Exploring the essence of nature: In conversation with Belinda Smith, founder of modern fragrance house ST. ROSE

In a world saturated with synthetic scents, there's a refreshing and enchanting alternative that has been making waves in the fragrance industry. St. Rose, a name synonymous with elegance and authenticity, has been redefining the art of perfumery under the visionary leadership of its founder, Belinda Smith.

In this conversation, we delve into Belinda's creative process, her inspirations, the challenges she's faced while championing sustainability in the fragrance industry, and the future she envisions for both St. Rose and the concept of fragrance itself.

Hi Belinda, can you tell us a little about yourself…

Hello! I’m Belinda Smith, founder of ST. ROSE, a modern fragrance house rooted in the art of nature. I am also a mum to a busy two-year-old boy and expecting a little libra lady this October.

Where are you currently based in the world?

Originally I am from Australia but ST. ROSE’s home is currently New York where our perfumers reside out of our midtown creative studio right by 5th Ave and just two blocks from Central Park. My husband and I are constantly looking at properties in Noosa, Queensland and I cannot wait to be able to call Australia home again very soon.

What led you into the world of fragrance and the creation of your beautiful fragrance house?

The ST. ROSE journey truly started from my own experience as a consumer hunting for something I couldn't find, a perfume rooted in sustainability and transparency, that didn’t sacrifice the luxurious experience inherent to fine fragrance.  

With my Australian roots I have always been more inclined to natural beauty and a holistic approach to wellness. This combined with spending my career working in both luxury and high-street fashion where I garnered a keen understanding of a product's creation process (that is too often at a cost to people and planet) gave me the desire to want to create something better. 

Back in 2017 when I rolled up my sleeves to begin I had no idea how cavalier I seemed as a naive but determined new founder, an outsider in an industry. At the time transparency was terrifying to the veterans,  combined with my long list of prohibited ingredients, and sustainability demands it took two years of false starts, knocking on unanswered doors, and even more no's from manufacturers before I found the amazing partners we have today. 

We launched the collection at the end of 2019 with five unisex fine fragrances which has now grown to eight perfumes as well as four scents in home fragrance.

You describe your brand St Rose as clean fragrance, what does this mean?

ST. ROSE is named for the Patron Saint of Gardeners and inspired to create in harmony with the Earth, our compositions are composed using over 97% natural ingredients of the highest-quality and with responsibly sourcing. Every ingredient we use is ethically harvested, organic when possible, and sourced with traceability from its native region for the purest quality and minimal environmental stress. We also incorporate the innovation of green science, including our exclusive palette of upcycled raw materials, with the use of skin-safe aroma molecules when there is a hypoallergenic or environmental need. Our products are all vegan, cruelty-free & Leaping Bunny Certified. Consumers can find every ingredient in our formulas online at st-rose.com.

I think Clean Beauty is such an important movement within the beauty industry, it's a lifestyle choice and it is here to stay. Consumers today are more savvy than ever and it is becoming widespread knowledge that the beauty industry is under-regulated. For instance, the U.S. has not passed a major federal law governing the cosmetics industry since 1938. Almost a century later, the European Union has banned or restricted 1,400 ingredients of concern from personal-care products as either allergens, hormone-disrupting, or toxic to the environment. The United States has banned or restricted only 30.

Additionally under the 1970’s Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, the “fragrance” loophole allows companies to not disclose the ingredients used to make a particular fragrance outside of the allergens. While I don't believe anything nefarious is going on, there are absolutely ingredients in mainstream products that I wish to avoid for myself and my family. Without transparent ingredient disclosure we are not able to make informed health decisions and like all matters of health, it is personal. At ST. ROSE, we believe all consumers have the right to know and decide what is best for themselves.

Unfortunately the Clean Beauty segment, like the wider industry, is under-regulated. Brands are making clean claims without much, if any, substance. Free-from claims are misused and can ultimately confuse or even misinform a customer. 

At ST. ROSE we believe in Conscious Beauty, beyond clean it incorporates our ethos of being good for both people and planet. We believe in ingredient transparency and sourcing traceability as being pivotal to uphold this philosophy. 

