Douglas Little remembers vividly how the smell of Old Spice, with its unmistakable crisp and masculine scent, would follow his father around.
"Even though I like it, I would never wear [Old Spice] because my dad wore it. That's very common among kids -- when you grow up you don't want to do what your parents did," he said.
Little founded Heretic Parfum in 2015. The American luxury brand goes against the grain by offering fragrances entirely composed of naturally-derived materials. Natural essential oils, concretes and absolutes are blended in organic, non-GMO grape and sugarcane alcohols. Gwyneth Paltrow and Dita von Teese have collaborated with Heretic Parfum to create their own all-natural fragrances.
Little is also the nose behind The Luxury Collection, a partnership between Heretic Parfum and Thai real estate developer Sansiri. The launch took place at The Monument Thong Lor, one of Sansiri's exclusive condominiums. At the event, Little explained how he translated the philosophy and characteristics of Sansiri Luxury Collection projects into new scents.
"I wanted to create something sophisticated, chic and playful that provokes curiosity," he said. "Rather than using the fruit of a fig, which is sweet, I worked with notes from the fig leaf and stem for something very green, fresh and inviting."
All-natural perfumes include Dirty Rose, Dirty Lemon and Florgasm.
The composition also includes bergamot, vetiver and geranium as well as tropical siamwood to reflect the fact that the projects are based in Thailand. The home fragrance and scented candle elevates the living experience by creating an ambience of sophistication.
At home in Los Angeles, Little surrounds himself with citrus scents. His property is filled with orange and lemon trees.
"In the morning, I always love to wake up to the scent of fresh orange blossoms, which creates such a feeling of happiness," he said. Scents are a part of living well, he believes, emotionally and physically, through their natural materials, particularly essential oils.
"I work with natural, safe materials that have homeopathic and Ayurvedic effects," he said. "People are looking for natural alternatives as they consider what they put on, as well as into, their bodies. In addition, we can introduce scents into the home environment in order to promote wellness."
Chemical replicas, for instance, of rose and tuberose, are often used in perfume making, but consumers think that they are natural notes derived from the flowers.
"Floral fragrances are perceived as feminine and sweet. But when you smell a rose, it's warm, woody and provocative -- to me that's both masculine and feminine," he said. "Nature is both male and female, yin and yang, and so are we. Within all of us, if we are truthful about who we are, there are both masculine and feminine sides. So I want to offer gender-neutral fragrances that work for both men and women."
Sansiri Luxury Collection x Heretic Parfum home fragrance and scented candles.
Many men love floral scents too, he observed, but they don't buy floral fragrances because they come in feminine packaging and are marketed towards women.
"We have been brainwashed. People buy a fragrance based on a marketing campaign rather than what smells good on them," he said.
Little's exploration of scents began at a young age. As a child, he had ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) but his mother, an avid gardener, kept him focused by encouraging him to exercise and develop his olfactory perception.
"In the garden, she would pinch a leaf off a plant and ask me to remember its name by scent. That became a game we played together, and I became obsessed with scents," he recalled.
Little has now created his own "garden" of sexy scents, such as Dirty Rose, Dirty Jasmine, Dirty Lemon and Florgasm.
"If a flower's sole purpose is sexual reproduction, does the flower orgasm? This is where the idea for Florgasm emerged. I wanted to explore a scent that was wild, innocent, sensual and intimate," he explained.
