Smoke Perfume

Invoke started from a poem. The Cinnamon Peeler by Michael Ondaatje has always been a favorite of mine, and I love how sensual and evocative it is in its use of scent and desire. There’s tension in the lovers not being able to be free because the cinnamon peeler’s profession cloaks everything he touches with the burn of cinnamon bark dust, and the lengths they take to be together and disguise the scent. I wanted to create a perfume inspired by this tension, as well as the place it’s from (Sri Lanka). I knew it would be a scent of cinnamon bark, jasmine sambac, and deep smoked wood or tar.

Stay tuned for her launch on the Summer Solstice, June 21st 2026

xx Kathleen

What do you bring to the table? Absolutely unhinged behavior, an insatiable appetite for the fall of the patriarchy, and forever shoving my nose in jasmine flowers? Why yes. Yes I do.

In a big Invoke moodddddddd - I can’t wait for you all to get your lil hands on this intoxicating new scent. Sultry she is! Wanna smell like you have embarked on a journey of forbidden love in Havana? Invoke is for you🌹🌴🔥

Why Natural Perfume Smells Different on Everyone 🌿

Someone smells a fragrance on a friend and falls completely in love with it. They order the same bottle expecting the exact same scent experience - only to discover it smells softer, warmer, darker, sweeter, smokier, brighter, or entirely different on their own skin.

One of the name reasons why I love (and choose to exclusively work with) natural materials rather than synthetic materials is because natural perfume is alive. Unlike synthetic fragrances designed for perfect consistency, natural perfume is composed of botanical materials that continue to evolve after they touch the skin. Of course synthetic fragrances can also change on the skin, however - natural fragrances tend to have more of a mind of their own.

The moment natural perfume meets the body, it begins transforming. Skin chemistry, body temperature, moisture levels, hormones, environment, climate, and even emotional state can influence how the fragrance unfolds. What you smell is not only the perfume itself, but the interaction between plant material, human skin, and atmosphere. In many ways, perfume becomes collaborative (and playful) which I love!

What’s really interesting is that - the scent you wear is partially created by you

To learn more about this topic, check out the link in bio for our latest blog post: Why Natural Perfume Smells Different on Everyone: A Living Ecosystem of Scent 🌿

How stunning is this Vintage Avon Pressed Glass Horse Head Bottle 😍😮‍💨✨ it’s serving energy of the Fire Horse year, which has been galloping at full speed! ❤️‍🔥🐎

Oh the mystical Orris Butter….✨

Derived from the roots of the Iris Pallida and aged for years before it becomes perfumery gold, Orris Butter is one of the rarest and most luxurious ingredients in fragrance. Honestly a little insane to use in perfume, and I couldn’t be happier with how she layers nestle amongst all the other notes 🥹 Soft, powdery, earthy, and delicately floral - it carries a quiet, sensual elegance that lingers like a memory on skin.

I loveeeee orris butter for her ability to add depth, warmth, and an ethereal softness to a scent. For those of you who commented on my previous post guessing the star ingredient of the new scent I’m launching…… it’s Orris Butter! anyone who guessed iris will receive a sample of the new scent! We will DM you 🥹 She glimmers and damn is she sexy!

The orris butter I used is grown in France and beyond her French origins, iris flowers hold a special beauty closer to home, too. Here in New Orleans, irises bloom effortlessly through the lush Southern landscape - and are one of my favorites to spot along the banks of the water in City Park. Their beauty feels timeless, much like the city itself.

Stay tuned for the release of the name & notes of my upcoming scent launching on the Summer Solstice on June 21st

xx Kathleen 🤍

My (Mostly) Vintage Perfume Bottle & Powder Collection ✨

These bottles speak to different aspects of myself, times in my life, and hold tight the memories of those who gifted them to me. They are in full view, in all of their beauty & glory just as you walk up the stairs and step into my studio

Much of these were given to me by my mother, which holds a special & sentimental place in my heart 🖤

Hiiiii everyone, Wow what a time we are living in. Here’s me in my prized Chris Owens scarf I bought at her estate sale and it smelled like her perfume when I bought it 🥹

It’s been such a wild ride these last few months, as I’ve been deep in creation & logistical mode for Smoke’s new sultry scent (dropping June 21st on the Summer Solstice 😏) - and let me tell you it’s been a SAGA. This new scent has tested and stretched me in ways none of my others have. It has been the most challenging one to birth yet. While it’s been a roller coaster, I wouldn’t do anything differently because I have learned sooooo much and I am very proud of the expertise, problem solving, and creativity that went into it. This new scent has me standing 10 toes down on my craft and work as an artist first, business woman second, and making that distinction has felt important, clarifying, and empowering.

Over the last year I really needed to dismantle everything, become a one-woman show, lay everything out on the table, choose what stays and what goes & rebuild it all again - differently, with more pleasure and purpose and even less time for BS 😏✨ we’re coming back with a bang baby!

Wait till y’all get your noses all over this new scent. Stay tuned for the name drop this week….

can you guess the star ingredient?

Here’s the vibe: Hot, steamy, Smokey, sultry, cosmic, jungle ❤️‍🔥🌴✨

The first person to guess it right - will receive a sample of the new scent when it launches 😏

PS if this photo looks familiar it’s cuz I shared it this week on my other account. Give .nola a follow for my other work in the healing arts and more of a personal page from me.

Xx, Kathleen 💋

You hear call of the evening birds… beckoning to you to come forth and immerse yourself in their tropical world 🪶

Growing up in Belize, the jungle has always held such a special place in my heart. Perhaps that’s one of the (many) reasons why New Orleans feels like home and calls to me more than so many other places. Our thick, hot summers full of lush green and sultry humidity-drenched evenings walking through the quarter - feel like a dream, and remind me of my childhood 🌴

Long live New Orleans & long live warm summer nights

x Kathleen