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A new Australian fragrance brand has landed, with a focus on gender-free oils

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORB OILS

WORDS BY HANNAH COLE

Breaking down scent barriers and building fragrant connections.

Typically, the fragrance world is imbued with an air of lush opulence. It’s slick and perfect, with ball gowns and dreamy fields of flowers. As Emma Smith, co-founder of Australian fragrance brand Orb Oils, says, “It’s Nicole Kidman on the Eiffel Tower”.

This is the stuff of Manhattan’s elite (or that one bougie dinner a year), and for most of us, it’s far away from our everyday lives. It was this realisation that prompted Emma and her business partner, Stacey Pinchbeck, to launch their own line of fragrant oils. 


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With backgrounds in communications and creative direction, the pair set forth to take this elitism down a notch. The result is Orb Oils, a relatable, genderless range of fragrances designed for daily use.

What does it mean to be a genderless scent? Emma and Stacey turn it back on me: why are fragrances gendered in the first place? It’s only because we’ve been told that rose is feminine and smokier scents are masculine; history has ascribed them a gender. Instead, Orb Oils wants to break down those barriers and remove the prescribed connotations. 

Releasing a range of five gender-free scents was a back-and-forth process of elimination with local chemists. Anything too femme or too masculine was out. The resulting oils are proudly non-specific and all-encompassing, appealing to all genders and uses.

 

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Removing this labelling has allowed Orb Oils to build unique personalities for each scent instead – a fresh take on identification and a handy guide for online purchasing. The Lenny perfume loves “a good red” and “everything after midnight” (Stacey’s favourite with bergamot, orchid and vanilla notes ); River prefers a “margarita straight up” and hates “social media influencers” (citing fragrance notes of amber and cedarwood). It’s fun and tongue-in-cheek but also extremely relatable. 

It’s only when COVID hit that I think many of us started to understand the towering importance of scent. Of all the senses, none can evoke memories in the same way. With the fear of losing these precious touchpoints and connections to other places, people and times, the power of the sense of smell is finally being acknowledged. For me, the aromas of spring, fresh-mown grass and a specific coastal morning bring immediate joy.

These scents transform my day before it has even begun. As I spoke to Emma and Stacey, it was abundantly clear they feel the same way. Ultimately, we all have a connection to fragrance, recognised or not. That’s why each Orb Oil is designed for multi-use – dab it on the skin, diffuse it, add it to your bath or your washing (or their newfound use of dropping it in the car air vents).

The pair encourage the “owning” of a personal scent where friends know you are around simply because they detect the subtle sandalwood notes of the Bobby oil, for instance. We embody the scent and bring it to life. When I ask their defining scents – those that evoke significant memories or nostalgia – Stacey and Emma are transported to their respective childhoods.

Stacey recalls the smell of a fresh tin of tennis balls, prompting thoughts of her dad, while Emma notes the urgent spray of heady perfume to mask the wafting scent of cigarette smoke upon her aunt’s arrival. It’s a journey back through time and space. 

 

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Personally, it’s on my bucket list to become renowned for an iconic (positive) scent, and I know I’m not alone in this dream. Or maybe we are the embodiment of a plethora of scents, using a specific Orb Oil and fragrance to alter the mood and suit the tasks at hand.

At the core of the brand is also a staunch dedication to sustainability. Each oil is blended and packaged in Melbourne; the ingredients are clean and natural, void of chemicals, parabens and other nasties. It’s the packaging that really impresses, though. Emma and Stacey sought out recyclable elements at every point, right down to the glue that holds the box together.

“It’s a mix of flour and water,” they tell me, as it’s the most sustainable solution they could find. The glass droppers used to apply the oils and rubber stoppers are the only inputs that are not recyclable (at the moment). But, instead of giving up hope, Orb Oils encourages users to hold onto their dropper and purchase a refill bottle to keep it in use. “We had to feel comfortable [introducing a brand],” Stacey says, so everything is considered. 

It’s an exciting time for the fragrance fanatic. With Orb Oils on the scene, there’s an opportunity to purchase a beautiful, memorable product without the environmental impact and excessive packaging. There’s a chance to break down the restrictive barriers that silo genders and ascribe predictable, uninspiring scents.

And it will only get easier to completely embody your chosen aroma as Orb Oils prepares to launch more daily use products this year, with the same considered approach. What scent will you be remembered by?

To learn more about Orb Oils, head here

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