I can rattle off a long list of Black-owned beauty and haircare brands that have become household names in the past five years. From Fenty Beauty changing the complexion game to Bread reshaping textured-hair care, there’s been real progress in visibility and investment. But fragrance is different. The perfume industry is still one of the most exclusive corners of beauty — high barriers to entry, expensive production runs, and heritage houses that dominate the shelves.

Which is why the rise of Black-owned perfume brands feels so radical. These founders aren’t just creating beautiful scents; they’re building new legacies in an industry that has historically left little room for outsiders. They’re redefining what luxury looks like, using scent to tell stories about identity, culture, and community. From Harlem-inspired blends to music-driven extraits, minimalist Scandinavian-Gambian compositions to Bronx-made oil-based fragrances, these are the names making fragrance more interesting — and more inclusive.

Here are eight of the most exciting Black-owned perfume brands you should know.

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Zernell Gillie

Chicago-born DJ Zernell Gillie translated his lifelong love of music into fragrance, launching his self-titled brand in 2022. Each perfume takes its name from a musical genre — Disco, Techno, R&B — with compositions designed to feel as layered as a tracklist. Concentrated oils and extraits de parfum make the scents punchy but wearable, crafted for all genders and all occasions. It’s a line that leans into joy and culture, positioning fragrance less as status symbol, more as personal soundtrack.

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MOODEAUX

MOODEAUX calls itself “made for beauty rebels” — and it lives up to that positioning. Founded by journalist-turned-entrepreneur Brianna Arps in 2021, the brand treats fragrance as an extension of mood and self-expression. Beyond the playful, skin-nourishing perfumes, MOODEAUX has built cultural capital by founding Black in Fragrance, a nonprofit dedicated to mentorship and representation in scent. The branding is bold and direct, and the retail strategy equally ambitious: MOODEAUX is the first Black-owned fragrance label carried nationwide at Urban Outfitters and Credo Beauty.

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Harlem Perfume Co.

Founded by Teri Johnson, also behind Harlem Candle Company, this perfume line is rooted in the Harlem Renaissance. Each fragrance is inspired by the glamour, music, and artistry of icons like Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, and Duke Ellington. With names such as Langston and Showgirl, the perfumes double as cultural storytelling. After building a cult following in home fragrance, Harlem Perfume Co. entered Sephora’s Accelerate program in 2024, making its perfumes accessible to a wider luxury audience. The brand positions itself squarely in prestige, trading on both history and artistry.

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Brown Girl Jane

Launched in 2020 by sisters Malaika and Nia Jones alongside beauty veteran Tai Beauchamp, Brown Girl Jane has made inclusivity its north star. Each perfume is tied to emotion — serenity, joy, wanderlust — packaged in sleek, modern bottles. The brand is vocal about clean formulations and ethically sourced ingredients, but what sets it apart is community-building: partnerships with major retailers, wellness grants for women of color, and a narrative that places Black women at the center of luxury fragrance. In 2024, Brown Girl Jane became the first Black woman–owned fragrance brand carried by Sephora.

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La Boticá

La Boticá, founded by Afro-Dominican creative director Dawn Marie West in 2018, is where fine perfumery meets contemporary art. Based in Brooklyn, the brand produces candles and perfumes that are as visually striking as they are olfactively layered. Minimalist design and sculptural packaging position La Boticá as a gallery-worthy lifestyle brand, while its commitment to sustainability — small-batch production, indigenous ingredients, and donations to Dominican youth education programs — gives it ethical edge. It’s the type of brand that appeals to fashion insiders and collectors alike.

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World of Chris Collins

Chris Collins, a former Ralph Lauren model and executive, launched his namesake fragrance house in 2018. His perfumes are unapologetically luxurious: extrait de parfums that lean bold, sensual, and narrative-driven. Each scent draws on global influences — voyages to Africa, jazz culture, alchemy — and is packaged in heavy glass flacons that signal prestige. Positioned firmly in the niche luxury category, World of Chris Collins is about heritage-building: a Black founder writing himself into the canon of international perfumery.

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Maya Njie Perfumes

Swedish-Gambian perfumer Maya Njie founded her London-based label in 2016, creating scents as autobiographical portraits. Each composition is inspired by family photos, cultural memory, and the landscapes of her dual heritage. Think crisp Scandinavian notes laced with West African warmth. Her perfumes are vegan, cruelty-free, and made in small batches — with a visual brand identity that’s clean, modern, and art-led. Maya Njie has become a critical darling in Europe, stocked at cult retailers like Liberty and featured in Vogue and the FT.

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Ourside

Founded in the Bronx by Keta Burke-Williams, Ourside is a newcomer with a clear mission: to make fragrance intentional, conscious, and inclusive. The brand’s positioning leans heavily into wellness and identity, with genderless perfumes crafted from high-quality natural ingredients and free from endocrine disruptors. Ourside’s debut line — scents like Nostalgia and Dusk — has already been featured in Allure and positioned as “for the outsiders in us all.” It’s indie, modern, and community-driven, proof that luxury fragrance can come from outside traditional fashion capitals.

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