Aysha Hansen has a nose for brilliance

Give the gift of scent memories this Christmas thanks to local perfumer, Aysha Hansen.

The place for perfume has always been Paris and Grasse in the French Riviera. Both are marked as the world capitals of perfume and for good reason. The combination of correct climate and fertile soil to cultivate the most aromatic plants, and a distinction of fashion houses defining the sophisticated beauty item are unparalleled with iconic and timeless eau de parfum’s Chanel No. 5, Miss Dior, J’adore, Lancôme, Chloé, and Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium. That’s just scratching the surface.

Entirely familiar with this reputation, having completed a pilgrimage of sorts of the perfume across the renowned regions, is local Geelong artisan perfumer, Aysha Hansen.

Explore all things fashion, beauty, shopping and lifestyle here.

 

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With her own brand, Aysha Hansen Fine Fragrances, moving leaps and bounds, the luxury scent sorcerer is keen to challenge the title of world perfume destination, earmarking Geelong as the new home for fragrance.

Hansen has developed a name for herself in the region as the fragrance queen. Her Rutland Street store and workshop space have become a staple experience in the region. Recently  recognised in Tourism Australia’s Hot List (June 2025), the immersive experience is opening education in perfumery up to consumers, tailoring scents with over 500 ingredients to choose from. 

The business offering stems from Hansen’s own lifelong obsession with the nostril delights. Across years of training, Hansen is like a walking encyclopedia when it comes to scent, a palette she has honed since infancy.

 

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“My journey with fragrance has been something that is lifelong. I’ve clocked the world of fragrance since the age of two. I have scented memories from then and always clocked the world a little differently and it has always been through sense of smell which led me to have a natural thirst and passion from the age of ten. I was going to the library and reading books on perfume, I was learning about perfumers. I was wanting to know what the flowers were and what they looked like and what they smelt like and it’s been a lifelong self-education process. It was my passion – my special interest,” explains Hansen.

With smell being a vehicle of transport, intrinsically the holder of memories, Hansen recalls moments of her life through a metaphorical scent diary instead of a photo album. Her earliest scent memory centres on family. 

“The smell of a nectarine is one of my earliest memories. My grandparents had a nectarine tree in their backyard and I remember it was too high for me to climb but I remember I wanted one of those nectarines, and I remember the juiciness of it but I distinctly remember the smell. I have a visual snapshot of myself and my grandfather sitting in the grass having this nectarine. It just rocked my world, the smell of this juicy nectarine.”

It is these stories from her life that are the driving forces behind her debut flagship collection of three fine fragrances; Golden Thread, Ghost Lover, and Ambrosia.

 

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Golden Thread is a warm summer hug, made up of decadent Gardenias, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang on top of freshly brewed tea and the warmth of coconut-scented skin, creating a luminous, sensual fragrance that lingers like memory itself.

“It’s my memory of growing up on the beaches of Torquay. It’s golden early morning sunshine through the window on a really really hot summer day. It’s the smell of warm skin in the sun. It’s the smell of jasmine in the garden. It’s the smell of bunny banana ice cream on the beach. It’s all of those things in a boujee but delicious golden nostalgic memory of mine.”

 

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Ghost Lover is a fragrance of duality. On one hand you are enveloped in a comforting caress of sticky resins and luxurious Madagascan Vanilla, underpinned by dark and velvety sophistication. The fragrance is simultaneously addictive, sensuous and comforting; a linger scent of a lover if you will.

The final lineup luxury scent is Ambrosia, a scent that jets you into the wild gardens of an abandoned townhouse in Blois, France, a personal adventure tale from Hansen’s vault. All three luxury sprays contain ingredients that have been hand-selected, and all Hansen cocktailed. 

 

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“I had decided if I was going to do this, I was going to make everything myself, I was going to use the highest quality ingredients and the product had to look beautiful. Every facet of detail has been managed by me because I was so particular and I know what I like as a customer so I wanted to provide the same level of quality to my consumers.” 

The three ready-to-wear fine fragrances are just the entry offering from Aysha Hansen who is continually working on storytelling through scent combinations. As she crafts her creations, she is setting a benchmark in bespoke, artisan perfumery, not just locally but on a global scale and Geelong is reaping all of the benefits.  

Discover more about the Aysha Hansen collection, workshops or shop the range for Christmas here.