Patti Upton, known in the industry as the Creator of Decorative Fragrance, founded Aromatique in 1982 in Heber Springs, Arkansas. This dynamic company was created ‘just for fun’ when Patti mixed together a melange of native botanicals including acorns, pine cones, sugar gum balls and hickory nuts and fragranced them with spices, oils and ingenuity. Patti titled her creation The Smell of Christmas and sold it in a friend’s gift shop. It was an overnight success! Patti, who was past 40 at this time in her life, was insistent that the product was not potpourri but rather decorative fragrance. Her products are rich and full-bodied with large distinctive botanicals artfully arranged and sprinkled with a memorable scent. The product is precisely layered into a package of cellophane bags to create beautiful displays. The preferred method of display and use is a large open container. Patti was the first to artfully combine visual elements with fragrance. Annette Green, President Emeritus of the Fragrance Foundation in New York, declared Patti “as one of our industry’s most creative visionaries. Her trailblazing concepts set the stage for the revolution in the enjoyment and appreciation of fragrance in the home, which is driving the public’s interest in fragrance.” She is unique in that her business is totally focused on fragrances and their ancillary components. Patti studied fashion and design and was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She was elected as Miss University of Arkansas in 1959. She would later combine her love of fashion and art to create Aromatique.
Aromatique helped build the economy in rural Heber Springs as well as kept the youth busy finding the natural treasures needed for the products. Youth organizations made money by finding the natural treasures used by Upton. Patti built a team of local employees and utilized their talents and ingenuity as she created a ‘we’ team. Upton blended the oils herself while employees mixed raw ingredients and oils in motorized mixing machines. Other workers brewed up a new line such as the Smell of Spring, a blend of Moroccan rosebuds, bay leaves, wood shavings, baby’s breath and a heady dose of secret oils bought from a company that creates scents for Ralph Lauren. Aromatique also bottles refresher oils, sprays and diffusers so customers can save their mixtures and revive them the following year. Patti wanted her products to be accessible by all. After the initial creation and success, boutique’s came to Aromatique requesting to handle their product. Upton had more than 525 retailers peddling her products in 40 states and in countries around the globe. Arkansas companies such as Dillard’s sell Aromatique as does Amazon. Upton bought the Red Apple Inn Country Club and Resort in 1995 and restored it into a retreat facility.
Patti was known as a giver. Aromatique’s commitment to philanthropic works has helped many organizations throughout the years. The University of Arkansas for Medical Science has been the recipient of several special gifts. Over $1.7 million has been donated to The Nature Conservancy through the sale of “The Natural State” decorative fragrance line. Thereby giving back to the resources from the natural world which fueled the success of Aromatique. The gifts have been used to help protect and preserve beautiful natural lands. These and other charitable donations earned Patti Upton the Distinguished Citizen Award from local NBC affiliate KARK-TV and the Office of the Governor of the State of Arkansas. Patti Upton was inducted into the the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame; Arkansas Business 25 Women’s Leaders; and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Class of 2016. Aromatique and Upton have been featured in Working Woman magazine, the International Women’s Forum, the Society of Entrepreneurs, the Easter Seal Society, People magazine, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” Southern Living and the list goes on.
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