If Grasse, France, is the Mecca of perfume, Paris is its Jerusalem. In late January, I decided to take a solo trip to Paris for a bit of rest and relaxation—and to take in some perfume sights (and sites).

I’m no stranger to Paris, this was my third time visiting, but this is my first t…

Read more

Happy New Year, Black Girl Perfume Club. I’m going into 2026 feeling cautiously optimistic, despite everything (*gestures wildly*). I’m feeling a great deal of clarity that I haven’t had in a very long time. I’ve become passionate about living a very curated life in various ways—doing …

Read more

On a quiet, chilly Friday, December 5th, 2025, something intimate and powerful bloomed in a little Harlem brownstone. Away from the clamor of ScentXplore, a small, impeccably-dressed, and divinely-scented group of Black folks gathered. Light bites were served, wine was poured, and the air hummed with the rich, beautiful aromas of Black-owned fragrances.

…

Read more

RSVP

Hello, my loves. Long time no see.

My personal fragrance Super Bowl, ScentXplore, is next month—so naturally I have to make my annual pilgrimage to NYC. However, I only have one gripe: Black-owned fragrance brands tend to get overlooked. Sure, they’re visible (and so are the many Black consumers of fragrances), but there’s minimal space to learn about our unique relationship to scent in the diaspora.

So I’m hosting Black Girl Perfume Club’s very first Black Fragrance Showcase in Harlem, NYC, on Friday, December 5, from 6-8pm.

I’ve partnered with our favorite boutique Muse Experiences to host an intimate group of fragrance lovers for drinks, light bites, and a night of getting to know Black fragrance brands from across the diaspora.

Some featured creators include:

• Savoir Faire

• ​Reserve en Afrique

• ​Zernell Gillie

• ​Maya Njie

• ​Coco de Mer

To RSVP, visit our event page. Space is limited, so reserve your spot quickly.

Can’t wait to see you!

RSVP

The news about Ami Colé shutting its doors has left a lot of us in the Black beauty community feeling pretty gutted. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, especially since the brand was carried by Sephora and seemingly on every Black millennial girl’s vanity. Ami Colé broke new ground for Black beauty brands in ways we hadn’t thou…

Read more

Let’s talk about the ever-polarizing product that is fragrance body mists. Body mists are usually our gateway drug to the world of fragrance—lightly scented, low fragrance oil concentration (1-3% vs. 15-30% in an eau de parfum), and usually packed in a cute plastic cylinder rather than a beautiful glass bottle.

To some, b…

Read more

Over the past few months, I’ve struggled with a bit of fragrance burnout. As I’m inundated with new trends and launches constantly, I’m having a hard time staying motivated. As much as I love fragrance, I find myself going through my own collection less and less. I get FOMO whenever I find myself late to the newest launch, I’m not up to…

Read more

Dupes can be pretty polarizing in the fragrance community. Sometimes they’re straight-up copycats, poorly made, or even seen as threats to high-end fragrance houses. And while I'm not completely anti-dupe—I’ve written plenty about dupes on this Substack—but I'm also not totally pro-dupe either. But hear me out: I think dupes can actually be …

Read more

First of all, I’m so happy that mainstream media is finally taking notice of the passionate community surrounding perfume. #PerfumeTok is getting features in consumer beauty magazines and business journals. However, a glaring inequity just won’t escape my mind: Black perfumers and influencers are consistently and almost systemically ignored. Unfortunate…

Read more

At Black Girl Perfume Club, I’m gonna champion Black-owned brands year-round, but Juneteenth holds a special place in my heart – a day I hope every Black person in America reading this took the day off. I’ve curated a list of 19 Black-owned fragrance brands that deserve your attention, many of which I’ve personally tested and fallen in love with. These brands aren’t just creating beautiful fragrances; they are reclaiming a space where, for too long, our unique Black experiences have been overlooked and our contributions have been systematically excluded. Perfumery hasn’t always been a viable career path within our community, which makes the success and innovation of these brands even more remarkable.

Lately, I’ve been reevaluating my own fragrance collection, and I want to place more emphasis on Black and brown perfumers who are consistently pushing boundaries and crafting extraordinary scents.

From the sophisticated elegance of Chris Collins, to the mood-boosting citrus notes of Ganyou, created by my dear friend Nimotalai Ganiyu, to the synesthetic musical notes of Zernell Gillie, each brand tells a compelling story through scent.

The journey of compiling this list has been incredibly rewarding. By supporting Black perfumers, you're investing in a more inclusive and representative fragrance industry, one where Black diasporic creativity and heritage are finally given the recognition they deserve.

World of Chris Collins

The sophisticated elegance of Chris Collins, a former model turned perfumer, creates a variety of fragrances that exude an "uptown vibe."

