My Connection Statement

My name is Ana Elena Sastrias owner of ÆSASTRIAS trading as ÆS Création Naturel TM.

“As an artisan perfumer using the flowers and plants of my garden and donations as my raw material aside of essential oils and absolutes, I help adult individuals who prefer a safer and bespoke design of a natural perfume offering a personalised packaging service in person at the Blue Mountains Market Stalls at an affordable price or by visiting my website and online shop. A one-on-one consultation for customised perfumes is available online servicing Australia-wide”

About Me - My Biography

I lived most of my life in Mexico City, one of the most populated cities in the world. I studied Computer Engineering in 1982. In 1996 moved to Sydney, Australia with my husband and started a new life. I continued working in IT, but I always had a deep inclination to Visual Art since I was a child. So, I always tried to draw and paint in my free time and since 1999 my husband and myself did some Black and White photography. In 2006 I started  to change career to be more adapted to Graphic Design and Art and for almost 2 years I rented a studio in St Peters and starting painting and participating in Art Exhibitions and Art Prizes until 2009. Due to the progress of a neuromuscular debilitating disease my husband was suffering, I became his sole carer and could no longer participate easily in Art Exhibitions and work full time. Since 2006 I joined carers NSW and became a Carers Representative. In 2008, I worked for Legal Community Services amongst Women’s Lawyers in a Women’s Environment. This was very different environment compared to my formation being surrounded mostly by Men during my professional career.  So, this time I could mix my skills and learnt a lot about Family Law and working for a Feminist Organisation supporting women victims of DV from their partners or family members with referrals, publications, legal advice, Court hearings, Subpoenas.

In 2010 I was awarded NSW Local Carer.  In 2011 I worked for Family Relationship Services and Counselling & Therapeutical Services and Education administering the Community Services. It has been since 2011 that my garden in my house started to be significant to me as my late husband could no longer easily go out to see the flowers, so I was photographing flowers and showing them in an iPad to him so he could see the progress and beauty of the roses and other flowers. After the passing of my husband in 2013, I continued collecting petals and using them as decoration until in 2016 I looked into all ways to use rose petals and got motivated to try the world of Perfumery since then.

In 2014, recently widowed, I decided again to take my artistic and cultural interest and focused on Business Administration and Arts Administration. Assisted in the administration of Cultural Community Events in my internship for the Local Government NSW at the Vivid Festival in 2014. It was a full on very interesting experience to see with so many interesting community projects submitted to Councils.

Since the end of 2016 until 2019 that I attended various Body Care and Perfumery courses at  Heirloom Body Care, Penrith LGA. The level of these master courses was excellent with good resources.

In 2017, I decided to launch my Etsy shop ‘AESCreationNaturel’ that has been growing very gradually at a conservative but consistent pace.

My first Etsy shop  has listed natural handcrafted perfumes with the flexibility of customisation and offering various presentations for the same perfume fragrance according to the client’s budget. This online shop has been operating since then, landing more than 180 online sales and 63 ‘5-stars’ reviews published on the shop with very positive comments.  In the same year,  I attended a seminar of Business in the Cosmetics Industry at New Directions.

In May 2019 I went to France and attended a Summer Course in Natural Perfumery and Natural Cosmetics at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery, AFSO, PRODAROM in Grasse, France. It was so wonderful and met very exciting women at the class and the teachers were very knowledgeable and I had a great experience.

It is until June 2021, that I am working solely in growing and scaling my business and joined the HERBusiness Network on the 27 August 2021.

My Expertise

My Expertise has varied from initially working as an IT Support and Desktop and Network Administrator for a Scientific and Technology Research and Development Organisation working in National and International projects in my first years working in Australia.

Since July 2006, I gradually moved out of that area and started using my innate Artistic Visual Arts talents  working as an Independent Visual Artist in a rented Art Studio and took some Business for Artists seminar, Applying for Galleries Exhibitions seminar, Cultural Community Grants seminars, Graphic Design and Printing courses and  Digital Photography for the whole year until September 2007.

in 2008 working for a Legal Community Services Feminist organisation referring for Legal Advice in the areas of Domestic Violence, Family Law, Property, Court hearings, Subpoenas and managing and distributing publications, publishing books and writing and publishing the Annual Report.

Similar type of experience I continued to have from 2011 to 2021 adding Promotion of Events, Courses, Workshops, Educational Resources, Distribution, Referrals, Evaluations and Reporting and Guidelines and Procedures working for a Community Services Organisation.

