Angel Cheung, one of the key players in Hong Kong’s perfume industry, is regarded by many as the authority on all things that delight nostrils. From crafting personalised scents for beauty lovers, to devoting her creativity to producing unique fragrances for leading luxury brands, Cheung is truly in a league of her own as an entrepreneur in the niche beauty space. In this interview with Tatler, Cheung talks about her passion for perfumery, tips on finding our signature scents, and how bespoke fragrances have become so popular now.
There is a movement happening in beauty right now where brands old and new are turning their attention to delivering more personalised products and experiences. More than ever, as beauty lovers, we’re celebrating our individuality and acknowledging the bespoke beauty concept that niche brands offer—whether it’s enjoying a fun lipstick making workshop, ordering customised products tailored to our skincare concerns, or having our signature scents created in a workshop that enabled us to express uniqueness.
One of the pioneers in this movement is Angel Cheung, a Hong Kong beauty entrepreneur and fragrance expert. With over ten years of expertise under her belt, Cheung has been a mainstay among Asian beauty leaders in the world of scent, who strongly believes perfume has the power to evoke emotional connections and tell meaningful stories.
“I created my own fragrance label Intime Artisan de Parfum because I want to educate the masses about perfumes, and give people an opportunity to explore and embrace their individuality through bespoke perfumes,” she spoke with steely confidence. “There has been a move away from mass-produced scents towards bespoke blends, and my brand is part of this revolution to spotlight this modern perfumery concept in the beauty space.”
Ahead, we speak to Cheung about the story behind launching her fragrance label, her scent branding business and what trends we can look forward to in the perfume industry. She also shares with us her personal tips on how to find our signature scents.
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Tell us about your background. How did you find your way into the perfumery space? What inspired to start your own brand?
I have been working in the marketing field since graduation and I never thought I’d have my own perfumery business. But with constant exposure to different types of businesses including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and luxury beauty products and services, I gradually discovered I loved learning about skincare, cosmetics, and especially perfumes.
Frankly, I wasn’t very much interested in perfumes when I was a kid. One of my earliest memories with fragrance is the scent of my mother. She liked to add a few drops of Florida water to the shower gels or body lotions.
My venture into the perfumery space all started when I was studying a course about aromatherapy. In 2015, I flew to the world’s famous perfume capital, Grasse, to learn about olfactory compositions by attending lessons and visiting local perfumeries. The storytelling power of perfume really fascinates me, and I want to know how it can act as a catalyst to conjure up emotions and memories across time. I later expanded my passion to new professional ambitions, and that is how Intime Artisan de Parfum was born. I felt really excited about sharing my knowledge and insight on niche perfumes, with the hope of offering people the opportunity to explore this new and unique beauty concept.
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