{"id":10243,"date":"2023-03-08T07:45:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T23:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/?p=10243"},"modified":"2023-03-07T12:49:45","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T04:49:45","slug":"mixing-the-perfect-blend-of-science-and-art-how-27-year-old-joyce-lian-launched-her-own-boutique-perfume-brand-scent-journer-in-singapore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/mixing-the-perfect-blend-of-science-and-art-how-27-year-old-joyce-lian-launched-her-own-boutique-perfume-brand-scent-journer-in-singapore\/","title":{"rendered":"Mixing The Perfect Blend Of Science And Art: How 27-Year-Old Joyce Lian Launched Her Own Boutique Perfume Brand, Scent Journer, In Singapore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the fresh scent of flowers to the new car smell, our sense of smell has an evocative quality that can bring up memories and emotions. Yet, most Singaporeans think of perfumes as an occasional indulgence, only dabbed on for special occasions. In fact, most of us associate perfumes with global cosmetic and beauty conglomerates (think Chanel, Guerlain, Dior, etc) or boutique fragrances (like Maison Margeila\/ Replica, Diptyque, Le Labo, etc). However, few may realise that there is already a boutique perfume brand present in Singapore: Scent Journer<\/a>, founded by Joyce Lian. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding The Passion For Perfume<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people know what they want to do from a young age, but most of us would never think of being a perfumer as our childhood dream. Artistically inclined, Joyce dabbled in many creative pursuits such as dance, music and art as a child. Troubled with skin concerns, she developed an interest in cosmetic applications and enrolled in Singapore Polytechnic\u2019s Perfumery and Cosmetic Science course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Joyce, it was a case of finding her passion by accident and \u201cknowing that this is the thing (she) wanted to do; (she) can\u2019t imagine doing anything else\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unintended last-minute change in her internship led to her to a stint with one of the leading fragrance houses in the world, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) which crystallised her passion for fragrance and perfumery. Exposed to different scent profiles through raw materials smelling sessions with senior perfumers, Joyce refined her sense of smell and appreciation for perfume artistry during her fragrance internship. One internship led to another, and she quickly clocked more than 2 years of internship experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entrepreneurship Was Not A First Choice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After graduating with a chemistry degree from NUS, Joyce soon found herself in the same position as many fresh graduates. Despite her extensive internship experience, open entry-level positions in the fragrance industry are few and far between. She eventually ended up in a corporate position in a local bank, a complete departure from her fragrance and chemistry background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, fragrance and perfumery were never far from Joyce\u2019s mind and when she chanced upon the NUS Venture Building Program during the pandemic. This was an entrepreneurship programme under the Startup SG Founder Grant by Enterprise Singapore. Deciding to go with her dream of setting up a fragrance and perfumery brand, Joyce took the plunge and joined the programme in January 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Also: <\/em><\/strong>Guide To Startup SG Founders Grant And How Aspiring Entrepreneurs Can Receive Government Support To Start A Business<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pandemic Was An Opportunity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In times of crisis comes opportunity. During this period, the Startup SG Founder Grant by Enterprise Singapore was enhanced to include the provision of a modest monthly stipend during the 3-month training period under the NUS Venture Building Program. Being able to learn and not worry about basic expenses allowed Joyce to fully deep-dive and immerse herself in the building and refining her dream. The program also paired her with a mentor who encouraged her through the tough periods and help her refine her pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The isolated lockdown during the various safe management periods was also an accidental boon for Joyce and her co-founders as she describes that period, \u201cwe didn\u2019t meet our friends, so we spend less and because we were just in our own space, there wasn\u2019t any room for comparison. We\u2019re just fully focused on building and refining the brand\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successfully pitching and winning the Startup SG Founder Grant allowed Joyce and her team to fully dive into the business. The grant requirement that the founders work full-time on the business also instilled in them the drive to succeed because as Joyce says, \u201cwe cannot work part-time. It was 100% into Scent Journer\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Also: <\/em><\/strong>Rocking on Amidst the Pandemic: Boulder Gym Founders Share How They Hang On<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quality Is Scent Journer\u2019s Signature<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One thing that stood out during this interview with Joyce was her commitment to quality and excellence. Having worked in an international fragrance house under master perfumers, she is keenly aware that blending perfumes is more than just mixing raw materials together. A perfumer has to balance the chemistry between the different compounds while formulating a blend that paints a beauty scent story, \u201cblending Science and Art\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joyce\u2019s chemistry training not only gives her the technical skills to back up her vision of creating mood-enhancing perfumes, but it also enables to add depth to her creations through quality active ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the pandemic, Joyce realised that while many people have improved hand hygiene with more hand sanitiser use, they also suffered from more skin problems (such as cracked skin or eczema irritation). Scent Journer\u2019s signature Microbiome Hydration Hand Sanitiser tackled this pain point with the incorporation of Fensebiome\u2122 Peptide (an active ingredient usually used in facial\/eye creams). This prebiotic ingredient improves the skin\u2019s microbiota and reinforces the skin\u2019s physical barrier function, soothing and hydrating skin while protecting from harmful bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable And Mindful At Its Base<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Joyce also differentiates Scent Journer from other fragrance brands with a focus on mindfulness and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One key difference in Scent Journer\u2019s perfume is in the base of perfume: the alcohol. As this forms between 85% to 92% of Eau de Parfum, having the right alcohol is important. Most alcohol bases available in the market are denatured with methanol which can cause sensitivity or trigger headaches. This was echoed in the consumer studies Joyce and her team conducted when users surfaced issues with headache\/nausea when using perfume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To tackle this, Scent Journer uses sugar cane-derived alcohol which is more sustainable as it cuts one step in the process (sugar to alcohol, instead of processing grain to sugar to alcohol). It is denatured with a naturally derived ingredient: Bitrex which is the bitterest substance in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 85% of Scent Journer\u2019s perfume formulation is naturally derived. Joyce actively sources sustainable and \u201cupcycled\u201d ingredients. For example, typically clove buds are collected as raw fragrance materials while their leaves are discarded. Scent Journer\u2019s A Starlit Spell perfume uses upcycled clove leaf oil in its formulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confidence In Facing Challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In spite of her young age, 27-year-old Joyce is quietly confident of her ability to formulate and create beautiful perfumes. She is also committed to \u201cgiving value to customers\u201d and this is where her experience in the fragrance industry comes into play. Joyce says, \u201cI’m so confident about the quality of my fragrances, because I source my fragrances from them (international fragrance houses).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the road has been tough, Joyce is looking forward and dreaming of even greater plans for Scent Journer with new product development, new markets and expansion plans. As a fragrance lover, I look forward to Joyce\u2019s next Scent Journer creation!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You know this is the thing you want to do when you can\u2019t imagine doing anything else\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":10249,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[94],"tags":[107,1665,1666,1664],"yoast_head":"\nMixing The Perfect Blend Of Science And Art: How 27-Year-Old Joyce Lian Launched Her Own Boutique Perfume Brand, Scent Journer, In Singapore | DollarsAndSense Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meet Joyce Lian, the 27-year-old founder of Singapore\u2019s very own boutique perfume brand, Scent Journer and how she aspires to Singapore\u2019s top perfumer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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