Ganiyu

A friend of mine, Nimotalia Ganiyu, started this brand off with one amazing mood boosting fragrance, ‘Onto You,’ that I reach for as my go-to citrus scent. I'm looking forward to more offerings from her in the future.

Zernell Gillie

I love Zernell Gillie because all of his fragrances are named after genres of music. He is someone who I would say has true scent synesthesia. He knows how to really envision a music genre and company a scent with it. His latest offering, ‘R&B,’ just smells like pure 90s sex appeal.

MOODEAUX

MOODEAUX is truly a frontrunner to me in the independent fragrance industry. Brianna Arps started MOODEAUX as a sort of passion project after getting laid off, and now it's grown into a six-figure-plus business. I am endlessly proud of her. Her scent, ‘Worthy,’ smells like a Black woman in a bottle, and she only continues to put out amazing scents.

Fenty Beauty

I really miss Rihanna's old fragrances. (Hello, Reb’l Fleur!) But I really want her to delve back into scents more. I think that her signature scent, ‘Fenty,’ is such a grown and sexy fragrance for a woman. I wear it when I especially need girlboss levels of confidence.

Frances Marie Fragrances

Frances Marie Fragrances so graciously gifted me their first scent, ‘True.’ It’s truly a crowd-pleasing floral and I’m excited to see what new scents come next.

Ourside

Ourside is a very unique brand in this bunch. Their fragrances exude this sort of cosmic element that I had been seeking out for a while—and I’m so glad I found it.

Harlem Perfume Co.

You may know Harlem Perfume Co., which started off as Harlem Candle Co. When I first discovered them, I immediately bought their candle, Josephine, inspired by the late-great Josephine Baker. And now I'm absolutely in love with their perfumes, Langston and Billie. They recently launched a fragrance called ‘Eartha,’ in collaboration with Eartha Kitt's daughter, Kitt Shapiro. I love that they’re bringing old Black Hollywood glamour to the scent world.

FORVR Mood

Jackie Aina has been such an influence in bringing more Black women into fragrances, particularly niche, and I'm really proud of her for launching her brand.

Brown Girl Jane

Brown Girl Jane is just effortlessly feminine, and I can’t wait to try their scent ‘High Tea.’ You can find the sweetest, yet daring, yet rebellious, yet kind woman in each of these scents.

The Elemental Fragrances

The Elemental has such dapper branding. My personal favorite, Fantastic F*** Rose has been discontinued. Consider this a petition to bring it back.

The brands below, I haven’t personally sampled, but have heard glowing reviews:

Kimberly New York

Pink Mahoghany

La Boticá

B Fragranced

Maya Njie

Memoir Fragrances

Savoir Faire

Matteo Parfums

Welcome to the fourty-eighth issue of Black Girl Perfume Club! Let’s dive right in.

Hello, my loves! My birthday is coming up and I want to celebrate it with you.

I started Black Girl Perfume Club two years ago, right before my birthday and there’s no better way to ring in the fun than with a night of sips, sweet treats and sisterhood. So I’m hosting Black Girl Perfume Club’s 2nd anniversary meetup in sunny California on May 1 from 5-7pm!

We’ve partnered with Scent Bar DTLA (owned by the amazing folks at Luckyscent) to host a small group of fragrance lovers for drinks, light bites, and a night of fragrance sampling and knowledge. Attendees will also receive a free gift with any purchase courtesy of Scent Bar.

Special thanks to Nomadica and Free Spirits for sponsoring our (spirit/spirit-free) beverages!

To RSVP, go to our Eventbrite page to cop a ticket. Space is limited so register fast!

Register here

Register here

Welcome to the forty-seventh issue of Black Girl Perfume Club.

Hello, my lovelies.

I haven’t written on this platform in a while and it was simply because I wasn’t feeling inspired. As you may have read in my last post, my grandmother passed away in September and I was feeling dejected. My love of fragrance was largely built by her, and losing her really took me out of my element. As we cleared out her things, I gave one special request to my mother: “Please let me have Too-Too’s perfumes.” And she gave them to me without a hitch. I created a mini shrine to them in my apartment, and pick them up to wear on occasion when I need to feel her spirit.

Some time passed and Valentine’s Day, one of my favorite holidays despite being single, came up. So I reached out to my friend, Amy, about throwing a Galentine’s party. Amy runs a queer book club at our local bookstore, and I decided we should merge our love of books and fragrances together in one small get-together.

We invited about 10 of our closest friends to her home for a book and fragrance swap. Everyone left with a new book and two fragrances to take home. She provided the decor, and I procured the provisions to imbibe and snack on, cultivating a small party that everyone was slow to leave.

I left with two body mists—’Love Spell’ by Victoria’s Secret and ‘Champagne Toast’ from Bath and Body Works—two very nostalgic scents that serve as a pick-me-up from time to time. I’m actually wearing ‘Champagne Toast’ as I write this note.

