Julie Dunkley: British Perfumer Behind Beaufort London's Bold Creations

Julie Dunkley's path to becoming one of Britain's most respected perfumers began in 1988 when she joined the fragrance industry straight from school through a lab apprenticeship at FD&O. Her passion for perfumery truly ignited at Belmay Fragrances, where she worked alongside Lisa Hipgrave and transformed from lab technician to trainee perfumer over six years. This hands-on experience provided her with a deep understanding of both the technical and creative aspects of fragrance creation.

Currently serving as Senior Perfumer at Sozio UK and Immediate Past President of the British Society of Perfumers, Dunkley has established herself as a leader in the industry. Her role with the BSP demonstrates her commitment to education and mentorship, regularly participating in workshop weekends where she shares her expertise on fragrance creation and ingredient analysis. This dedication to advancing the craft has made her an influential figure in British perfumery.

Dunkley's technical background, including her experience in regulatory compliance and product development at Copenhagen Candle Company, gives her a unique perspective on fragrance creation. She understands not just the artistic vision but also the practical considerations that make a fragrance commercially viable and safe for consumers.

Dunkley's collaboration with Beaufort London has produced some of the most daring and atmospheric fragrances in contemporary niche perfumery. Her creations for the brand, including Absent Presence, Acrasia, and Iron Duke, showcase her ability to translate historical narratives and literary concepts into compelling olfactory experiences.

Her work on Cœur de Noir demonstrates her mastery of unconventional materials, combining black ink accords with spiced rum and leather-bound book notes to create an enveloping maritime narrative. Similarly, Rake & Ruin, which was a finalist in the 2019 Art and Olfaction Awards, captures the essence of gin-soaked 18th century London through botanical gin ingredients and smoky woods.

Dunkley's signature style involves working with powerful and unconventional notes at high concentrations, creating fragrances that are both challenging and deeply atmospheric. Her compositions often feature smoky, leathery, and animalic elements that tell stories of British history and maritime adventure. Each fragrance becomes a narrative journey, whether evoking the presence of historical figures like the Duke of Wellington in Iron Duke or capturing the essence of Elizabethan poetry in Absent Presence.