How Self-Expression and Positivity Drive Brianna Arps’ Fragrance Brand, MOODEAUX
MOODEAUX fragrance founder Brianna Arps created the brand because she knows how essential scent can be to how we feel about ourselves each and every day.
From the time she was young, she understood that fragrance can be as critical to fashion when it comes to self-expression. In fact, MOODEAUX was founded as a brand in direct response to a time in Brianna's life when she was at her lowest, and she crafted the brightly floral, citrusy and slightly woodsy Worthy scent to create the sense of uplifting positivity she dearly needed in her own life. It's since gone on to become an award-winning brand—and for good reason—and we had the pleasure of speaking with Brianna to discover her story and what makes MOODEAUX so special.
Name: Brianna Arps
IG handles: @briannaarps and @moodeauxofficial
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
1. Brianna credits everything she has today, including her work in the fragrance world, to the two best-smelling women in her life—her mom and her grandma.
"In particular, though, my grandma. Being a curious, fiercely opinionated kid, she always gave me permission to 'flaunt how I feel' by experimenting with and layering scents at her vanity. Those were some of the best times we've had together, as it was back then that I first started developing my own ideals around self-care.
I knew I had a future with MOODEAUX after being laid off from my 'dream job' as an editor in women's media during the fall of 2018. At that time, I was heavily reliant on doing things that made life feel 'normal'— including my beauty routine, which wouldn't be complete without perfume. Eventually, my passion for fragrance grew into an obsession with learning about our sense of smell's distinct ability to influence our moods.
Digging around online, I quickly noticed an industry void when it came to Black-owned fragrance labels getting their rightful shine in the spotlight like other brands. This was a huge catalyst for me in deciding to pave a new lane for all of us—one that's rooted in helping people accessorize their moods and express themselves out loud through scent. Looking back on my journey, although a wild one, to say the least, I wouldn't change a thing."-Brianna Arps
(Photo credit: Ryan Stokes)
2. Her favorite MOODEAUX fragrance is the first one the brand created, called Worthy.
"It's really a universal ode to self-care given our very humble beginnings—as well as the personal struggles I faced when navigating a career switch from journalism to entrepreneurship. That period of my life was tough; I constantly felt the need to prove myself, as if me just being me wasn't enough. I knew people could relate to this and spent months intentionally selecting notes to translate positive and uplifting vibes into a scent that smells like a warm, comforting 'hug in a bottle,' as our community has since described it."
-Brianna Arps
(via MOODEAUX)
3. The name MOODEAUX is a bit of a pun.
"MOODEAUX is partly a cheeky play on the term 'eau de parfum,' one of the most popular fragrance applications sold today. However, when you dissect our name, you may notice it's really two words squished together: 'mood' and 'eaux,' which in french translates to 'waters.' Overall, MOODEAUX emphasizes and celebrates the role emotions and feelings play in our daily lives."
-Brianna Arps
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4. MOODEAUX's mission statement was inspired by Brianna's grandmother's mantra of "Flaunt how you feel."
"When the world commands you to shrink, we say do the opposite. As a clean fragrance label that prioritizes individuality over trends, our mission is to empower people to showcase pride in all of who they are—out loud and without permission. More than just another beauty brand, we're here to keep it real by inspiring you to rediscover yourself with scents that bring innovation, creativity, representation and diversity to an exciting niche."
-Brianna Arps
(Photo credit: Ryan Stokes)
5. The best piece of advice she's ever been given came from someone with a lot of business know-how.
"Serial beauty entrepreneur Melissa Butler schooled me on the 'positive' side of failure when I used to work at TLB, formerly known as The Lip Bar. When you give yourself grace to fail and when you fail at something fast, you'll likely find yourself better equipped to recoup and attribute the misstep to your actions versus your actual ability to succeed."
-Brianna Arps
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6. The habit of never taking 'no' for an answer has gotten her to where she is today.
"If there's a will, there's a way—even if navigating to an end result turns out different than how I originally envisioned it. That's the kicker! I try to avoid letting my resilience play me from resisting positive change; perspective matters. Practicing discipline with how I spend my resources, especially time, has also been crucial, as well as learning when to delegate tasks and projects, which goes hand-in-hand these days."
-Brianna Arps
(Image courtesy of Brianna Arps)
7. She truly believes that finding your signature scent is a matter of trial and error.
"Once you've narrowed down options, follow your own nose by picking something that smells great to you! You may even decide on multiple fragrances that speak to your different moods. I know this sounds like a big 'duh.' However, it's true. Fragrance is so personal, so I always say to avoid getting too caught up in any hype or rules set by others."
-Brianna Arps
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8. She feels super blessed to wake up every morning with creativity and connection on her mind.
"MOODEAUX's growing community and the excitement they have for us makes fragrance all the more fun! Hearing and reading their stories about how we impact their lives and how they've integrated us into special moments—first day at a new job, weddings, bonding with a relative—means the world to me. I never want to take any of it for granted!"
-Brianna Arps
9. MOODEAUX's line is also evolving to include even more incredible scents.
"We've been in the lab cooking up our next launch, which fuses together masculine and feminine auras for more of a unisex vibe that celebrates the beauty of individuality. Keep an eye out on our socials for more information!"
-Brianna Arps
(via MOODEAUX)
To learn more about our favorite brands and the incredible women behind them, click HERE to read our interview with BAKEUP Beauty co-founder Jo Baker.