Award-winning perfumer and scent creator, Catherine Tope Omai, has officially announced the launch of her new fragrance line, ‘Contagious’. After honing her craft internationally, Omai has brought her expertise home with the introduction of three captivating scents under the Contagious brand: Contagious Gold, Contagious Rose, and Contagious Green. Omai’s journey to becoming a renowned perfumer was not without its challenges.
Despite facing initial skepticism and resistance in the Nigerian market, her determination and talent propelled her to success. Through years of hard work and perseverance, she built a loyal clientele and established her brand as a symbol of luxury and sophistication. “When I came back from the UK to Nigeria, I met a lot of resistance,” Omai shared at the launch event.
“People questioned my ability to compete in the market and build a successful perfume brand. But I was determined to prove them wrong.” Omai’s dedication to creating unique and high-quality fragrances is evident in the Contagious line.
These exquisite scents are already making waves globally, with stockists in prestigious locations such as Saks Fifth Avenue in the USA and Royal Oud Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. In Nigeria, the exclusive retailer for the Contagious range is Seinde Signature Salon de Parfum. Beyond her fragrance line, Omai has also expanded her offerings to include diffusers and candles, which have garnered rave reviews.
Omai, who began her fragrance creation journey in 2009 revealed that she is the first West African perfumer to ever exhibit at PITTI, a fragrance exhibition in Italy for niche scents. “It’s like New York Fashion Week for fragrances.” Since she broke into the market though, she stated that the reception has been phenomenal.
Currentlyt, her brand is in Australia, France, Saudi, Dubai, Germany, a total of seven countries. “We’re also in in Saks Fifth Avenue in the U.S.
which is really big for me. I’m very proud of that achievement because Saks is a big deal and entering the U.S.
market is a very big deal, and it’s such that I didn’t even lobby for it. I wasn’t even looking to go into the U.S.
market. They contacted me based on the reviews they heard about the fragrance. The wave and the noise within the fragrance industry of my work was what attracted Saks,” she explained.
As Omai continues to make waves in the international fragrance industry, she remains committed to showcasing Nigerian talent and inspiring aspiring perfumers..
