About You
Tell us who you are?
Ah, an existential question I’ve been asking myself for years. Professionally, I’m the perfumer/owner at Poesie, an indie perfume brand established in 2015. As far as everything else goes, I’ve always vibed with what Bob Dylan said: “I change during the course of a day. I wake and I’m one person, and when I go to sleep I know for certain I’m somebody else.”
How did you get into the perfume industry?
I’ve loved perfume since I was a little girl admiring the beautiful and mysterious bottles on my mom’s vanity, but I never dreamed it would become my career. Then, a friend gave me a DIY kit with perfume oils of different notes, and I was immediately obsessed. One might even say hyper-fixated (shoutout to my fellow ADHDers!). There were hours reading, researching, and experimenting. I was working as the executive director of a nonprofit at the time, completely burned out, and desperately in need of a creative outlet. Working at a small nonprofit does not leave one with a lot of disposable income for what is, it turns out, a very expensive hobby. In turn, Poesie started as a part-time way to fund my addiction to buying new aroma chemicals, and I realized I wanted to spend my time thinking about perfume, and not my “real” job.
What was the first perfume you ever purchased?
I’m pretty sure it was something pink with a fairy on the bottle, back when I was using chalk as makeup because I was six and didn’t have the real stuff to play with. My first real perfume was Acapella by Mary Kay, which I loved and was a favorite of my very glamorous grandmother. We’re talking skanky musk, aldehydes, spices and florals, just what every sixth grade girl dreams of. I still love that scent, and I have a vintage bottle I wear on special occasions.
What is your favourite meal?
My mom’s pecan pie. I think that qualifies if the slice is big enough.
Where is your favourite place?
I have a vintage blue velvet sofa that I bought from the estate of a woman who was clearly committed to covering everything she owned in the maximum amount of fringe and tassels. Give me a rainy day, a book, a cup of tea, and that sofa, and I’m in heaven.
Do you have an interesting party trick or any hidden talents?
I always find four leaf clovers. I’ve found so many I’ve lost count.
Who would play you in a film of your life?
Definitely a piece of clay. If the film of my life is not claymation, I will riot.
About Your Brand
Describe your brand in one sentence.
Perfume for ladies and gentlethems who love books, tea, and nerdy stuff.
Where does the name of your brand come from?
I think it’s very interesting how smell is the only sense that bypasses the thalamus, which is the sensory gatekeeper of the brain. In this process, smell goes straight to the olfactory cortex, which is how it attaches to memories and emotions in such a unique way. I feel like poetry does the same thing, so that inspired the name )but in French for the aesthetic).
Who are your perfumes for?
Anyone. It’s very important to me that all of our customers can find themselves in our brand, whatever their gender identity, race, religion, the body they live in, age, and so forth.
Tell us about your latest perfume.
The most recent Poesie collection is called “We Heart Cardamom” and is inspired by the love of cardamom within the Poesie team and our fans. I wanted to explore different aspects of cardamom: its citrusy freshness, its cozy warmth, its woodiness. It’s such a magical ingredient.
If someone wanted to try your fragrances, which one would you recommend they try first and why?
I don’t think you can go wrong with Madar, which is our best seller and for good reason. It’s inspired by Persian rice pudding, with notes of creamy rice pudding, orange flower water, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, dried rose petals, and sugared pistachios. It’s kind of like a hug in a bottle.
What challenges do you want to overcome for your brand?
The biggest challenge Poesie faces right now is capacity. How do you create a quality, handmade product at an accessible price point from a company with great customer service, a quick turnaround time, and keep all of that up as you grow? (If you’re reading this and have the answer, please message me.)
What is unique about your brand?
I created Poesie as a way to appease my own craving for fragrance adventures, and in a marketplace filled with so many choices – even within the indie fragrance world – Poesie continues to be unique in its soul and its literary roots. We have also prioritized a great customer experience from the very beginning and keep that in focus even as we continue to grow.
Find out more about Poesie here.