Colonia Dulce by Maoli

This unique scent was formulated by a pair of talented brothers whose Hawaii reminiscence encouraged them to close their lemonade stand to recreate their favorite island fragrances.

The tweens’ mom transformed their desire to develop “their own cologne that smells like sunshine” into a business learning experience, and she prepared a unit study in natural perfumery.

“We studied smell as one of the most important senses, the history of perfume, and other things, and wrote a report,” Kai Hughes said, the older of the siblings. “Then mom, Kalani and I experimented with different essential oils. That was the funnest part.”

Little did their mom know that what the boys were about to create would fill the olfactory divide between baby products and pheromone sprays. Colonia Dulce also provides a breath of fresh air for discernible customers who want truly natural products because of aversions or allergies to synthetic scents found in most body care products today.

Based on their favorite “back-home” scents, Kai Hughes and Kalani Hughes recreated this sweet classic with a unique, fun twist. At first breath, lime and mandarin sparkle with sweetness. A heart of neroli and jasmine blossom open with their delicate essence, subtly perfuming the path for the warmth only real vanilla could bring to a blend as vibrant as this one.

“We both really like it because it makes us remember how warm and sunny Hawaii is,” Kai Hughes said. The family recently moved to the mainland U.S., where a tropical Hawaii memory is always welcome.

Maoli translates to “native, indigenous, genuine, true, and real” in Hawaiian. The business is now a family affair, dedicated to honoring the art of natural perfumery while providing healthy, fragrant indulgence to kids and kids at heart. Colonia Dulce is a new fragrance and it was introduced in 2009.