An icon in the fragrance world, Veronique Gabai recently debuted Aroma–a biodegradable, natural, vegan line of scents in sustainable bottles—formulated to give you “tangible wellbeing benefits.” We spoke about her relationship to scent and the inspiration behind her new launch.
You were born and raised in the South of France, came to the United States, and rose to spectacular heights in your 30-year career in the beauty biz. Tell us who you are, and what ties it all together.
There are three words that define me, that define the path of my profession. The first word is passion. Scent has been my passion, it’s so much more than a career. The second word is curiosity. I’ve always been open to discovering new worlds, new cultures, new people. I’ve always been very interested in people. The last word is care. I care about people. I care about product. I care about relationships.
Those are the three things that led me on my path. I followed my heart in everything I did. If you ask me what I would like people to remember me for, it would be this: I would love people to remember me for the fact that I love life and I care about people, and that’s it.
Scent is very primordial. Can you speak to how your relationship with scent has changed through the decades, and where it is now?
My parents were born in Tunisia, where orange blossom is a part of the culture. You can find it in gardens, home, food, drinks, even as a soft natural remedy. So, it became part of my childhood, and for me orange blossom is the scent of home, though I never visited Tunisia. Exotic, tender, sensual, comforting, delicious.
Scent has always been extremely important to me. As a child, scent played tricks on me. I had a very developed nose, though I didn’t understand that then. I recall as a kid, going through certain areas of town, and I would throw up because some of the scents—garbage, meat, dairy—were so disgusting to me. My mother didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t know how to handle it. It was really difficult.
At the same time, some scent would completely enchant me. The scent of the beach, for example–I was born by the beach, by the sea—the scent of flowers, of roses. I remember breaking herbs with my grandmother in her garden and smelling the herbs with her.
Growing up, I didn’t know one could make a career out of scent; I was a young kid in the seventies. I knew I wanted creativity in my life, I just didn’t know how to attain that. So, by elimination, I went into business school, and I went into marketing. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. And then I started my career. After a couple of years in makeup, I was asked to go into fragrance. Then I rediscovered the joy of the category and this was my path for the next 20 years.
After some time, I finally figured out that even though I was super successful and loving every minute of it, this was not the path of complete fulfillment for me. And because of that, I decided to launch my brand, to put into my brand that love, that care, that passion, that connection to my roots–I needed that. In Fall of 2019, I launched my eponymous fragrance, accessories, and beauty collection, and just this Spring, I debuted Aroma. Fragrance has always been a part of my life in different ways.
“With Aroma, I feel that I am completely and deeply aligned with who I am.”
Aroma is unlike anything you’ve created before. You’ve described it as being at the crossroad of aromatherapy and perfumery. It seems to be the culmination of all you’ve learned and all you desire to share with the world. Can you tell us how it came to be?
Firmenich Fragrance House in the South of France, where Aroma was created
I developed it during the pandemic. When the pandemic hit, I thought, Okay, darling, whatever you’re doing now is not enough. Just procuring pleasure to people as beautiful as it is, or allowing them to express themselves as nice as it is is not enough and, what can I do to help?
When something like [the pandemic] happens at that level to the planet, I believe that human energy connects at some point and changes things dramatically. A profound transformation happens. I felt that I should be part of the evolution, and I should do something that would help people because of the palpable levels of stress and anxiety. Well, what could I do to help? I’m not a surgeon, I’m not a researcher, I’m not a mega-activist. So, I went back to who I am–a person who cares about people. I said to myself, I know how to do scent. I don’t know a lot of things, but I know how to create scents and I know how scent can make you feel.
I thought, maybe, let’s make scents that not only give you that element of pleasure and escape, if you will, but also make sure that the scent you wear will really bring you some benefits, and a moment of deep breath. To be true to my knowledge of plants, I knew I could not only access the beauty of the raw materials but also harness the gentle healing power that those raw materials can bring.
With Aroma, I feel that I am completely and deeply aligned with who I am. To me, it’s like, okay, I know who I am. I know what I want. And I’m finally doing what I should be doing.
What exactly do you mean by “tangible wellness benefits?”
You wear them like perfumes, you feel their benefits like aromatherapy. We have developed the scents following the principles and with the ingredients of aromatherapy (hence the 97 percent natural). We have conducted a study with Immersion (neuroscientists) to measure the benefits, and we see up to a 58 percent uplift in positive interaction of the brain as people smell and wear. The more they smell, the better they feel, and we have the science and research to support that.
You created three specific scents in the line: Body, Heart, and Soul. What are each of their special properties?
Body is to help you reconnect with your own body, your physicality. Our world has become so virtual that sometimes we want to see people, touch them, hug them. For those people who have a hard time connecting with their own body and need guidance to do so, this scent will lead you to reconnect with your body, give you balance, give you strength, and awaken your body. It works on the root and sacral chakras. Ingredients include rose, patchouli, geranium, and clove leaf.
Heart is the scent to help you gain confidence in yourself. It gives you joy, it gives you positivity, it gives you the capacity to communicate happily, with the rest of the world. It allows your personality to flourish and create connections with others. The ingredients in this formula help you do all of this while playing on three chakras—the solar plexus (the center of your personality), the heart (the center of emotion), and the throat (the center of communication). Ingredients in this formula include bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, and jasmine.
Soul is the scent that helps you connect with the greater force of the universe and strongly anchor you not only to the ground but also to a deeper spiritual awareness. It will assist with meditation, for deeper relaxation, and peace of mind. Soul cleanses your mental horizon, and works on the third eye and the crown. This scent was formulated with cedarwood, lavender, elemi, and olibanum.
Heart is for others, Body is for you, and Soul encompasses both with enhanced spirituality for our world. Those are the three fragrances that make up Aroma. I think the people who will connect with them are interested in holistic wellness. They care about the connection between mind and body.
Editor’s Note: You can find Aroma in select spas, including Mii amo, Red Mountain, The Elms, and select Four Seasons. For each bottle sold, a tree is planted in collaboration with the PUR project.
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. She is a pioneering spa journalist, most recently honored by Medika Life as one of the "Top 30 Influential Voices Transforming Wellness." She is an inaugural recipient of Folio's Top Women in Media Award, and was honored by ISPA with its distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. In 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, and in 2007, Mary co-founded Organic Spa magazine. A pioneer in the sustainable spa and beauty worlds, Mary is co-curator of Cosmoprof North America's Discover Green Pavilion. She is a Global Wellness Day Advisor, and a co-founder of the Washington Spa Alliance.
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