From heartbreak to fragrance empire: How PHLUR became the Taylor Swift of scent
When Chriselle Lim took over PHLUR in 2021, she was going through a divorce and wanted to bottle up loneliness itself, specifically, the scent of someone's skin that brings warmth when you're alone. What started as emotional therapy became a fragrance phenomenon with 250,000-person waitlists.
This week on The Formula, Kelly chats with the woman behind PHLUR about turning personal trauma into business gold, why fragrance wardrobes are replacing signature scents, and how she built a community so devoted they'll blind-buy every release. From the genius behind fragrance names like Father Figure and Missing Person, to why Gen Alpha treats fragrance like fashion, Chriselle reveals how storytelling drives every scent creation. Plus, she reveals which PHLUR fragrance to try first (spoiler: it's the "blue jeans of fragrance") and her take on what Australia would smell like as a scent.
PRODUCTS MENTIONED:
PHLUR Fragrances:
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CREDITS:
Hosts: Kelly McCarren
Guest: Chriselle Lim
Producer: Sophie Campbell
Audio Producer: Tegan Sadler
Video Producer: Artemi Kokkaris
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Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
