I was introduced to La Fleur by Livvy natural perfumes last year and am so happy I got to interview the founder Olivia Larson! I got to try several of her gorgeous fragrances and my favorite one is A Parisian Affair, hands down! It’s this sweet floral scent with a touch of booze that’s soooo addicting, dare I say arousing, and has the gourmand lover in me singing Beyonce’s Drunk in Love song. If you want to give it a try use “LAFLEURS” for 25% off at her website.

Livvy handcrafts small-batch artisanal fragrances that I like to think of as love letters to nature. The fact that she’s been doing this for over 10 years in her studio in Colorado is a testament to how loved La Fleur by Livvy is. Her creations are inspired by memories of her childhood in India and travels around the world. 

Livvy is a certified Natural Perfumer by IPF (International Perfume Foundation) and holds a certification in French Natural Perfumery from IPF, Paris, France.

Keep reading for an intimate look into La Fleur by Livvy, what goes into creating a natural perfume and what it’s like to run your own perfume business!

Hi Livvy, it’s wonderful to have you on the blog! Tell us a little about yourself and your path to perfumery.

Hello Andrea, thank you for the invitation to join you and your followers and hope everyone is doing great!  I have always been drawn to nature, in particular flowers and plants, I love the fragrance of freshly cut flowers in bloom and of late I seem to be gravitating more towards green scents (maybe I’m just so ready for spring, lol).

Flowers have been a huge inspiration to me and fell in love with the essential oils that I started collecting over the years, I knew immediately that I wanted to create a botanical line of natural perfumes to capture their fragrances and soul in essence. India is the land of fragrant flowers, spices, trees, herbs, incense and so many wonderful scents. I believe I was destined to become a perfumer.  My brand focuses on clean beauty using what nature has to offer us.  Naturals are not only therapeutic but also evolve magically on your skin.  LFBL is also vegan and cruelty free.  We source high quality raw materials that include wild crafted, organic, rare and sustainably sourced. 

It’s clear you have an affinity for flowers from the brand name La Fleur by Livvy. What florals are your favorite and why?

Yes, that is correct, I simply adore flowers. All of them. “Bring me flowers and talk for hours is what I tell my customers.” Growing, up in India I was surrounded by the fragrance of many flowers such as tuberose, jasmines, gardenia, lilies, and so many others but frangipani or plumeria is dearest to me as it reminds me of my precious bond I shared with my grandmother and childhood in India. I have so many fragrant memories to draw inspiration from as well. 

You recently won a major award! Can you tell us more about this?

Of course, I am very excited to share this news.  I won the New Luxury Award for Brand of the year 2023 that was presented by the International Perfume Foundation at the #BPC (Barcelona Perfumery Congress) Spain last November.

The perfume that I submitted is called Jadon (which translates to roots in Hindi) and is a 100% natural perfume that you can discover on my website under the Tale of India collection. (Link here  https://www.lafleurbylivvy.com/tales-ofindia)

I focused on a palette of notes and raw materials that are either found in India or native to India for this fragrance. Jadon pays homage to my roots in India.

I think it’s very important for us to remember who we are and remain humble of our roots. In order to win this award you must follow the New Luxury code as well and be a certified Natural Perfumer by IPF.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I have about a 15-minute commute to work. My morning starts out with a hot cup of coffee, usually I listen to morning jazz or something soft.

Then I dig my way through mail, emails, checking the website for orders, social media posts, return phone calls and follow up with my team throughout the day. Paperwork: ordering more supplies, inventory checks, raw materials and more oils.  I am like a little child when I receive an order of oils and cannot wait to smell and explore them.

Later on in the day I check on a batch of perfume previously made. Or start a fragrance formulation or scent accord. Each day varies as you know.

So, I set up a schedule as to what needs my attention and focus on it accordingly each day.  Some days I filter and fill perfume bottles, cap them, packaging. Meet and greet customers in the store. Take some pictures for socials. Networking is also key. Other projects or tasks that come up.

What have been your biggest learnings/successes/challenges with La Fleur By Livvy?

I don’t think we ever stop learning and never should. I’ve had my fair share of trials and errors, running and operating a small business means you wear a lot of hats.

Keeping up with trends and staying optimistic is very important despite the fact that many people don’t appreciate clean beauty or are biased towards naturals due to shorter shelf life but are safer to use.

But in the long run I believe this will change and more people will grow to love it. Winning the New Luxury Award reminds me that I am on track and heading in the right direction and need to stay strong and focused to reach my goal.

Can you walk us through your process for making a new perfume?

There is a lot that goes into it, but in a nutshell…  Inspiration, ideas, creating a mood board, making a list of ingredients and oils, selecting the olfactory family, pyramid and note accord creation, need a scale for measuring, formulation and blending, evaluation of the perfume, dilution, maceration of the final perfume or ageing process. Then filter and pour into the bottles. 

You’re certified by the Natural Perfume Foundation. For readers who aren’t familiar, can you tell us about this organization and what they do?

The International Perfume Foundation is headquartered in Paris, France and Creezy Courtoy is the founder.  It is a non-profit organization that is helping bring back flowers and natural essences into Perfumery. You can discover more about them on their website at https://www.perfumefoundation.org/

We’d love to know which perfume is your favorite! Which are your family’s favorite(s)? 

I love all my creations. Hard to pick a favorite but Forbidden Love is special. My family seem to have their personal favorites from my brand. My mom loves and wears Havana. My sister loves Fleur d’ Aspiration. My niece loves Rose solid parfum.

What goals do you have for La Fleur by Livvy?

To create more brand awareness, discover our mission. Help people discover and fall in love with natural perfumes just as much as I do.  Help us put flowers back into perfumery! 

Is there anything about La Fleur by Livvy that people don’t know that you’d like to share? 

Yes, as a special offer, we would like to invite your followers to take advantage of a special coupon “LAFLEURS”. Take 25% off and shop our collections. The coupon is valid until end of April.  Thank you so very much for the opportunity to share.

It’s me again, Andrea! I loved learning more about the process around creating all-natural perfumes from Livvy and hope you found this interview as enjoyable as I did. Be sure to check out La Fleur by Livvy!

And be sure to check out my non-toxic perfume guide for more best natural perfume brands!