Let’s start from the beginning! Tell us a little about the journey that led you to where you are now.

Well, I grew up in a fragrance-heavy household. Being of Persian heritage, that’s not uncommon. My parents, grandma, aunts, uncles, brother, and cousins all wore fragrance. I was given perfume at all major holidays, so I’ve been wearing perfume since I was probably 8 years old. Or, at least since “Tommy Girl” launched!

I’d say that my upbringing played a role in my attraction to fragrance, though I didn’t realize that the job of a perfumer even existed until much later in life. When that realization happened — the idea that someone could make perfume as an art, and for a living — I quit everything I was doing and dove headfirst into it. I started to explore fragrance creation as both a means of self-expression and as a career.

Long story short, I moved to France to attend perfumery school and apprenticed under some incredible perfumers for several years after graduation. Eventually, I took a leap of faith to pursue my visions for Kismet Olfactive.

Can you explain the story behind the name of your business, Kismet Olfactive?

The word “kismet” (or “qismat” in Farsi) is a word that I grew up hearing in my family and community. Whenever things would fall into place or turn out the way that they should, I would hear my parents say it was “qismat.” It basically means “fate,” or something along the lines of “what is meant to be.”

In the case of my career in perfumery, I very much feel like I’m not only on the path I’m meant to be on, but also that the timing of everything related to the brand has fallen into place very magically, very “kismet.” That’s not to say that everything hasn’t come without an immense amount of hard work, but in general I feel like I’ve been in the right place, at the right time, and with the right people in my orbit. All of that, to me, feels very kismet. I’m extremely grateful for that.

Originally launched as a wearable fragrance by Kismet Olfactive, the ‘Nostalgia’ scent is now exclusively available as a candle at Shoppe Amber Interiors! How would you describe the scent and in what ways does it differ between forms?

It’s so exciting to have Nostalgia in candle form! Working on this exclusive for Shoppe Amber Interiors is the push we needed to see this scent through to its newest iteration.

Nostalgia is an acquired taste, due to its leathery nature and unique composition. But, it has a cult following of sorts for those who appreciate the complexity. The concept for “Nostalgia (A Sonnet for Grasse)” comes from a particular (nostalgic) feeling I felt after finishing my perfumery studies in Grasse (in South France). I worked for a few years trying to capture this feeling, before finally composing the fragrance based on the structure of a sonnet poem — hence the scent’s 14 ingredients modeled after the 14 lines of a sonnet. Nostalgia’s leather accords are meant to capture Grasse’s history as a center of leather tanning in the Middle Ages, the floral notes celebrate the village’s famous flower fields, and I also added my own touch of anise scent notes at the top as a nod to the pastis I’d drink after school when I was experimenting with raw materials.

We’ve been asked by many fans to create this scent as a candle and we’re so happy to have made it happen with Shoppe Amber Interiors. I think what makes this project so interesting and exciting to me — Nostalgia in candle form — is that there’s this element of heat involved now, which is of course different from the bottled spray fragrance. The composition and smell are the same, but the lit wick throws the scent. That heat connects, in my mind, to Nostalgia’s concept of leather tanning and floral oil distillation.

Scents have the power to connect us with emotions, memories, and the world around us. What can you share about the relationship between fragrance and storytelling?

The relationship between scent and storytelling is everything to me. With a quick whif, you can be transported to a completely different place in time. I feel like the power of scent is not often given the credit it deserves. It’s the sense that’s most closely ties to memory, but because scent isn’t tangible, we can’t touch or see it. For that reason, it’s often passed off as insignificant.

An entire storybook of one’s life can be told through scent. Our mothers cooking, a past lover’s smell, or the scent of dusty books at your childhood library. We all have such deep scent associations, but maybe don’t consciously think about it that way until noticing a smell that triggers feelings of nostalgia, or something personal — and instantly we’re transported. I’ve been to random airports in far off lands where the soap in the terminal bathroom is the same generic pink soap that was used in my preschool, and I’m immediately taken back to standing on a step stool, washing my hands in that miniature preschool bathroom, looking at my little self in the mirror over the sink. I can see the whole scene; that smell sparks an emotional trigger every time.

And I think that sort of scent experience happens to everyone quite often — whether it’s feeling comforted by the smell of familiar food, or remembering a family member after smelling an old piece of clothing, or the sudden spark of desire after smelling a lover’s scent.

How would you describe the connection between the world of fragrance and the world of interiors? How can we incorporate this connection into our own homes?

Our homes are our sacred place, and more than anywhere I believe people like to adorn their homes with scent. Burning sage or palo santo is a ritual for cleansing our spaces. Burning candles sets the mood in our homes. Even the laundry detergent we use is ingrained in the scent profile of our home.

The way we fragrance our interiors is not only the way we set the ambiance of our space, but also how we welcome our guests. Many of my friends light candles when we have dinner parties. This is the most subtle way of telling people about who you are and what brings you joy without ever having to say a word.

Tell us what a typical day-in-the-life looks like for you.

First thing in the morning, I pull myself a triple espresso and sip on it while I go through my emails and make my to-do list for the day. If I’ve formulated any fragrance the day before, this is also when I evaluate my trials, early, while my nose is fresh.

Shortly after, my daughter Lily wakes up and we eat breakfast together. I try to take her on a walk every morning before the crazy workday begins, to ground myself. Once I get home, it’s like I’m off to the races with work. Being a small business owner, every single day looks different. More often than not, I’m putting out dozens of mini fires. But on more pleasant days, I get to write new fragrance formulas, smell raw materials, and work alongside my partner Cody on exciting new projects.

How do you seek to incorporate balance in your life?

Ha. I had my baby, Lily, 10 months ago, so there’s hardly any balance in my life at the moment. If anything, I try to pause here and there, take a big step back, and just appreciate everything I have. I know that might sound corny, but its helpful, that taking stock. I’ll cook. I’ll read. I’ll smell materials. Oftentimes I’m sprinting, but it helps to slow down and be grateful for what’s in my immediate line of sight.

What advice would you give other women leaders in the business world?

I can’t presume to know how to offer anyone advice, but what’s helped me is trying to find that delicate balance between leading from both a soft place and a hard place. Sometimes I need to be relentless, tough, and steadfast to plow through and get what I want accomplished. On the contrary, I try to also be gentle and compassionate where it’s needed. I try my best to make time for my employees who are aspiring perfumers, and I try my best to mentor them where I can. I always try to let people know how much I appreciate them, and thank them. Creating an environment where everyone feels respected, heard, and excited is extremely important for me as a leader.

What’s next for you? How do you hope to see the impact of your work take form?

Kismet is going through a lot of very exciting growth at the moment! Growing pains, if you will. We’re expanding into new territories and figuring out how to scale the business. And we have some wonderful projects and collaborations in the works.

We’ll be traveling a lot this year, sourcing new materials that I’ll be working into new fragrances. My hope is to continue translating these ideas, experiences, and feelings into fragrances.

This is definitely the busiest time we’ve ever had in the history of KO and I count my lucky stars every single day.

Favorite place to visit to spark inspiration?

Traveling somewhere new!

Colors or neutrals?

Color :)

One product that’s always in your bag?

PAWPAW Balm!

Favorite space in your home?

Lily’s room.

Most nostalgic scent from childhood?

Rose water!