Tag: black owned fragrance brands

Brand Spotlight: Pink MahogHany

September 24, 2020

Chavalia Mwamba is the brand founder and perfumer for Pink MahogHany or PM Fragrances. Yes, there is an extra H in the word mahogany, as Chavalia intended! Like many perfume and beauty brands at the moment, I discovered PM fragrances through instagram.

Following-up on recommendations from social media can be a gamble. Some recommendations have fallen flat for me, but that’s just what happens with perfume and skin chemistry. Luckily, there is a PM Fragrances discovery set and individual samples. I initially ordered three samples to test: Tandem, French Cuffs, and Pas Encore Nommé. I ended up really enjoying all three.

I wanted to do a write-up about Le Minimaliste, which is a special release. Chavalia released two versions of Le Minimaliste in honor of Leo Season, which is her sun sign — and also mine! I was intrigued by the idea of two versions of the same composition. It’s like a comparative literature experiment for fragrance junkies.

Version I Notes: mixed berry, grapefruit, mandarin des fleurs, peony, rose damask, prunella, fig, champaca, neroli, ambroxan, vanilla bean accord, ambrettolide, and honey.

Version II notes: lemon, green mandarin, raspberry, neroli, honey, tinctured cypress, star anise, copaiba, cedar, modernized amber, ambroxan, cashmere, vetiver, and musk.

I initially had my eye on Version II. I figured it would be right up my alley, with the raspberry note in the opening and the cedar in the base. I smelled Version II as soon as it arrived and gave it a wear test. It gives great sillage right off the bat and it even lasted on my skin through yoga and a shower. Version II is definitely a scent for all the longevity lovers out there.

Version I has been a little more challenging for me. Grapefruit is a note that I don’t always love with my skin chemistry, and it’s right there in the opening. It’s quite sharp, but I think the composition blend works for me. I get a peppery peony note. I also sense a ripe fig note that is fruity to my nose, not a green fig leaf. Version I also wears more quietly on my skin, especially in the honeyed vanilla base. It’s not a projection monster, which is not always a bad thing.

At a certain point, I had to stop comparing and take each composition on its own terms. The grapefruit and fig of Version I gives me early morning vibes. The bright fruit really wakes you up without being too loud. Version I is nice on work-from-home mornings where I just don’t want to get out of bed. That’s most mornings in 2020!

Whereas the raspberry/honey accord in Version II is a late Fall afternoon scent to me. The raspberry is just jammy and sweet enough without going to saccharine territory. There’s a peppery smokiness in the base that reminds me of a hearty, smoky black tea. It puts me in the mood for a cup of tea and toast with jam. Both scents are lovely and they each have their specific moods and occasions.

Le Minimaliste is limited edition. It looks like it’s still available as of right now (September 2020) if you are interested. Unfortunately, because it’s limited, there are no samples. Both versions are available in a travel size, as you can see from the photo. I recommend trying some individual samples or the PM discovery set to get a feel for Chavalia’s work.

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The photo was taken by me.

I ordered Le Minimaliste Version II from the PM Fragrances Etsy shop. Chavalia reached out to myself and other customers because of some packaging and shipping delays. She very generously included both versions of Le Minimaliste for everyone who had ordered at the time to make up for the delays.

Brand Spotlight: Chris Collins

July 29, 2020

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a zoom session with Chris Collins arranged by Tigerlily Perfumery. The event was open to anyone who wanted to sign up. There was a registration fee, and it included a discovery set with samples of his current line, plus two samples of up-coming launches. I have to thank my friend, Christina, who alerted me to this event.

It was a non-work zoom session and it was actually really fun! Chris was very personable and talkative. He is the brand founder and creative director, and he works closely with perfumers to realize his vision. He came across as very passionate and said that it sometimes brings him to tears when he and the perfumer get it right with the composition.

Tigerlily sent the sample set, which includes his current line-up.

Harlem Renaissance Collection

  • These scents are composed by Laurent Marrone

Harlem Nights: My impression is that this is a good introductory scent to Chris’ vision. It’s a boozy, rum-centric scent. There are also spices, vanilla, and patchouli to round it out. The word that comes to mind for this scent is classic.

Renaissance Man: This one is interesting and definitely not just for men. It opens with a fresh marine accord, but it’s not a calone bomb. It’s more oceanic, and the marine notes don’t last long on my skin. Renaissance turns into a yummy honey and tobacco scent, at least with my skin chemistry. It’s a touch powdery. It’s entirely unisex.

Danse Sauvage is also part of this line but it was unavailable for samples due to some covid-related delays.

Dark Romance Collection

  • These scents are composed by Nathalie Feisthauer

Autumn Rhythm: Unfortunately, this one just doesn’t work with my skin chemistry. It’s too bad because there’s a great leather accord here. There’s also some interesting texture happening, like dried leaves crunching underfoot. However, there is a dill note that smells like pickles on me. Christina mentioned it too so it’s not just me! I get a similar dill pickle effect from Marc Jacobs Decadence. If you like that one, you may be able to wear Autumn Rhythm.

Oud Galore: I am, quite frankly, tired of oud scents being everywhere. Fortunately, the oud here is not overbearing. It’s actually quite wearable, even in the summer. I really get more rose than oud. The rose leans on the fresh, green side to me. This really is a rose/oud composition for spring/summer, which is great. There aren’t many of those.

Sweet Taboo: My personal favorite of the collection. It’s a gourmand but not overbearingly sweet. There is a roast coffee note that I appreciate. I’m always looking for coffee, but I want a bitter coffee, not a sugary coffee. This comes close to what I am looking for. The cacao nibs bring an earthy and dry note to the composition. There’s green cardamom and clary sage to add a green and aromatic aspect. Then there’s a healthy dose of cinnamon to keep things on the delectable side of gourmand.

