Interview with Kai and Kalani Hughes from Maoli

04/14/09 05:22:34

Maoli is a small perfume house with just one perfume for now, Colonia Dulce Eau de Cologne,"that smells like sunshine" from Hawaii, which incorporates memories of Hawaii by two little boys, who created the perfume. Kai and Kalani created Colonia Dulce for kids and kids at heart, together with their parents, by using only natural materials.

Mr Kai and Kalani Hughes, you are the youngest perfumers in our base of noses. You have already experienced what many people (me, for example) dream about - to make a perfume.

You have created a perfume for kids and kids at heart, but the name and the idea of your perfume and your general approach are very serious indeed, and I hope that after Colonia Dulce Eau de Cologne there will be other creations.

Kai: We never intended to make perfume and sell it. My family and I began to consider the idea of Maoli becoming a business when other moms asked our mom what we were using that smelled so good. Colonia Dulce will be expanded to offer other products with the same signature scent. It's very easy to get a little crazy and start adding lots of products, but we want to take it a step at the time.

Maoli sounds just lovely. We would like to know more about the philosophy of your company. Why Maoli?

Kai: Maoli translates to real and true in Hawaiian. My family call Hawaii home and we also blend fragrances with only real and true essential oils because they are better for you than fake synthetic scents. We want our customers to be certain that what they are spraying on smells just like the ingredients we claim to use. Synthetic ingredients are cheap and made in a laboratory, but essential oils come from the actual fruit and flower, and by using them we are also helping the farmers that grow them.

How did you divide roles and responsibilities in your company?

Kai: Dad is in charge of all graphic design. Mom takes care of administrative work in addition to placing orders for ingredients and helping us fill bottles. My brother and I like to mix the concentrate for the cologne and to put labels on the bottles, box orders and watch the UPS guy stock the orders in his truck.

I have never been to Hawaii, your perfume will be my first Hawaiian experience. What do you like about Hawaii?

Kai: The heat! The people are very nice. We call everybody "uncle" and "auntie" there. We grew up by the beach. We also like it when the tradewind blows and it smells of flowers. I miss the scent of the airport when you first land there. It smells of the plumeria and tuberose leis the ladies sell at the kiosks.

You said that mixing ingredients was the funnest part. What oils and their combinations do you like?

Kai: My favorite oils are ylang ylang and vanilla. I like to combine them with citrus oils. I also like jasmine because my mom grows jasmine flowers and the oil is like having the flowers available for sniffing all year long. I also like to combine Turkish rose with lemon. Smells fresh and not so girly. Kalani's favorite oils are tangerine and vanilla.

Perfumers usually travel a lot to find inspiration or to find proper ingredients. Which place would you like to visit?

Kai: My brother and I definitely want to visit Madagascar and The Comoro Islands for their ylang ylang and spices, Tahiti for their vanilla beans, and Italy for their citrus. We would love to have our own farms in the future.

Besides perfumes, what do you enjoy doing?

I don't know about you, dear readers, but I will certainly try.

Colonia Dulce is available in a beautiful, sun-bathed flacon in amount of 30 ml (1.0 oz) for a very affordable price of 28 USD.

You can order a 4 ml sample for 5 USD.

Made with pure distilled essential oils* in a base of naturally hypoallergenic grape alcohol* and distilled water. It is gentle to your skin and nose. Dermatologist tested. Never tested on animals. Vegan. No synthetic fragrances. Certified Organic.

Please visit the official site of Maoli

Please visit the official online boutique of Maoli.

Images: Maoil

Author: Jeca (jeca)
Fragrantica Member