Shops / perfume
Businesswomen from Bristol launch an eco-friendly, gender neutral perfume
With a scent of citrus trees and cut leaves and underlying hints of woodiness and spice, two businesswomen from Bristol have recently launched their first perfume.
Hemali Modha, who owns Amulet Boutique on Cotham Hill, and Catrin MacDonnell, owner of Papadeli on Alma Road, have come together to launch perfume company Jones & Modha.
Launching their first eau de parfum, Jones & Modha no 1, in September 2020, hope the scent can be an alternative to mass produced brands, some of which still test on animals.
The gender-neutral perfume hopes to be an alternate to the synthetic heavy, environmentally damaging perfumes that are made by bigger brands.
Made in Somerset using natural ingredients, 2.5 per cent of profits will be donated to environmental charities.
The names Jones & Modha comes from the friends’ heritage. Hemali has Gujarati heritage and Catrin heeds from Wales.
Jones is Catrin’s mother’s maiden name, representing her roots in Wales and Modha is Hemali’s Ugandan Indian family name.
no 1 is the brand’s first fragrance. Photo: Catrin MacDonnell
The pair wanted their perfume brand to celebrate the “melding of cultures, language and nationalities to bring about a richness and depth, just as different plant oils do when blended”.
“Getting to a launch stage with our first perfume has been a bit of a challenge, especially with lockdown, but we are so delighted with the result – it’s all been worth it!” says Hemali.
Jones & Modha’s first perfume took three years to create from start to finish, and the business was only able to launch following presale funds raised in a “Back her Business” crowdfunder and a grant of £500 from NatWest.
The final product is made with base notes of cedarwood oil, guaiac wood extract and labdanum resin extract. The lighter notes come from more than a dozen natural fragrances, including oil of bergamot, rose geranium and ginger root.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFPVsXoDDcC/
“We wanted to offer an alternative to commercial perfumes, many of which do not disclose ingredients and have a negative impact on people, animals and the environment,” Catrin adds.
“The response has already been incredibly positive, with many people saying they too have been searching for a beautiful perfume that is made without all the chemicals and packaging used by many commercial brands.”
Main photo: Catrin MacDonnell
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