I'm forever attracted to the power of scent, a perfume can instantly change the mood of a room- a bit like music I guess... And I'm always always interested in small independent creative brands, particularly those run by women. When I was introduced to Maya Njie by a mutual friend, I knew instantly I wanted to take some pictures of her and her creations, and luckily for me Maya invited me to her London studio a couple of weeks later.

Maya started this small brand of perfumes in 2016 with scents inspired by her Scandinavian roots (she's a fellow Swede) and West African heritage. With perfumes such as Nordic Cedar, Les Fleurs, Vanilj and Tobak, nostalgia and old family photo albums depicting an idyllic 1970s are constant sources of inspiration for this ever-evolving brand. A muted colour palette of rose pink, pale rust, subtle grey and sage are also an essential part of the very essence of this special label. All of Maya's scents are made by hand in her attic studio where she blends, filters and bottles every single bottle herself. Explore more over on her site mayanjie.com, I can really recommend the Discovery Set as a great introduction to the range before committing to a bottle! You can also sniff the perfumes at selected retailers including bonds Hackney and Triangle Store.