Get To Know: Sara Phillips of Mandrake Apothecary
Meet Sara Phillips of Mandrake Apothecary
What is it that you design and create?
Botanical perfumes and unguents, all natural, loosely themed around alchemy, forces of nature, and deities.
What is your favorite part of the design process?
Coming up with an aromatic theme and then following it is quite exciting. I themed my Spiritus collection around New World aromatics because those perfumes are reflective of El Día de Los Muertos in their imagery, for example.
How did you come up with your business name?
It used to be that the local apothecary/herbalist/chemist was the one a body went to for aromatic salves and unguents. And it used to be that some apothecaries also dabbled in alchemy in their spare time. To me, the apothecary is symbolic of folk knowledge, early botany, and transformative science because of the alchemical possibilities. As far as the mandrake goes, this is a deeper delving into folk knowledge because the mandrake root, Atropa mandragora, was sometimes used as an effigy for the human form in folk magic. It was also used for casting out demons and exorcism. The mandrake is powerful imagery, eh.
I liked this combination of words as a way of linking my pagan practices to my alchemical (read: perfumery) practices.
Who or what inspires you?
The natural world, chemistry, mythology, herbalism, ecology, and affecting positive change.
What advice would you give other independent artists who are just starting out?
One of my favorite quotes is from Joseph Campbell, “Follow your bliss.” If you have found something creative that moves you so much that you must do it in order to be happy and productive, you would do well to surrender and follow that something to its fruition.
Once you’ve found that creative spark, you must identify the people who are going to be benefited by your creativity, and work on connecting with them. Identifying your customers in this fashion is the most important thing you can do in the infancy of your art as a business, while you’re coming up with your business plan.
What’s on your iPod/music player right now?
This week I have an Ella Fitzgerald retrospective in my CD-player. Music and tonality have a lot to do with scent blending, I’m slowly learning!
What t.v. shows are you currently hooked on?
I don’t watch much other than the local news, but I’m real partial to The Daily Show when I can catch it.
What was the last movie you watched?
Well… the last movie I saw was Epic Movie… The last good movie I saw was The Illusionist ☺
What’s your favorite food?
This week it is spinach lasagna. Last week I was on a green veggie curry kick, with coconut milk, mmmm.
What’s your favorite candy?
Chocolate!
Coffee or Tea?
Both. I go through phases of drinking regular coffee in the morning and then decaf the rest of the day, and then black tea in the morning w/ genmai cha the rest of the day.
What store could you walk around in for hours and be happy?
The local plant nursery does it for me. Used bookstores rank high, too.
Any pets?
I am owned by two felines, Daisy Ernestine, and Lucy Fuzzbutterson. I think they’re part alpaca or woolly mammoth, they shed so much.
Favorite place to visit or place you’d like to visit?
I am very partial to beaches along the No. CA coast. I used to make a morning pilgrimage to Natural Bridges Beach down in Santa Cruz, when I was a student at UCSC, sort of as a walking meditation.
If you could be a superhero, what would your name be and what would be your superpowers?
Ha! It wouldn’t have anything to do with my business, but I think I’d be Pragmatica the Astute and Rational, providing the world with Common Sense and Fair Advice before Bedtime. I owe my inspiration for this to two children’s stories: “The Practical Princess”, and “The Paperbag Princess”, which is funny because the only princess I am is one of perfume, eh.
Any celebrity crushes?
Nope.
Favorite Holiday?
Hallowe’en.
If you were a shoe, what shoe would you be?
I’d be a Dansko sandal, ‘Flora’ style, colored purple if they made ‘em.
What do you secretly wish you could do/be?
I used to think I wanted to be a spy, a la Mata Hari (another childhood inspiration, this time the book ‘Harriet the Spy’) because I enjoy observation and knowing a great deal of stuff about anything and everything. Now? I think I’d like to be a slightly capricious but brilliant professor of some obscure science at an old college like Oxford. No idea what the ‘science’ would be. Alchemy’s a possibility though.
Favorite piece of clothing?
I have a blue tie-dyed silk sarong from Bali that an Australian chum sent me in December, which works as a skirt, a scarf, a shawl, a dress on a hot day…
Do you speak any other languages? If not, would you like to learn one?
I used to be almost fluent in German back when I was looking to study old English (which totally went by the wayside when I discovered anthropology as an undergrad). I speak a smattering of Spanish and tend to mix up my verbs and nouns between that and German, however.
I need to learn to speak Spanish fluently. I’d also like to learn Portuguese, French, and Italian. If I ever want to study perfumery with the masters in Grasse, I’ll need to get my linguistic ducks in a row!
Now that we’re at the start of a new year, are you a believer in making resolutions? Do you keep them?
I believe in resolutions and I tend to keep them as long as they’re common sense. The resolution this year was to remember to breathe and not get worked up about irritating minutiae, to not sweat the small stuff so often. So far it is working.
I also resolved to work harder and drink less caffeine. So far this is also happening.
Are you a fan of Valentine’s Day, seeing as it was recently celebrated?
Yep, I am very partial to Valentine’s Day! I’ve been reading up on its origins in Roman rituals and dreaming up a collection of perfumes that could capture the mythic and ritual nuances. Not in time for this year, but next year, look out!
Thanks, Sara!
If you’re not quite sure what to get you can always try a sample that comes in a little vial…or if you’re ready, go for the perfume oils:
