The Latest Viral Fragrance With 250K Waitlists & A Tragic Backstory

From heartbreak to fragrance empire: How PHLUR became the Taylor Swift of scent

When Chriselle Lim took over PHLUR in 2021, she was going through a divorce and wanted to bottle up loneliness itself, specifically, the scent of someone's skin that brings warmth when you're alone. What started as emotional therapy became a fragrance phenomenon with 250,000-person waitlists.

This week on The Formula, Kelly chats with the woman behind PHLUR about turning personal trauma into business gold, why fragrance wardrobes are replacing signature scents, and how she built a community so devoted they'll blind-buy every release. From the genius behind fragrance names like Father Figure and Missing Person, to why Gen Alpha treats fragrance like fashion, Chriselle reveals how storytelling drives every scent creation. Plus, she reveals which PHLUR fragrance to try first (spoiler: it's the "blue jeans of fragrance") and her take on what Australia would smell like as a scent.

PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

PHLUR Fragrances:

• Missing Person $171
• Father Figure $171
• Beach Skin $66
• Rose Whip $171
• Vanilla Skin $171
• Caramel Skin $66

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CREDITS:

Hosts: Kelly McCarren

Guest: Chriselle Lim 

Producer: Sophie Campbell

Audio Producer: Tegan Sadler

Video Producer: Artemi Kokkaris

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