Tokyo Blue: This is the most interesting one in the collection for me. It’s also the most personal for Chris. He said it was inspired by his Dad. It’s mainly a violet leaf on me mixed with a smooth orris. Tokyo Blue is the lightest in terms of sillage, but it feels quite dense on the skin, if that makes sense. It has a weightiness to it, and maybe it’s the orris acting as a solid anchor for the composition. It’s so smooth, I just want to keep smelling it! I would be interested to smell this one on a man and see how it changes with skin chemistry.

I won’t comment on the two as-yet unreleased scents except to say they’re both nice. Chris couldn’t share the scent names or launch dates yet, so I’ll wait until we have some definitive information.

Overall, the impression I get is that this is a very classic and elegant line. (Chris is a former Ralph Lauren model, after all!) I have seen some women comment that they assumed these fragrances are only for men. From what Chris has said, and from what I’ve smelled, that’s not the case. These scents are for anyone who wants to try them.

It looks like Tigerlily still has the sample set available (and they have individual samples if you only want to test a couple of scents.)

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The photo was taken by me. Nothing in this post was gifted. I paid the zoom registration and discovery set fee myself.

Brand Spotlight: Motif Olfactif

June 17, 2020

Motif Olfactif is a US-based independent and Black-owned fragrance brand. Oswald Paré is the founder and the perfumer. In fact, he does everything from the fragrance formulations, to designing the packaging, and marketing the brand.

Oswald Paré was born in Burkina Faso, attended university in Minnesota, and now lives in the US. I’m sure this has given him a richness of perspective, and I think you can smell it in his compositions. I received four scents as part of the current discovery set, and each scent feels so imaginative. They take you on a journey, which is my favorite aspect of fragrance.

Mon Oasis: This one stood out to me right away. A cooling lavender, blended with a blooming jasmine, with a subtle undercurrent of smoky tobacco. It reminds me a little bit of Do Son with that luminous white floral quality, and a little bit of Carven Le Parfum, with its slightly smoky jasmine. And yet, Mon Oasis is a fragrance all its own. It takes me to a place of peace and calm. It’s really an oasis.

Nectar Boisé: I don’t have synesthesia, but I sense this one as a bright, dense orange color. There’s a lovely peachy-fruit and vanilla accord. I get a Serge Lutens vibe with that dried, candied fruit note you often smell in a Christopher Sheldrake composition for Lutens. It’s funny, I don’t find Nectar Boisé sweet or gourmand though. It definitely has a warmth and a richness, but it’s balanced. It’s refined. I think this one is the most sophisticated composition of the group.

Vêtu de Vert: This is the one in the bunch that just doesn’t work with my skin chemistry. It’s bound to happen, and 3 out of 4 isn’t bad! There is a wet soil accord here that just does not mesh with my skin. The composition seems to hover slightly on top of my skin and never develops or changes.

Voile d’Encens: This incense scent is pure balsamic, resinous heaven. It feels textured, like a layer of dust on a hymnal in a church pew. It feels so tangible. The cedar stands out here as well. I just love it. It’s also the scent with the strongest sillage and longest staying power on my skin. This reminds me just a touch of my beloved Costes EDT by Olivia Giacobetti, and I mean that as a huge compliment.

There are two other scents that are currently sold out: De Toma à Zouma and Murmure Chypré. Those two scents are not part of the current sample set, so I haven’t tested them.

Cafleurbon has a recent write-up on Oswald here. It’s a really interesting article, if you’re interested in learning more about the brand and the perfumer behind it.

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The photo was taken by me. I purchased the discovery set directly from the Motif Olfactif site. It was not gifted to me.

Here is What I’m Doing

June 7, 2020

Well, hello, everyone. I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves right now. If you’ve been out protesting, good on you! I hope you’re safe and wearing a mask.

Perfume and fragrance has not felt terribly important this past week. However, I noticed on social media, several people began circulating lists of Black-owned beauty and fragrance brands. I took a look at the perfume brands in particular. The only two brands that I had heard of before were Chris Collins and Maya Njie. I realized that I haven’t sampled or made a purchase from any Black-owned perfume brands. Not a single one!

I fall back on my designer scents, my favorites from Dior, Chanel, Burberry and YSL. They are comforting to me because they’re familiar. The thing I hadn’t realized is that these designer scents in particular exist in a very carefully cultivated bubble of whiteness. The vast majority of people involved with these fragrances are white, from the brand executives, to the perfumers, to the models chosen to front the ad campaigns. And I had never given it a second thought before! That’s how pervasive and insidious white privilege is.

Now, I am making a commitment to purchase from Black-owned fragrance brands. Each month for the rest of 2020, I am committed to exploring new Black-owned perfume brands. As you can see from the photo above, I am starting with a discovery set from Motif Olfactif for June.

I want to approach this in a mindful way. I will make purchases. I certainly will not behave like an entitled influencer and beg for free samples and bottles! I want to financially support Black-owned brands and bring some awareness by posting about them. I also want to take it a few at a time, rather than ordering all at once. I want to spend time with each sample, each fragrance, and really give each brand its proper due. Like I said above, I am kicking this off with Motif Olfactif right now.

This is only the beginning! It feels like we’re on the precipice of real global change. Let’s make sure that it’s lasting change and not just a fleeting moment.

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The photo above was taken by me. Nothing in this post was gifted.

David @hoodscentz on instagram put together his own list of Black-owned fragrance houses, which is the list I’ve been paying attention to.

Fashionista posted this list of 250+ Black-owned and founded beauty and wellness brands.

@esteelaundry on instagram compiled their own list of Black-owned beauty brands.