In our second installment of our perfume and the fantastic series, we're talking to Gary "Sigg" Lodato, the mind behind Good Judy Enterprises, which specializes in hand blended perfumes and essential oils, aromatic spritzers, salt scrubs, scented candles and a number of other delights—many of which have a fantasy or horror theme.
Good Judy logo
JoSelle Vanderhooft: Good Judy is such a unique name for a perfumery. What's the story behind it?
Gary Lodato: Good Judy is short for Smell-Good Judy, which is the nickname I use for all things perfume. The term "Judy" was coined by a long-ago friend who used it to describe certain substances—gas was car Judy, lip balm was lip Judy. Of course, when that story is too long to explain, I tell people Judy is my aunt. [laughs]
JV: You opened Good Judy in 2008, but how long had you been blending before that? And what specifically attracted you to the art of making perfume?
GL: Good Judy was officially born in October 2007, and the site went live in June of 2008. Before that, I had fooled around with blending only as a hobby. Initially, I was attracted to the art of blending perfume oils from my love for the unique and unusual blends of other companies. I have many artistic outlets (photography, writing, crocheting/knitting, painting, singing, baking), and perfume blending became a way for me to incorporate many of them. I use my writing, my photography, my love of baking and others when I come up with themes. Once I made a connection with blending perfumes and baking, everything else just clicked.
JV: As far as blending an oil goes, what's your approach? For example, do you get an idea that a specific combination of essential or perfume oil notes would work for a concept, or do the concepts come through experimentation with different notes?
GL: I blend on emotion and intuition. I have a very acute olfactory/memory connection. Smells have always triggered memories and emotions. Once I get an idea for a perfume (or a line) I pick out names and then I blend the notes to match the feelings of the individual name (or theme). I rarely create a perfume then name it (although it does happen).
JV: In such a relatively short time, you've created an extensive catalog of oils, including a number of limited editions. While you've drawn inspiration from sources as varied as music, world travel, endangered species, and LGBTQ Pride, a lot of your oils have a fantasy theme. What attracts you to the fantastical, the ethereal, and the just plain weird?
GL: I love the unknown, probably because I have a healthy attraction to it mixed with a bit of apprehension and awe. From a very young age I have been fascinated by the strange, mysterious, horrific, and all things left of center because they made me think. I like to think and make others think. I love to give others the opportunity to connect with something outside of their usual mental framework. Normal is boring.
JV: One of your most intriguing lines for me is the Curio Shoppe, in which you've made scents in homage to such mythic curiosities as Jacob's Ladder, jackalopes, and gazing mirrors. What's the draw of these and other legendary—and often frightening—objects?
GL: This goes back to my lifelong obsession with reading horror and fantasy. For me, it's about what lives on the edge, in the shadows, in the dark just out of the light. It's an excitement for venturing into the unknown. There is a pull toward things that are strange and unusual. The line between wishing certain dangerous, creepy things actually exist and feeling safe and comforted knowing they don't is very thin. It's about letting my imagination go, running with the sensations that invokes, and being able to safely return from it. Curiosity is a double edged sword that's wicked fun to play with.
A grinning, antique-looking skull guards Good Judy's Curio Shoppe, where jackalopes, mummies, and wendigos play.
JV: I've enjoyed reading the write-ups that accompany each of the curio scents, in which you quite literally take the reader on a tour of a dusty curiosity shop. Let's talk about the intersection between perfume and creative writing. What do each lend to one another?
GL: They go hand in hand. Telling a story is so important, and I wish I had the time to do that for all of my perfume lines. It's about finding a connection. Connecting. Connecting to the product. Connecting to the theme. To the emotions. To the creativity. It's not just about mixing perfumes. It's about the process. The life breathed into the final product. I want my customers to feel it. To connect to it.
JV: Since you opened Good Judy, you've offered a line of scents that pays homage to anime and manga genres and tropes from magical girls and bishounen to yaoi and yuri—or manga featuring male and female couples, respectively. How did this line suggest itself to you, and what smells good about these art forms?
GL: As a genre, I have only dabbled in anime/manga, and mostly through a friend of mine. The line started from her obsession, and my curiosity to find out why she was so obsessed. I did a lot of research and received a lot of input and education about the direction and descriptions of the individual blends. As far as what smells good, I utilized my artistic intuition to create blends that invoked or encompassed the themed names. All art, whether it be drawn, written, recorded, or whatever, invokes emotion and feeling. I focus on how it speaks to me and create from there.
A cavalcade of Whiffs, Good Judy's sample sized perfume vials.
JV: A few years ago, you had a line of perfumes based on various "punk" genres: diesel, cyber, steam. What became of this line, and will we see something like it again?
GL As an '80s punk, I loved (and miss) that line! Since it was one of the first general catalog perfume lines created, many of the notes became difficult to reorder, so I had to discontinue them. There is definitely a plan to bring them back. The new category will be called Counter Culture and will have the "punk" themed oils in newer versions. Now it's simply a matter of finding the time to get them out!
JV: You've taken inspiration from a number of countries, cultures, myths, and traditions for Good Judy's catalog. Can you talk a little about the process of researching and developing a scent from a culture or society that isn't your own, and the burdens that doing so entails?
GL: Coming from a sociology background, I do my best to cover all of my bases when it come to respecting a culture or religion or philosophy. Most everything I have created is based on personal experiences, beliefs, or participation. If it is something new to me, I usually get the idea and information from someone who is a participant. My largest concern is using the culture or religion as a "product seller." I want to invite people into the culture and participate in it/experience it, not sell them the idea of it or turn it into a product. It's a fine line that I am very conscious of. The Astrology lines are a perfect example. The three that are available are ones that I have personal experience with, with many personal references. There are more being added to the Astrology section, but they will not be released until I am sure everything is appropriate.
JV: In just two years, you've gone from exclusively blending perfumes to making candles, bath salts and lotions, and even diffuser charms. What prompted you to move into these areas?
GL: The goal for Good Judy to have bath and body products was in place from the very beginning. As time allowed, I tested and mixed and blended and tried out ideas until I created the products that I not only used, but wanted other people to use. Since leaving my "real job" last November, I have had the opportunity to focus on the bath and beauty side of Good Judy. It has been a wonderful experience and I love whipping up new things!
JV: What are Good Judy's plans for the future? I see some under construction areas on your site, including one devoted to Angels and the five elements.
GL: Presently, all energies are focused on the new brick and mortar store. Good Judy has a permanent vending spot at The Downtown Market in Asheville, North Carolina. That has been a long-time dream and it has come true, so I am very excited about the opportunity and the new adventure that will bring. Honestly, there are more ideas and dreams than I have time for. The Coming Soon sections at GoodJudy.com are in place to inspire me to finish what I've started. The next non-perfume product release will be handcrafted soaps. Soaps were the first of the non-perfume products I wanted to make, but they never came to fruition. I've been really picky about ingredients and methods, and until recently have never found ingredients that matched my needs and quality standards. Now that I have, I've been working on them for a couple of months and have almost perfected the final product. Look for the soaps sometime in the next month or so.
Visit Good Judy here.