our regular customers that shop for themselves and people that come in for a special gift. And because our products are quite niche, we also meet a lot of perfume collectors.” Carlyn says that she is seeing an increase in male customers. “Men are becoming more in tune with the fragrance that they wear. And interestingly, when we work with them on the fragrance wheel a lot of men lean towards the rose-style fragrances.” Sweet Fern is also proving to be a popular destination for Melbourne visitors. “We get a lot customers that come in from Melbourne,” Carlyn says. “There doesn’t seem to be anything similar around.” 

With its eclectic and whimsical vibe, a unique selection of fragrances and the exhilarating experience of discovering the perfect perfume for yourself or someone else, Sweet Fern is indeed in a class of its very own.  

Edit: Sweet Fern has since moved to 27 Sturt Street Ballarat. It is still a shop of enchantment and sensory delights—only bigger.

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2022 edition of Ballarat Living Magazine.