Belinda Brown
An endearing love of Stella pomade (a rich heady mix of Lavender, Jasmine and Vanilla) her mum gave her to wear in her childhood years led her on the path to finding a signature fragrance for herself, and a chance meeting with Roja Dove (Perfumier extraordinaire) resulted in Blessings perfume; a perfect combination of her love of fragrance and religion embedded in the top notes of Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin and hearted in Rose de Mai and Jasmine de Grasse, evoking happy memories of her childhood in Nigeria.
Belinda Brown takes us back into her firsts…
My First…………………….
……………………………..bottle of perfume I created is ‘Blessings’ and it was inspired by Stella cream and the Alabaster story in the Bible.
……………………………..impression of the perfume industry is that most perfumes are made for marketing purposes . Producers care more about the big names and the mass market, and not necessarily what goes into their product. I went against this norm and really made sure that Blessings is full of the real oils supplying ultimate luxury.
Roja Dove
……………………………..meeting with Roja Dove(renowned perfumer and owner of Roja Dove perfumes) was through a mutual friend, and it has been an amazing friendship and partnership.
………………………….day in the factory was the hardest part. It was difficult smelling all the oils and finding one that I loved. This process took months and I found myself smelling thousands of oils and having to
narrow it down to just a handful.
…………………………lesson in perfume making was how to master the relative volatility of each perfume oil such as Bergamot, which is my best Top Note. I also learnt a lot about the location of various plants, and how to blend different oils together to receive what you want. Nature is beautiful.
………………………….bottle of ‘Blessings’ perfume was designed by me and I took the sample to a separate glass company in Europe. I spoke to them about my idea and inspiration and it took maybe about ten to fifteen minutes for them to truly capture what I wanted. The packaging was also incredibly important in the process of creating an exclusive perfume, so I collaborated with a Graphic Designer before I took it to the manufacturers.
.………………………order of ‘Blessings’ perfume was for Harrods and it sold out completely in May/June and my customers were very kind to wait for about seven weeks to get the next batch. God bless my clients! However, we now have a lot available in the Urban Retreat in Harrods (on the fifth floor) and it is also available for purchase online at www.blessings-perfume.com and also at Temple Muse which is a store in Lagos. Arik Airlines will start to sell Blessings in Duty Free at the start of November 2011. There are also a number of distributers in the UK, for instance SYZ Distributors.
…………………………time of wearing perfume to bed was absolutely divine. I love the smell and the feeling of being clean especially when I go to bed as it is one of those simple pleasures of life; to be lying under a duvet smelling nice and having the kids come and give me a goodnight kiss and tell me how lovely I smelt. I would recommend for other women to try this!
…………………………thought of launching in Nigeria was to bring my ideas back to the main place where they originated from. I ąm still a home babe, and most of my favorite memories happened in Nigeria, as it is where I grew up. I am so proud to be Nigerian, so coming to launch my perfume in Nigeria has always been one of my dreams. Thank God I did it.
………………………..sight of ‘Blessings’ at the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie stand in Harrods was magical. I remember when I walked in and I saw my perfume bottle standing at the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie stand at the Urban Retreat in Harrods, I was completely blown away and speechless. I remember standing beside my beautiful creation and seeing two gentlemen looking in amazement at the same thing I was looking at, and reading the silver writing “Blessings By Belinda Brown.” It really hit me on how far I had come when they soon disappeared to request for a couple of bottles of my product. Dont get me wrong I managed to sell a lot on the day of the launch, but watching complete strangers, with no real idea of who I was, having a desire for Blessings and needing a bottle of it, was a different experience entirely. Another thing that leaves me absolutely amazed, even to this day, is when I got a phone call from Harrods, informing me that they were sold out and needed me to place in more orders to the manufactures to get more bottles made as soon as possible for the clients on the waiting list. It was one of those moments when I ran to my husband telling him, wondering if I was dreaming or not, or even if I misheard and completely invented this phone call. Luckily, a few moments later, I got a confirmation email from Harrods, and I knew this was really happening.
(Watch out for my new fantastic product, its already creating a buzz in the
English media!)
…………………………..love is my family. Their love and support is priceless. I couldn’t have done it without them.
SHF credits Fragrantica.Com and Blessings Perfume.Com
Great to see Nigerians doing amazing things…Thanks SFH for sharing!
I should have my bottle to myself before christmas…