Top three indie vegan perfumers

By Giselle Wedemire

Thanks to my beautiful mom and my effortlessly glamourous great-aunt, I developed a deep and abiding love for perfume at a very young age. As a wee preteen, I worshipped at the altar of body sprays, and in college I upgraded to finer eau de toilettes from Dolce & Gabbana, Viktor & Rolf, and Chloe.

When I became vegan nearly five years ago and focused on making the switch to green beauty products, I was sure that I’d have to settle for natural perfumes that I predicted could only smell like essential oils and patchouli. (No shade: I’d be the first to admit that I’m kind of a hippie at heart – mixed in with some Joan from Mad Men glam and a dash of Zoey Deschanel-esque whimsy. But just because I’m a hippie doesn’t mean I have to smell like one.)

Now, when it comes to vegan perfumes, it seems like everyone and their mom knows about – and reaches for – Pacifica. I feel that. After all, their Tibetan Mountain Temple fragrance makes me feel like I’m a badass yoga teacher.

But I’d like to invite you all to embrace your inner hipsters by broadening your fragrance horizons and supporting indie perfumers who put their heart and soul – along with more traditional fragrance notes, obvi – into each scent they create.

If you’re the type to go against the grain, here are three amazing indie perfumers that’ll leave you smelling glamourous, edgy, and sophisticated any time of the year. 

My vegan perfume collection as it currently stands.
Not pictured: the millions of sample vials I have from indie perfumers.

Natural perfumes to unleash your inner goddess

By Giselle Wedemire

You're never fully dressed until you've applied perfume. That's the advice my mom gave me when I was around 10 years old -- right before I was given my very own (and very classy) bottle of Cinderella perfume for my birthday. 

Since then, fragrance has played a big role in my daily beauty routine, and I never miss an opportunity to give myself a quick spritz -- even when I'm at home with the flu. For me, a splash of my favourite scent instantly classes up any outfit I may throw together, even if I'm rocking a lazy day ensemble of sweatpants and a tank top. 

The problem with many perfumes and colognes is that they're synthetic in the worst possible way: they often contain harmful ingredients like parabens and phthalates, which have been linked to hormone disruption and carcinogenic side effects, respectively.

Years ago, I made the switch to all-natural products for all but one aspect of my beauty regimen. I've simply found it too hard to let go of my favourite perfumes (I'm looking at you, Flowerbomb!), but this year I've vowed to kick the synthetic scent habit and stock my dresser with natural perfumes from companies like Grasse Roots Perfumery.

Based in Stratford, Ontario, Grasse Roots Perfumery is a vegetarian (and mostly vegan) perfumery that crafts luxurious perfume blends with pure natural essences and botanicals. Often times, these blends are even made with certified organic essences whenever possible.

I contacted Grasse Roots in an effort to broaden my natural perfume horizons, and they generously sent me samples of each of their pure perfumes to test out. Each one was lovely in its own way, awakening old memories in me with every fragrant application, and I found that natural perfumes don't last as long on the skin as their unnatural cousins. However, there's something to be said for knowing -- and being able to pronounce -- a perfume's ingredients. It's very liberating.

Photo courtesy of Grasse Roots Perfumery