HOOHAA x Olfactive O Meet Your Maker Questions with Olivia
We’re so excited to be sharing Woody with our subscribers this month. Can you take us right back to the beginning of your fragrance journey? When did your love for fragrance first start?
When I was a very short, geeky little girl with braces and a huge mushroom hair bob and realised that fragrance was the ultimate forgiving escapism. I had no idea what to do with makeup and most of the ‘trendy’ fashion was too big for me (yes, I was VERY short) so perfume was a wonderfully accepting way for me to express myself.
Did you ever encounter any fragrances that changed the way you thought about scent as a vehicle for self-expression, and if so, what were they?
Don’t laugh, but without a doubt, it was Dior Poison. It must’ve seemed ridiculous at the time for this timid geeky person to be wafting around Poison, but I think it was my silent way of feeling stronger and more powerful than I ever felt inside. I was bullied in my early school days, and scent was the perfect way to more express myself without provoking additional unwanted attention. I then went through a HUGE Jo Malone phase in my teens, just obsessed with how special and considered their private scent consultations made you feel. That was a real game-changer for me in how perfume can totally transform your sense of identity.
How would you describe Olfactive O to your friends and family?
My third child (the scent-baby!), though fourth child if you count my husband, haha.
Do you have a favourite from your collection?
Oooohh now that is like choosing a favourite child, and when people ask me this I have to whisper, so I don’t offend the rest of the collection. So obviously I love them all but I definitely have a soft spot for Woody which was our very first scent-baby, the first formulation the perfumer and I decided was just spot on!
What do you feel sets Olfactive O apart from other niche perfume brands?
We make beautiful, quality niche fragrances more accessible. Where the world of artistic perfumery can seem so alienating and often too ‘cool’ to those less familiar with it, we are inclusive, inviting you in to find out who your scent identity is with us.
What do you hope your customers get from your work?
Exquisite fragrances at accessible prices that help them define their personality and go forth feeling confident and magnificent.
What does the future look like for Olfactive O?
We’re really excited to be working on a series of sensory events, bringing together the worlds of food, wine and perfume to immerse our customers in their scent personalities. We’re busy working on our next launch (due 2023, hurrah!), and I keep getting asked about bigger size bottles, so watch this space… :-)
