Having a good nose for business
Hobbyist designs own brand of scent after learning about perfumes through reading, watching online videos

KORYOU Xing never really expected to turn a hobby into a full-time career.

Yet his love of collecting perfume since his school days has led him to becoming a scent maker, with his own brand to boot.

The 31-year-old, who previously worked in an advertising agency, said the idea came after he had spent thousands of ringgit on branded fragrances.

These fragrances came both from home and abroad, as Xing was interested in the variety of aromas.

“I have been a fan of perfume since I was very young.

“Every time I go out, I spray some on, and that’s why I don’t mind spending thousands of ringgit buying them.”

Then, he felt it was time to design his own premium fragrances and share them with perfume lovers.

“One day, I thought, since I work in the field of advertising, it should be okay if I combine my previous work experience and hobby to design a premium scent that everyone can own,” he told Bernama.

The Kuala Lumpur-born entrepreneur said at the beginning of his involvement as a scent maker in 2019, he produced scented candles.

Later on, he expanded his business by selling perfumes.

He has, until now, created 10 types of fragrances.

Xing’s perfumes, made with ingredients sourced from abroad, are conceptualised towards everyday life, and one sniff could possibly take the wearer on a trip down memory lane.

“Each perfume I produce has its own story, and the wearer can understand the storyline I want to convey.

“For example, I had a customer who shed tears when he smelled one of the fragrances I produced because it reminded him of his late grandmother,” said Xing, who said he learned perfume-making through reading and watching videos on social media.

Visitors to his shop in Sentul, he said, could buy his perfumes and also create their own fragrances for a reasonable price.

He added that before producing the desired perfume, those interested must first answer a personality quiz so that the perfume they create suits their temperament and identity.

“I also advise customers on how they can personalise perfume according to their personal taste.

“Usually, those who make their own perfumes are couples.

“You can get to know each other’s character more closely when creating perfume.”

On the challenges of being a scent maker, Xing said it required him to be more creative in producing interesting and unique scents.

He also said he wanted to strengthen his brand before going international, despite having customers abroad.

“I do have a plan to go worldwide, but not for now, as I do everything myself, including creating perfumes, handling postage and looking after the store.

“In my opinion, if this brand is to go outside of Malaysia, there must be good strategy and branding.

“Perhaps, if everything is stable in the future, I might develop this business,” said Xing.
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KORYOU Xing never really expected to turn a hobby into a full-time career.