From left: Charlotta Hellichius, Monica Ha, and Heather Rosenthal.
What led you three to start your scent-centric bodycare, Baude?
Charlotta: We wanted to turn the beauty industry inside out. Over the pandemic, the way we perceived the world dramatically changed. We saw less, we smelled less, and we touched less. It was sad. Surviving that limited version of life made us realize just how much of our imagination and creativity stems from having new experiences – big and small. We were seeing three things be true; there’s a lot of fear mongering of fragrance in skincare, the beauty category is obsessed with routines, and bodycare was all about fixing “flaws” on your body.
Monica: So, we thought; how might we make a product that captures your attention and imagination, all the while making you feel better? I don’t need another cellulite cream, I need help getting my imagination into gear after a long day. And that’s how Baude NY was born. Beauty in general is so focused on how you look – we want to shift the conversation to, use this product and feel fucking amazing.
Heather: People turn to films, books, and art to escape reality, and scents can help you do the same. We’ve been obsessed with fragrances and body care since forever, and would always use it to get back to life after a long night out, and let me tell you – it works. Just like anything that goes up the nose, smells hit the brain first. Fragrances can make you more social, more focused, and more relaxed depending on what you’re smelling. We want people to use Baude NY like they’re using all the other kinds of uppers and downers – to disconnect, escape, go on a trip, and return feeling better than ever.
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Tell us about the scent in your debut collection, Darkwave Utopia.
C: Our first collection Darkwave Utopia smells like the American dream turned upside down. It’s a scent-scape that depicts a green suburban neighborhood where meticulously manicured lawns conceal a deep, eerie darkness. Where goth rebels scheme to overthrow power, and free nature from its confines, all while sneaking a toke.
H: We’re inspired by sub-cultures and the worlds that exist around music and film genres. So, for Darkwave Utopia, we dove deep into Suburban Goth films and listened to Darkwave tunes on repeat. It’s a pretty Lynchian collection.
M: Also, all of our scents include water-proof scent-tech that has been scientifically proven to elicit feelings of pleasure and an increase of activity in the pleasure center of the brain in fMRI scans. Our specific scent accord increases calm, promotes joy, and gives you energy – we like to say Baude NY makes you feel loose, juiced and ready.
What’s the best part about the New York creative community?
C: That they’re persevering. Let’s be real – the creative communities are what makes New York City iconic. Always has been. Artists, musicians, writers have come here for generations, to take risks, practice their craft, and ultimately learn about the world and themselves in it. But it’s fucking hard to be creative today. The pressure is non-stop, the competition is fierce and it can seem like all roads lead to having to grow a following on social.
H: At the same time, the NYC creative scenes band together, support each other, share gigs, networks, and connections. If you have a radical idea, bet the coolest person you know will be down to help you build it. Creatives in NYC want you to succeed on your own terms, and that’s invaluable and so rare. NYC creatives are nerdy in the best way and will introduce you to the most niche thing you’ve ever seen. We may seem exclusionary from the outside, but we’re a real softie scene on the inside.
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Can you share with us how important sustainability and clean formulas are in your products?
C: We knew anything we made was going to need to be clean and as sustainable as possible. Just for us to be able to sleep at night tbh. But it’s a complex topic - the term ‘clean’ doesn’t mean anything, and neither does “sustainable.” So we went deep researching ingredients and processes of production to find out where the line was for us personally. And when we go deep, we go very deep. We explored some really out-there materials, talked to some very experimental Germans, but for our size and scale, our best option was a mono-material bottle made from post-consumer-recycled plastic that is 100% recyclable. At one point we were even toying with the idea to redesign the pump because pumps can’t be recycled (they mix materials). We ended up avoiding the pump entirely. Turns out it’s hard to beat the pump.
M: We're all about keeping waste to a minimum, using recycled materials in our fragrances and formulas whenever we can. We insist on using safe synthetics that are biodegradable, and continue to put maximum pressure on partners to make sure our sourcing and production practices are ethical. As we grow, we have far bigger ambitions. As soon as we can, we’ll be plastic free.
Do you have a new scent in the works?
H: Yes, many! We’re working our way up to releasing new fragrance collections every season, and expanding our collections to include a wider set of bodycare products, limited edition art objects, soundscapes, events, films and more. For now, check out our inspiration for Darkwave Utopia on our site, chances are you’ll discover an album, an artist, or a film that you’ve never heard of.
Follow Along:
@baude.ny
www.baudeny.com
@coppermoha
@hellichius
@heatherrosenthal