True believers in scent’s ability to inspire, connect & be wholly life-enhancing, Perfume Playground brings a new approach to natural fragrance for all occasions. A beautiful fusion of science & romance, their scents are gloriously infused with native botanicals, flower essences and evidence-led aroma blends, all designed to enhance mood and motivation. We love that Perfume Playground is constantly striving for innovation; always researching and tinkering to discover international techniques in fragrance, technology, art therapy and wellbeing.
At the end of October, Perfume Playground is embarking on a Flowers & Fragrance Roadshow across New Zealand. They’re collaborating with some of the country’s top florists (including one of our long time loves, The Vase Queenstown) to create a stunning floral sensory experience where guests will discover, play and create. Inspired by the sweet and nostalgic fragrance of flowers, guests will learn how to create their own spring fragrance and fresh flower bouquet.
We talk to Perfume Playground’s founder, Samantha Copland, ahead of their sensory journey which starts in Queenstown. More details on the luscious Flowers & Fragrance Roadshow below.
To start, tell us about your background and how Perfume Playground was born?
It all started 5 years ago on a trip of a lifetime to India when we stumbled upon a perfume store in Rajasthan and purchased the shop’s stock of crystal glass bottles on a whim. Told of their unlikely arrival by India Post back to New Zealand, I promised to follow my dream if they arrived safely home. They did arrive home and that’s when Perfume Playground was born.
What made you fall in love with fragrance and scents? Do you have any special scent memories?
The women I admired first, my mother and Nanna. My Nanna used to wear Red Door by Elizabeth Arden and my mum introduced me to Anais Anais, both of these perfumes are rich, elegant florals. I loved the way scent transformed my mum’s mood before she’d go out for the evening. When I was in my teens I studied chemistry and was always drawn to pharmacies to smell the perfumes on the way home. My mum also bought me a number of my earliest perfumes as presents e.g. Sunflowers, Davidoff Cool Water, Clinique Happy, Tommy Girl, Kenso Flower, CK One. My first job was at CS Company, the largest distributor of cosmetics and fragrance (acquired by Trilogy International Group 2015). I worked in the Prestige Fragrance division and was exposed to campaigns of global luxury brands so was surrounded by perfume all day long; it’s been a love affair ever since. However now I’m obsessed with the natural world. I no longer use synthetic fragrance, preferring to understand where ingredients come from and the ritual of applying scent more often.
Share with us the experience you offer to clients, we know you create workshops for events, hens, corporate etc, we’d love to know more about those and what goes on in those workshops?
A bachelorette party is about a bride having her favorite people around her, to cherish what’s been, what’s coming, and what’s happening now. Celebrating with a natural fragrance workshop allows brides time to connect, converse and be present before their wedding. Our guests have access to a scent bar of natural essences (free from nasty chemicals), curated specifically for them and their event. We will take them on a sensory journey where they can discover, play, and create with us for two to four hours, teaching them how to create their own signature scent. Natural perfume design is the perfect blend of beauty and wellbeing, of celebration and fun. Who doesn’t want to design a luxury scent for love? We also host magical Sensory Experiencesfor corporate events, and for family and friends.
You also ‘scent spaces’, can you tell us about that? How do you think a scent can transform a space and have you got any cool projects on at the moment you can share with us?
Perfume Playground has a passion for innovative scent diffusion technologies – we design Natural Fragrance which works beyond the aroma, scent infused with native botanicals, flower essences and evidence-led aroma blends specifically designed to create shifts in mood and motivation. What we create is more than a fragrance, it has the power to uplift and invigorate the mind and the body. In the past we’ve worked with Tedx Melbourne, Strong Pilates and the project we’re most excited about is working with Team New Zealand creating the scent for the America’s Cup.
What type of scent is your absolute favourite? Is there one?!
Oooh that is such a hard one. I do love floral scents like tuberose, red champaca and magnolia and I love mixing these with Native Plants from the Asia-Pacific. They combine so beautifully.
We know you have some exciting things in the pipeline with the pop-up Flowers & Fragrance workshops you have just launched around the country, tell us about those and who you have involved?
Flowers & Fragrance both evoke that feeling of nostalgia…fragrant jasmine, garden roses in full bloom, they take you on a trip down memory lane. We want to capture that feeling in our Flowers & Fragrance events. We love the idea of a scent design class as a way to create new treasured memories. Starting in Queenstown and working up the country, we will uplift and inspire our guests with a curated selection of natural essences, inspired by the sweet nostalgia of flowers. We’ll teach them how to create and blend their own signature scent for spring. The fact that we get to work alongside some of NZ’s most talented florists (Gypsy from The Vase, Mrs Bottomleys Flowers, Twig & Arrow, On My Hand and Kensal), sharing our love of natural botanicals, is the icing on the cake. Did we mention there will be delicious wine and snacks? And goody bags, who doesn’t love a goody bag!
Tickets to the roadshow are available here. One of the Wellington events has just sold out so the rest of the events won’t be far behind! Keep up to date with the Flowers & Fragrance Roadshow via Instagram.
Looking for an extra special event for spring or summer? Perfume Playground are taking bookings for hens parties and Christmas functions now. Get in touch directly at [email protected]
We are excited to have Perfume Playground as part of our Wild Hearts Vendor Collection. Check out more of their amazing products and experiences here and for more info, head over to their website.
Words by Isabelle McKay.