In 2014 I assisted in the administration of a Cultural Event for the Local Government NSW at the Vivid Festival in a series of Council Cultural Community Project Forums & Awards.

Since 2017 that I have been building Perfumery and Body Care cosmetics skills and learning the Business of Perfumery and Cosmetics. On the same year I launched my first Etsy online shop called and have learnt how to operate various areas of e-commerce, Google Ads, SEO, Etsy Ads, Social Media Marketing Campaign Ads, Reviews, Sales Promotions, Coupon Promotions, Listings Management, Orders Management. Applying my Photography composition skills, Website skills, and Visual Arts skills in the product presentation and wrapping, website and online shop and social media. For the preparation of my perfumes I use my perfumery and body care skills; gardening skills, for growing roses and other aromatic plants and flowers in my garden to use in my fragrances;  administrative skills, for customer service; and small business skills, for invoicing, business plan, financial reports to continue running the business and scaling it up.

 

My Passions

My Passions have changed through out the time.

The constants are Learning New Skills, Languages, Dancing, Music, Visual Art

Documenting either in text or visually has become very important in my life, especially now with the social media tools and devices we use, it does not take too long, it is almost immediate.

Gardening was not my passion until 2015. A change of my personal life made me gain this passion that translated into the use of plants and flowers for decoration floral photography, social media and website, also for growing veggies, making teas, cooking, making fragrances and soaps and packaging.

Swimming is a sport that I enjoy very much and was my passion at certain time.

Drawing, Painting and then Photography have also been a constant passion in my life. Since child I loved images, art books, drawing and colouring books and photo albums.

My most recent passion is creating a unique handcrafted beautiful product in a perfume bottle and connecting with people in this way by giving them a joyful experience

If I had a special occasion to show up, I would like to dress up elegant and nicely in a simple way and look as natural as possible and wear a fragrance that will suit my taste

I like to create my own ‘Heaven on Earth’ on my own means in a simple manner by bringing beauty, peace and joy and being in harmony with myself and others

My Interests

Perfume reviews and History

Perfume ingredients and Perfume making techniques and tools

Sustainable Perfumery

Growing roses, flowers and plants to use in my perfumery, cooking and decoration or packaging and photography

Bird watching

Artists, Artworks, Art Books and Museums

Engineering and Processes, Chemical Substances Safety Sheets

Flowers, Photography, Colours, Indoors Decoration, Product Photography

Stationery and Packaging

Sustainable packaging and Upcycling

Perfume Bottles (Artistic bottles, Museum Artefacts)

Old Gadgets

Running a Small Business

History, Documentaries, Factual Series or Books

Philosophy

Yoga, Massage, Swimming, Relaxation

“How to …” videos and publications

It has been a while, but I used to knit and do embroidery in the past

How I Can Help Other Members

At the moment I just started joining HERBusiness Network as a new member.

I am interested in Networking and learning from others and provide feedback and connect to a like minded professional woman to do some collaboration or exchange services and make recommendations or referrals and expand the network by lifting up others, learn from our experiences and others experiences.

I can be followed on my website, Facebook pages and Group,  Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr and LinkedIn and my Etsy Shop.

It has been a very interesting and important experience to me to be part of HERBusiness Network. Thanks

Why I Became a HerBusiness Member

Since 2017, being a starting hobbyist Solopreneur, until May 2021 I am focusing fully on growing and scaling up my Perfume Business. I was browsing some women in business groups and just followed their Facebook or youtube presentations, additionally to have had received from Western Business Connect and ASBAS excellent webinars.

What prompted me to join HerBusiness is the need for Networking and Collaboration in a Female way and learn from one on one or in focus groups among various women about their ideas, experiences, business models, their journey, who to go or where to go and what to do and what to say in a much more effective way over regular meetings or workshops or events. Not just learning how to use Social Media and other tools. Being able to attract more clients and collaborate effectively and organically.

Looking forward to all this happening!

My Member to Member Offer(s)

Hello, any member can following me on:

W: ana sastrias.com

E: ana.sastrias@hotmail.com

Facebook: @ana.sastrias or @ae.sastrias

You can join my Facebook Group: “What Is In the Perfume?”

Instagram:@aesastrias_parfums

Pinterest:@anasastrias

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-elena-sastr%C3%ADas-perfumer-owner-æs-création-naturel-parfumerie-74b53719/

From time to time I will be advertising some offers to HERBusiness members.

Thank you,

 

Ana Elena Sastrias