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From hobby to business, Koryou Xing of Scents of Memento turned his love for candles and perfumes into a full-fledged business.
At what point does one turn their hobby into a business? For Xing, upon realizing that he has spent over five figures on candles and fragrances, it was time to create his own brand. This was three years ago, and he started with candles and linen sprays. At the time, the local candlemaking scene was just starting to crackle, and by the time the lockdown was in full swing, more and more local candle brands began to crop up — probably because everyone finally realized how much candles add to the home ambience.
to set Scents of Memento a cut above the rest, Xing expanded into perfume. Already equipped with the knowledge surrounding fragrances through his candlemaking, all he needed to do was take it a step further and get to know the art of perfume. Now, the brand features eight decadent fragrances — each with its unique accords and story. While the site at the moment shows only six, a visit to the Scents of Memento store at the recently refurbished Riverlights will reveal two extra options.
In a meeting ahead of this interview, Xing shared his process in perfume making. A career creative, he believes that the story comes first. He would start with a name, and build upon it. Even in finding the name of the brand itself, he toyed with the idea of bottling up memories, resulting in the brand’s name Scents of Memento.
Aspiring to reach the likes of Jo Malone London, Penhaligon’s, and Boy Smells, Xing is only starting his journey with this brand. At the moment, the brand only ships within Malaysia, and if you’re not able to visit his store in Kuala Lumpur Lumpur, we have a couple of recommendations that will surely become your instant favourites.
For those who adore a sensual and captivating scent, try out the warm and creamy Mystique which is laced with spices and florals. Alternately, if you’re one to enjoy a more luminous fragrance, check out Lucida perfume that is literally sunshine in a bottle.
Get to know the nose behind Scents of Memento, Koryou Xing:
Tell us about you and the brand Scents of Memento.
I’m Xing, founder of Scents of Memento. I always adore perfumes and scented candles and have been collecting perfumes since a young age as a hobby. When I started Scents of Memento three years ago, I was still working full-time in advertising for the past eight years. After deciding to quit my job, I started looking into retail spaces and I finally opened my first brick-and-mortar in June 2022, where I can put all 100% effort into expanding my brand.
I kept telling myself that I needed to have something of my own that I will be proud of one day, rather than working 9 to 5 for the rest of my life. Here I am now working 24/7!
I received good feedback and comments throughout these three years, which motivated me to take this big step to open a physical store. There has never been a good time like now to expand my brand and offer more quality scented goods to the public.
What comes to mind when you think “perfume”?
People usually think of perfumes as just nice scents for them to put on when going out — I see perfumes as art, filled with wonderful stories within the scents, carrying different vibes and mood. I wear my perfume depending on my mood and what my outfit is going to be on that day.
If you could bottle up one abstract thing, what would it be? Why?
Memory. I would bottle up one of my best memories so that I can look back at it again and again when days are gloomy; to know that I live an amazing life. Just like in Harry Potter, Dumbledore used a Pensieve to store and review memories.
What is the first perfume or scent that you can remember? Is there a story behind that?
I always remember the scent of my late grandma. I wasn’t too sure where it was perfume or talc powder that she used, but the scent was so powdery yet comforting. After she had passed on, I could still smell the scent lingering in her room and wardrobe. I actually created a scented candle in my previous line called “Grams”, dedicated to my grandma. That candle released one of the most comforting aromas that reminded me of the best times I spent with her.
Now that you’ve opened up your first store, what’s next for the brand?
With the opening of my first store, I hope to attract more perfume lovers to visit and appreciate what Scents of Memento has to offer. Now that I have this space, I will be conducting workshops for visitors to customize their one-of-a- kind bespoke perfume. The store is a space for fragheads to come together to share their love for scents.
In your opinion, what sets Scents of Memento apart from the rest?
I would say it is how I brand and position Scents of Memento with my own vision. It is also the uniqueness of each scent, with its own stories, rather than just telling consumers that “this is a floral or woody perfume/candle”.
Other than that, I have invested a lot of thoughts and ideas into the packaging and visuals that have been created for the website and Instagram. I feel that these are all the little things that set Scents of Memento apart from other local brands.
Do you have any plans of product expansion in the horizon?
I definitely want to have more variety of scents in my perfume and candle line — perhaps start making large home candles that are strong enough to scent the entire home. I have a lot of ideas to execute but currently, Scents of Memento is solely a one -man-show business. However, I do see a lot of new things and potential coming for my brand, so stay tuned!
Any additional messages you’d like to share with our readers?
If you have a dream, manifest it to become your reality. Your hobby is your strength and who knows, it can bring you great fortune one day.
All images credit: Scents of Memento
Made in Malaysia is a series by Prestige Malaysia that showcases homegrown talents across various sectors. Through interviews, we strive to highlight the work put in by these individuals while supporting their craft.
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