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Sourdough bread, niche fashion communities, and daily walks are some of the many things that went TikTok viral during the 2020 lockdown. Another which no one really saw (or smelt) coming was perfume! Now, "Perfume TikTok" has taken a life of its own since lockdown with people sharing everything from their entire collection to their bedtime scent to their sneaky link signature. A woman who has undoubtedly left her mark in this space is Funmi Monet from Dallas, Texas. Within the past two years, she has built an engaged audience amassing over 166,500 followers across social media, with TikTok being her biggest arena.
Owning over 200 fragrances, Funmi has gone TikTok viral a number of times and became a go-to reviewer offering such a wealth of knowledge on all sorts of smells from her all-time favorites, gourmands to woody scents to ouds. With her comedic and gentle flair, she roasts perfumes that may be your signature scent, but don’t take it to heart because she means it in jest. Funmi stands by the fact that everyone should wear whatever they want to wear no matter what anyone has to say about it — including her!
In this day and age where we have a sea of influencers, there aren’t many who are able to describe scents in such an alluringly and eloquent way that encourages people to buy without smelling first. But, after the 31-year-old spoke about one of her favorite designer perfumes, Givenchy l'interdit Rouge, in a viral TikTok, people like myself ran to stores. Speaking to Teen Vogue, Funmi shares how she became TikTok's "Fave Fragrance Auntie."
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Funmi shares that she has had a thriving collection since her early 20s, but it really took a life of its own when she started working at a perfume department during college. “That was when Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb was very popular. I was getting really high sales with this one,” she tells Teen Vogue. “Working there was an opportunity for me to learn about smells, the performance, what goes into creating a fragrance”.
Perfume has become one of the latest “Black Girl Luxury” staples. The movement received backlash from critics for being too elitist, however, Funmi smartly sums up why perfume can play a crucial part in a luxurious lifestyle. “You might not be able to buy a Chanel bag, but you can save and buy your first Chanel perfume. You might not be able to go and drop $3,000 on a new pair of shoes, but you might be able to spend $250 on maybe a Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrance. You might be able to spend on luxury high-end fragrances, which yes are a little bit more expensive, but they're still accessible for the average person who wants to save up a little bit.”
Funmi knows these can still be too expensive and that’s why she firmly believes that everyone should be able to smell expensive on a budget. She frequently creates videos suggesting perfumes under $30. She adds: “It’s fascinating because it allows you to be able to still have some type of luxury in your life. You can still feel good about yourself and still feel like you’ve splurged but you don't have to buy a Hermès bag. This is accessible luxury,” she says.
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Given how popular she had become from recommending perfumes, it only made sense that Funmi created her own fragrance, Exalté. “When I had an opportunity with my business partner to actually work with one of the best perfume labs in France, with a really well-renowned perfumer, I just jumped at the opportunity because it's a dream come true,” she says. “In my mind, I know all these things I like and working with a perfumer allowed me to be able to basically have a vision that he could execute.”
Some perfumes Funmi has often mentioned on her page are Gentle Fluidity Gold, My Way Intense, and La Yuqawam Jasmine Wisp. So it wasn’t a surprise that her debut scent, Exalté, has her favorite floral notes, specifically Turkish rose. Exalté also has a dash of jasmine, orange blossom, vanilla, and a sprinkle of lemon and pink pepper. And just like Funmi reviews perfume on her TikTok, other TikToker’s reviews of Exalté are pouring in. Black perfume experts such as Jade Alycebod describes it as “the most exciting package of the year” with over 8 hours staying power. Dami from The Perfume Stop calls it a “gorgeous rose niche perfume.”
So, how does Exalté make you feel? “Well, it makes me feel like a cinnamon roll. You know it smells so cosy like I want to be sitting on my couch watching Netflix. But, I can also wear it in the summertime and when I’m shaking my ass on a yacht,” Funmi shares.
It’s no secret that most perfumers are white, so Funmi creating her own scent is a big deal. She explains, “I love a lot of the Black, female-owned perfume brands that are out there. But a lot of times it's really difficult to get your foot in the door and be in luxury spaces. My aim is that I could create something that will put me in a space where you don't really see a lot of people that look like me. You don't see darker-skinned Black women.”
Funmi adds, “Especially in the luxury niche world, you really don’t see a lot of Black women in that community. It’s kind of a defining moment for me, in seeing that you can dream something and make it happen.”
As for perfume recommendations, of course, Funmi passionately tells us, “Exalté by Funmi Monet.”
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