Where do you look for inspiration?

Travel, art, music, being in nature ... as a creative soul I feel like I am always subject to being carried away on an artistic whim. Fragrance is also such a beautiful and sensorial playground – a walk through a garden, cooking in the kitchen, or even sitting at the bar (when I am not pregnant) and watching bartenders flex their mixology artistry can all get the senses and inspiration going. Recently I stumbled across a Slim Aarons photography book and his work is like slipping into a glamorous party from a bygone era. Scent is its own sort of time travel and a few of his images are currently pinned up on my mood board for something we have in the works for next year. We also have a really exciting new perfume set to unveil at the end of this year and the inspiration hit me while I was in Europe at the end of last year. Flipping through a book of French poetry literally inspired the name.

What is your creative process to create a new parfum?

Once I have an idea in my head I always start working on a mood board. Being highly visual, this helps me translate the vibe I am hoping to achieve through imagery, colour, texture. I also love working with playlists as music is the other invisible artform and a powerfully transportive tool like scent. At ST. ROSE, we are really lucky to work with some of the best perfumers in the world to bring our fragrances to life. I creative direct by sharing a brief with any additional notes along with my little mixtape (all are live on our Spotify by the way) and moodboard and then let the artists get to work. There is always a kick off call and our creative team is well versed in knowing our sustainability standards. Often a special raw material will become the center of the creation process. The collaboration process of fine tuning a composition can take months to years before a scent is ready to launch into the universe. Once I cannot stop wearing a particular mod, is typically when I know we have a winner. Everything we launch into the world must truly be something I personally love, feel passionately about and believe has both a place in the market and purpose to serve for our community.

Do you have any mentors or people you look to for advice?

Absolutely, so many! My mum has always been my biggest muse and champion. I lean on her for everything. My husband is also a brilliant entrepreneur and I am so lucky to have him by my side. Within the industry, Frederic Pignault has become such a dear friend and advisor. He is responsible for bringing so many beautiful fragrances and successful brands to the market, I feel very fortunate to have him behind ST. ROSE. One of the most special parts of this journey has been the other incredible female founders I have met along the way and we have each other on speed dial to help hurdle through the highs/lows and challenges.

What business lessons have you learnt along the way?

Plan well but be ready to pivot quickly and fail forward. Ha, that last one sounds like some kind of cheesy corporate motto but you cannot be innovative or a first mover without taking risks and inherently there will be some missteps. It’s how quickly you can learn, pick yourself up and keep charging forward that counts.

Do you have any personal daily rituals that you follow?

I used to have a lot more time to meditate and work out but as a mum to little ones its more about finding harmony in the chaos these days.  Our day usually starts with our son waking us up. Snuggling him while having a cup of tea and then making breakfast. Taking our pup for a walk before his sitter arrives and I can sit at my desk to begin the day. I try to get a walk in during lunchtime which always helps me refocus to have a productive afternoon.

After cooking dinner, an evening play and the bedtime routine I do love carving out time for an at-home facial or end of day beauty routine. It’s a small way to treat myself, wash off the day and try to quiet my mind that is too often still on overdrive of the million and one things that need to be done at work and home.

Have you had any epiphanies lately? (big or small?!)

That we truly can do anything but not everything at the same time. It’s a hard reality to swallow at times!

What book have you read that left a lasting impression and why?

My brother gave me a copy of The Alchemist and it is still one of my favourites. I find it constantly inspiring even after reading it for the first time almost a decade ago.

What is your favourite way to relax?

Lighting a candle (Our ST. ROSE Good Omens candle is currently my go-to) with an Epsom bath soak. This little combo has also been magic during this pregnancy.

If you could escape to anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

Our favourite beach along the Sunny coast of Queensland, Paris (always), or Positano.

Do you have any favourite quotes or words of wisdom?

“It takes time to create things that will endure time.” We live in a world of such short attention spans and a desire for constant newness but this is very much at odds with our ST. ROSE conscious ethos. I find myself getting ahead of myself at times with the excitement of all that we have in store but I keep this quote top of mind that as an intentional brand it’s so important to edit and grow slowly.