If you need an excuse to host, please give a fragrance swap a try. It’s such a great way to delve into your friends’ taste profiles and build community with those you know, while encouraging them to bring a friend.

As a parting gift, here’s the Spotify playlist for the party.

Love you, bye.

Welcome to the forty-sixth issue of Black Girl Perfume Club.

Hello my lovelies.

Thank you so much for following Black Girl Perfume Club over the course of two years and some change, and every single one of you has changed my life. However, my life has changed in an infinite amount of ways since I started BGPC, including l…

Read more

Welcome to the forty-fifth issue of Black Girl Perfume Club! Let’s dive right in.

Hey all, I know I’ve been away for a little while. Life was life-ing, and I run BGPC alongside my day job. But I woke up to a very pleasant surprise today that I just had to share. Yosh Han, founder of Eau de Yosh and Scent Festival, mentioned my lil’ o…

Read more

Welcome to the forty-fourth issue of Black Girl Perfume Club! Let’s dive right in.

Happy Monday, my loves. Summer is about halfway over and I’m about to embark on my first real vacation of the season, Martha’s Vineyard. This will be my second time visiting the island, dubbed the “Black Hamptons,” and I’m so excited to get …

Read more

Andrea Brillantes’ Congenital Anosmia Won’t Stop Her From Smelling Good

Twenty-one-year-old Andrea Brillantes is a pretty big deal in the Philippines, and is making history by launching perfumes despite having no sense of smell. Brillantes has a condition called congenital anosmia, rendering her unable to smell. Despite it all, she launched a line of fragrances named “Lucky Potions.”

”In fact, my disability has made me more conscious of how people perceive my smell,” Brillantes said in an Instagram post. “So, even though I can’t smell, I still enjoy wearing perfume and I’m often asked about the fragrance I use.” The fragrances are only available in the Philippines for now. (The Philippine Star)

Lush Opens a Fragrance Library in the UK

To market their latest scent offerings, British fragrance and body care brand Lush created a perfume library pop-up in Soho, London. The new collection features candles, wax melts and incense and body mists, all available for purchase before being widely available on August 1. (FashionUnited)

Join The Club on Instagram

Fragrance of the Day

Dolce & Gabbana ‘The Only One’ EDP (Buy it here)

Love you, bye.

Welcome to the fourty-third issue of Black Girl Perfume Club! Let’s dive right in.

Happy Wednesday, I’ve spent the past four days trying to figure out where Vice President Kamala Harris’ coconut tree speech came from. And now, I’ve seen Zoomers of the Internet pledge their allegiance to the potential Madame President with a combination of the coconut and…

Read more

July 23, 2024

Catch Meghan Markle’s Fave Perfume for $75 Off

Back in 2016, Meghan Markle, or in my own words “the People’s Duchess,” shared that she loves Jo Malone London’s ‘Wood Sage & Sea Salt’ Cologne. This clean, musky scent has been a best-seller ever since. Now, thanks to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, you can grab a full-size and travel-size version of this fragrance for only $175 altogether, compared to the usual $250. Still not a fan of that price? I personally enjoy Dossier’s ‘Woody Sage’ dupe for only $29. (H/T Us Weekly)

Can Fragrance Save Macy’s?

Macy’s plans to close 150 stores in the coming years and the department store giant hopes investing in fragrance will boost sales. “Fragrance is that attainable, end piece of luxury,” said Nicolette Bosco, VP and DMM of beauty at Macy’s said in an interview. “[Fragrance] is a lot more attainable than, let’s say, a $5,000 something else from the brand.” Macy’s is opening several beauty-focused outposts at major shopping centers throughout the year and if fragrance sales boom, how will Macy’s adapt? (Glossy)

Join The Club on Instagram

Fragrance of the Day

Sol de Janeiro ‘Cheirosa ‘68 Body Mist (Buy it here)

Love you, bye.

July 22, 2024

Who’s Who At Sephora’s Harlem Launch

Read more

Jayson Tatum is the Face of ‘Coach for Men’

Sports and fragrance just made a major crossover. You may know Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum for his Coach fashion ads, but now the athlete has venture into the brand’s cologne space. Tatum will appear in his first ‘Coach for Men’ campaign in August. “This partnership is a bit of a full-circle moment for me. I’m always trying to push my own limits, and I look forward to working with a brand, like Coach, which celebrates this,” Tatum said in a statement. (Yahoo!)

Monet McMichael’s Fragrance is Available at Ulta

Beauty influencer Monet McMichael’s Snif collab ‘Rose Era’ is finally available for purchase at Ulta. Snif appears to be finding its stride in influencer fragrance collabs, leaving us wonder if the brand will shift its focus to partnerships over original scents. (Glossy)

Join The Club on Instagram

Fragrance of the Day

Booty Parlor ‘Unforgettable Amour La Nuit’ EDP (Buy it here)

Love you, bye.