Alison Banton became captivated by the alchemy of fragrance at a very early age. Guided by her wonderful Aunt Mollie she created her own ‘scents’ using carefully selected blooms from her aunt’s circular rose garden in Ireland. With the assistance of the mystical ‘babbling brook and the whispering shoals’, (along with a little help from Aunt Mollie!) the blend would magically be transformed overnight into a wonderfully fragrant mixture that was presented to the enchanted little girl. This experience ignited a life-long passion in Alison and as an adult she began her journey into the world of perfumery, studying in the French town of Grasse. Here she developed her knowledge & unique fragrance style before returning to Ireland to establish her brand Brooke & Shoals Fragrances in 2010.
After enjoying family holidays exploring Ireland, Alison found herself inspired by the captivating beauty of her home country. Determined to capture each wonderful experience to memory, she focused not only on the breath-taking sights she encountered, but also on the wonderful array of scents that surrounded her. As someone who understands the power of fragrance, she knew innately that these scents would be instrumental to evoking these memories in the future. On further reflection, Alison realised that scent could help many others to access their treasured memories of Ireland, in a unique & special way. She had a desire to create a collection which would capture the essence of the Emerald Isle, transporting you there in a heartbeat. And so Fragrance & Memories was born.
As scent is strongly linked to emotion, the Fragrance & Memories Collection has been created to capture not only places in Ireland we all love to visit but also magical moments we have experienced there. Each bespoke Fragrance & Memories scent has been designed to capture a special moment at a unique location in Ireland & to embody the the sense of joy and wonder that is evoked. Alison is a passionate supporter of Irish made products & has been producing her candles & diffusers in Ireland since day one. So creating a brand that celebrates Ireland was the natural next step in her career journey. Producing her products in Ireland means that she can ensure consistent high quality & provide support to the Irish economy - something she also feels very passionately about. This commitment to quality means that Fragrance & Memories only uses the highest quality ingredients in their products, from our soy wax based candles, to our alcohol-free diffusers made with a glycerine base. Fragrance & Memories candles are made using cotton lead-free wicks & our candles do not contain parafin wax. To find out more about the inspiration behind Fragrance & Memories, view our collections.
"I have created the Fragrance & Memories Collection to capture magical moments that I believe are synonymous with the beauty of Ireland. By just closing your eyes, each scent will transport you to part of our beautiful island, allowing you to feel as if you were there. I hope that you enjoy experiencing these magical memories, as much as I have creating them." - Alison Banton, CEO & Fragrance Designer