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| Archives on previous articles
BUSINESS DESK- YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS - 3 OCTOBER 2008: Never mind the product, do your customers trust you? 
[...] According to a recent Opus research survey, online marketing techniques remain underutilised because small business owner managers fear they can't afford it - with 20% believing that internet marketing is too complex and 15% believing that they don't have the manpower to manage it correctly. There are other key elements such as aesthetic appeal, ease of navigation, and payment assurance. PayPal is probably the UK's best known e-commerce functionality, but it offers benefits other than a secure payment transaction such as use of gift certificates.
Swanland-based Les Parfums d'Isabelle is one small online business that has fully yaken advantage of all the tools on offer to make its website as professional as possible.
The firm, which creates and sells perfumes that are composed only of natural essential oils, was created by Isabelle Gellé after she realised that there was a gap in the UK perfume market and decided to take advantage of it by utilising her hobby to make a business. [...] To download the full article (pdf), click here>>>
THE DAILY EXPRESS - YOUR MONEY - 30TH APRIL 2008: WEB SERVICE OFFERS A CHANCE TO CATCH THE WAVE OF SUCCESS... A low-cost presence can be a huge boost for an outfit trying to make a good start. Maisha Frost explains the benefits. Tough trading times have not deterred two early-stage manufacturers from launching using low-cost websites to market new products and control budgets. Isabelle Gellé has created her own perfume range, Les Parfums d'Isabelle, from the natural distilled essences of flowering plants and spices.... Online article here>>>
WEBSITE SELECTED AS ONE OF MICROSOFT CASE STUDIES - MARCH 2008 Les Parfums dIsabelle
French Perfumer Trebles Revenue in Just One Year with Secure Online Purchasing System
Posted: 03/10/2008
In November 2006, Isabelle Gellé turned her passion for perfume into business, with the launch of Les Parfums d’Isabelle, a couture perfume company. Isabelle makes most of the perfumes herself, using ancient French methods of perfumery. The highly concentrated perfumes are made from entirely natural essences. Isabelle says: “Although many people want to smell beautiful and original, they can’t or don’t want to wear synthetic chemicals on their skin.”
When Isabelle started her business, she created a small Web site with the aim of educating and informing people about her perfumes. But it wasn’t successful at attracting online visitors, and potential customers were unable to order or pay for products on the site.
Microsoft® Office Live Small Business is a free Internet-based software service, which provides small companies with a domain name, company e-mail address, and easy-to-use tools to build a professional Web site. She says: “I thought Microsoft Office Live Small Business sounded like a wonderful opportunity to develop a Web site where people could buy my perfumes online.”
Online Purchases Treble Revenue in Less Than a Year
Isabelle used the HTML module function in Office Live Small Business to set up a PayPal payment option for each perfume. Customers click the icon next to the perfume they want to buy, and are then taken through simple steps to complete the order with their credit card. “It was simple to do and works perfectly. More than 90 per cent of my sales now come from online purchases made using PayPal,” she says.
During the festive period between November 2007 and January 2008, visits to her site skyrocketed—accompanied by a 20 per cent increase in sales. Isabelle attributes this solely to her use of Office Live Small Business search engine optimisation. In the future, she will use other forms of advertising and marketing to complement the site, but is happy with her business success for now. Isabelle says: “Revenue has trebled in less than a year and the company continues to average 10 per cent business growth every three months—I couldn’t have achieved this success without Office Live Small Business.”
DOWNLOAD COPY HERE.
For more information on how Office Live Small Business can help your company, please visit:
http://www.officelive.co.uk
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published February 2008
 Isabelle Gellé has been interviewed on BBC Radio Leeds 'West Yorkshire big drive home' programme on 19th December 2007 and on 14th February 2008 to talk about celebrities' perfumes, Valentine's perfumes and the trend of natural perfumes. Visit BBC Radio Leeds for more information.
FEATURED IN 'THE JOURNAL' FOR YORKSHIRE HOMES OF DISTINCTION- NOVEMBER 2007
'The Journal of Yorkshire homes of distinction' is on sales and distributed around East Yorkshire homes of distinction to 21,000 readers. To read the full 2 pages article about Les Parfums d'Isabelle and natural perfumery (pdf version), click here.
