Award-winning Australian singer, songwriter and producer, Guy Sebastian is gearing up to launch his first-ever fragrance, “Embrace For Her” now exclusively available at Chemist Warehouse. Guy’s debut scent was created to signify and capture the loving relationship and connection between himself and his beloved wife, Jules Sebastian, to whom he has been married to for 15 years.
Ahead of the fragrance launch, Guy spoke with Jake Freeman from Melbourne My Style, explaining how he had always had an immense passion for fragrances from a young age and how the collaboration with Chemist Warehouse was a passionate project.
Guy, congratulation on the fragrance – can you tell us about how that came about?
Ever since I can remember, I have had a somewhat unhealthy obsession with fragrances.
It all started when I was little and my dad, an oil engineer, would spend weeks or months away at oil rigs. Before my dad would leave for work, he would always bring a lot of old-school fragrances with him and apply them before departing. It always was a strong scent that would linger around the house long after he left and made a strong impression on me. Over the years, one of my hobbies has been collecting different fragrances from so many countries, from Thailand to America. There has not been a place I have travelled to without stopping at the pharmacy and doing samples.
The concept of this fragrance was in dedication to my beautiful wife, Jules. We have been married for 15 years now, and have two sons. I am extremely lucky to have her in my life. We have known each other for many years, well before Australian Idol. I had wanted to create something that would celebrate and signify our relationship and was lucky to do so with Chemist Warehouse.
How long did it take to create the fragrance from inception to release?
In total, a few months. I really wanted to not rush this and make sure we got it perfect and that in particular, Jules liked it, as it was for her. I had gone through many different samples and mixes until I could find the one that would become “Embrace”. I wanted the fragrance to have this sweet, fruity but feminine scent. We spent time sampling other fragrances, getting ideas and picking what we liked and didn’t like and seeing if we could get the right mix. I wanted a scent that would be strong and would last and not just wear off after 5 minutes of applying it.
What input did Jules have in creating the fragrance?
Jules was amazing. She was helping me with this from the start. It was interesting during the process of sampling all the different scents and bottle designs, as there were many that she would like that I didn’t and vice versa but happy when we both agreed on what is now the final product.
How many samples did you go through until you found the right one?
We went through a lot of samples actually (laughs). Both Jules and I tried many different scents until we finally agreed on the same one. It took a while, but sampling, rejecting, and shortlisting all of them was fun until we discovered the right fragrance.
Tell us about the design of the bottle
We had gone back and forth through many designs, in order to find the one that Jules and I both really liked. The main focus was getting the right shade of red that you see on the label part of the bottle, along with the text and how much of the bottle should be clear. We also spent a lot of time trying to get the intersection and the shape of the bottle the way we liked it. Finding the right name to call the scent took a long time as well. Jules and I went through many ideas and shortlists until we decided on a name that would be best suited. One of the main goals was to have the bottle compact (125ml) but not too small so customers would not run out of the fragrance early on. We made sure there is a generous amount in there.
Do you have plans for any more fragrances down the track?
Absolutely. I have always wanted to create a male fragrance and hopefully, that is something I can do. I have a wonderful relationship with Chemist Warehouse who have made it possible to create “Embrace For Her”, so that is next on my list. Ideally, I want to make something that is unique and sell it at a reasonable price.
“Embrace For Her” by Guy Sebastian is now available exclusively at Chemist Warehouse stores Australia-wide and online via www.chemistwarehouse.com.au
Interview by Jake Freeman.
Words by Guy Sebastian.
