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You may not have smelled a Phlur scent yet, as its UK release date is later this month, but you’ve likely seen or heard of the brand. The brand’s creative director, the American mega-influencer and entrepreneur Chriselle Lim tells Bazaar, “It is a collection of my personal experiences expressed through perfume.”
The former wardrobe stylist-turned-YouTube sensation (with more than five million subscribers across her many channels) may not have the most relatable lifestyle, but as she says, “these are all globally shared experiences and feelings that most people go through at some point.” In bottling them, she partnered with renowned perfumers of fine fragrances, and the results have exceeded the expectations of many.
The material on this page was imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in a different format or additional information on their website. This is notably true of Missing Person, a flowery musk made by Constance Georges-Picot that ignited TikTok and sold out within five hours, leaving a waitlist of almost 200,000 individuals. “It was quite overwhelming; we did not anticipate or intend for our first fragrance to go viral,” Lim recalls.
“Traditionally, consumers need to smell a scent before purchasing it,” she explains. “The fact that we were not in any stores or counters at the time of our introduction proved to us that a compelling tale can be really effective.” With social media magnifying word-of-mouth beauty recommendations like never before, a community desiring to feel – and heal – through fragrance adopted Phlur alongside Lim.
The material on this page was imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in a different format or additional information on their website. This fragrant chapter of the brand represents Lim’s divorce from her husband, but it is also symbolic of any significant person whose scent is no longer detectable in human form. “While the inspiration for Missing Person was my own personal narrative of loss and desire for someone or a certain moment, the perfume itself was inspired by the thought of the warmth in someone’s skin.
I desired to encapsulate that sensation as a light, airy, yet musky smell. She emphasizes that we all have a missing person in our lives, a concept that is open to interpretation and relatable to anyone. “Be it a close friend, a lover, or a grandmother. The beauty of the aroma is that it is intrinsically nostalgic and transports people to a specific time and place.”
Lim is not exaggerating when she states that the perfume “become therapy for many on TikTok,” as consumers report it can elicit painful flashbacks. “The smell allowed them to discuss the people they missed or the emotions they had been experiencing.”
Next week, when it debuts at Selfridges, it will undoubtedly be greeted with a stampede (so, for anyone not wanting to miss out, a waitlist is now live). On September 12, you’ll also be able to purchase the brand’s nine additional fragrances, including the newest release, Somebody Wood. Lim’s success has inspired her to continue sharing her tales and “to continue to make beautiful things with so much meaning and emotion.”
She adds that in addition to handling her other enterprises (a childcare service and a creative studio) and caring for her two young children, Phlur will expand as Lim’s tale progresses. The 37-year-old feels that fragrance may be an extension of ourselves. “It enables us to convey a mood, enhance a feeling, and express ourselves… or who we aspire to be.” Regardless of how you look at it, we smell success.
The material on this page was imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in a different format or additional information on their website.