RECOMMENDED BY 'THE PERFECT WEDDING MAGAZINE' - AUGUST 2007 See the article below MAKING SCENTS
If buying your fragrance'off the peg' does not appeal, how about going haute couture and commissioning your own bespoke scent? Prices can vary tremendously (you'd be looking at spending an eye-watering £20,000 for your own fragrance by the House of Guerlain) but we'd recommend making a date with one of the rising stars of perfumery, Isabelle Gellé (www.lilymoon.co.uk) who will, following an online consultation, blend a perfume based on your personality, childhood memories and favourite places for around £50 to £120. This process can be time consuming, however -it will be six weeks before you receive the finished product - so if time is of the essence, head to Floris in London's Jermyn Street, where an expert nose will 'customise' one of their existing fragrances to suit the theme of your wedding (prices start at £95). Alternatively, check out Stella in Two by Stella McCartney. Designed around the designer's own 'mix and match' philosophy, the line includes a fresh and innocent Peony Eau de toilette from £27 and an all together naughtier Amber Solid perfume, £23, which can be layered together to suit your mood or the time of day. |
YORKSHIRE POST- NOVEMBER 2006
Read what the Yorkshire Post says about Isabelle and the growing trend of bespoke perfumes. Click here...
Factsheet about natural perfumes
NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC?
6 April 2007 Many of you who are interested in the world of natural perfume and its growing trend are wondering what are the differences between NATURAL and SYNTHETIC perfumes. My answer is simple: Natural perfumes are not mass-marketed because they are made of natural and pure essential oils which are very expensive indeed. Perfume laboratories recreate the natural scents through chemical processes, making the end perfume cheaper and therefore easier to market on a big scale. 
The natural perfumer's client is one who is looking for something different. Not something recreated. This 'difference' grows on the client's skin and natural body smell and therefore, imprints a unique scent which is your personal image, carried around and recognised by others. Because of the composition costs and the fact that natural perfumers are before all, passionate people about Nature, you will not see as many BIG NAMES in the Natural perfumer's world than you would see with the MAJOR PERFUME HOUSES. I would recommend you download this great article published in the Canadian Flare magazine where you will discover the real truth behind big perfume houses.
If you wish to send your comments about this article, please email.
7 March 2007
Iris flower | Iris flower used to be the symbol of King Clovis in the 5th century then became the one for the French monarchy before lily flower took over...
The iris also known as 'Orris' originating in Florence, Italy, is one of the most famous flowers and the aromatic scent is extracted from its roots. It is also found in Greece, India and Morocco. Iris is much used in natural perfumery and commercial perfumery alike due to its strong olfactory properties, close to sweet violet. Romans used it to perfume gloves and to spice up their wines. 
It takes 500 kg of dried orris roots to obtain 1.5 kg of essence. After 2 to 4 years in the soil, the roots are removed and crushed into a fine powder then added to a water and alcohol solution. The extract obtained is used in moisturising skincare products. This beautiful and precious flower also adds richness to your garden. | Perfume is mostly an emotion. There is not such thing as a perfume for blond, brunette or fair skin... Choose your perfume on memories. | FREE PERFUME RECIPE ''CREOLE''by Isabelle - Essential oil of Ylang Ylang : 1 coffee spoon
- Essential oil of patchouli: 15 drops
- Essential oil of sandalwood: 15 drops
- Essential oil of jasmine: 5 drops
- Essential oil of rose: 5 drops
- Vodka: 2 table spoon
- Distilled water: 2 coffee spoon
- Liquid glycerine: 1/4 of a coffee spoon
Mix all the ingredients in an amber bottle of 60 ml. Shake and let it to rest for 2 to 6 months. The end result is the smell of a tropical island, resembling banana. For a sweeter smell, add 2 drops of absolute vanilla.
Note that essential oil of jasmine and rose are very expensive... BEWARE!! The initial scent is totally different from the final result. Be patient! I hope you enjoy this perfume as much as all those who have tried to do it.
| Why is perfume expensive? | - You need 330 kg of patchouli leaves to obtain 1 liter of essential oil through the distillation of dried leaves after maceration.
- Roses are in the composition of most perfumes. It takes 4000 kg of rose petals to extract 1 kg of essential oil!
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