something so human it becomes magic

- A conversation with Britton Daley of Færal

One of the things I want to do here is introduce independent perfumers and small fragrance creators whose work feels personal.

I thought it would be nice to start with Britton, the perfumer behind Færal, based in Brooklyn, NYC. Her first fragrance, Minou, quickly found its way into the indie perfume world with its playful, nostalgic character.

We talked about creativity, nostalgia, and the strange intimacy of scent.

You describe Færal as an antidote to modern reality. What does “modern reality” feel like for you these days?

Everything feels really dystopic to be completely honest. I often feel like our time here, on this earth with these resources, is extremely fleeting. At the same time, we’re inundated with all of this corporatized creative output that is becoming less and less human by the day due to AI. So færal is definitely intended to feel deeply, eerily human, so much so that it transports you out of this world and into another more magical one. It’s like the opposite of the uncanny valley, maybe – something that feels so human, it transcends and becomes magic.

Before Færal existed, what was scent to you? Was there a moment when it became something more personal?

I’ve always been a very curious person. I’ve often felt like an alien discovering the world for the first time (I guess we all are, but this feeling is so loud in my mind). And as a kid, my parents really developed my palate to be pretty adventurous. So my earliest memories as a kid involve eating foods like fish heads at Korean restaurants and lots, lots of Thai food. I remember being about six at a Thai spot we frequented, opening up the dry condiments at the table and sniffing each one: first the peanuts, then sugar, and then chili peppers. I had a horrible sneezing fit, but that’s how I was experiencing the world, you know? Nose and mouth first.

Your writing feels intimate, almost like we’re stepping into your inner world. Where does that world come from?

I truly don’t know how to be any other way. I’m an only child and a Scorpio, so you’re either my best friend or an acquaintance and I don’t really do acquaintances. 

But really, I do appreciate that this comes through færal because it’s been a real joy to connect with so many people. People tell me about how their loved ones perceive Minou on their skin and about the special moments they experienced while wearing Minou. Before the release, I never realized how beautifully connected I would be to so many people as Minou becomes part of their day-to-day life.

You’ve spoken about being a disabled perfumer and about creating within certain limitations. How has that shaped the way you work with scent?

It has a huge impact on my work style. I have energy limiting chronic illnesses so you know how people say, “You have the same hours in a day as Beyonce”? Truly, honestly: I don’t. I have to rest between every activity, so I work on and off throughout the day. This usually goes from around 11 til 9.

I also have to be pretty organized, because when I’m working, I have to focus and move as efficiently as possible so I don’t waste energy. And finally, I have to make sure I don’t expose myself to too many scents early on in the day (or too many histaminergic substances overall) to ensure my nervous system can handle formulating and evaluating. 

On a more romantic note, fragrance takes us to places in our imaginations unlike any other medium and so it’s a delightful way to distract yourself from the mundanities of illness, if your body can handle it. I also feel that, in a lot of ways, living a slower lifestyle can make a person more present, more observant, and more savoring of each moment lived. That seems to fuel a lot of my creativity.

Do your perfumes feel like parts of you, or more like characters you’ve created?

What a great question! They really feel like both an extension of me and characters I’ve created. The more Minou lives in the world without me, the more she becomes her own character. People have imparted so many memories and vibes onto her that it feels like she’s living her own life now.

There’s often a mix of softness and something a bit wilder in your work. Is that something you think about consciously?

This is another one where elements central to my being show through so strongly in how I’m perceived through my work – it’s almost embarrassing! I am really, really both of those things: very soft, delicate, precious and also just extremely wild. I’m really, truly feral.

Nostalgia seems to run through what you create. Is it comfort for you, or something more complicated?

I’ve struggled with nostalgia most of my life. In a lot of my earlier years, I was always escaping something, so it’s taken me a long time to even look at photos from the last decades. But nostalgia has gotten more comforting the more dystopic the world gets and I’ve become kinder to my younger self the more I’ve been able to work with perfume.

When I was younger, I was always extremely creative and expressive but never found the right medium to communicate with large groups of people. So perfume helps me express myself, which has genuinely soothed a very frustrated inner child.

You’ve lived in New York for years, but you’re originally from Northern Michigan. Do those places show up differently in your work?

They absolutely do, yes! I will be so excited to share at least two Michigan-themed perfumes (one for Detroit, one for Northern Michigan – the two places with which I’m most familiar) very soon. I also have a very fun NYC-themed perfume in the concepting stage that I hope will come to life within the next year or so.

Minou feels playful and nostalgic, but also a little rebellious. What was going on in your mind while creating her?

I had just had a really hard 2-3 years, where I became really sick at the same time that my dog had a stroke. It was truly a brutal time, and my dog ended up dying ten months later. (He was fifteen, so he lived a long, beautiful life.) So when he passed, I made a commitment that I would put all of my energy into færal. 

Anyway two years later, after tinkering with a million overly complicated and fussy formulas, I decided to make something that just makes me happy. Seven versions later, Minou was born. 

The real inspiration for the concept and name comes from this meme: 

There are hints of sensuality in your imagery and storytelling, but never in an obvious way. What role does the body (or physical closeness/sexuality) play in how you think about scent?

It’s everything! I mean literally, it’s amazing how our nerves and brain sense smell. But I’ve also always been super curious about the smells of my own body. Basically any fluid from my body… I’ve smelled it. Perhaps this is because my body is constantly in flux due to illness. 

And of course, there’s a really special intimacy to smelling or sharing scent with a romantic partner. Overall, I’m a very sensorially focused person, so I’m not surprised that elements of my work feel sensual.

I saw your Cicciolina post and as a Hungarian, I love that reference. How does she fit into your world?

Ah shoot, I should’ve noted that she’s Hungarian-Italian in the caption. I’ll go fix that. 

I’ve been fascinated by her since I found out about her back in 2018. She’s so fabulously creative, she’s politically aware, and she is absolutely wild. The fact that Jeff Koons divorced her because she wouldn’t stop doing porn is just… chef’s kiss.

I also noticed hints about your next project. Are you playing with symbolism (pineapple and protein) there, or are we reading too much spice into it?

No, you’re reading exactly what you should be reading into it! ☺️ 

If someone discovered Færal through a single scent, what would you want them to feel?

I chose Minou as my debut project because I felt satisfied that it was communicating exactly what I wanted. And it sounds like I’ve represented myself accurately: playful, rebellious, and nostalgic. Those are definitely good places to start with my work. 

What does a moment of silence smell like to you?

Very interesting… perhaps not the most novel answer but I would say a dry, airy musk like ambroxan.

Thanks again to Britton for taking the time and sharing her thoughts and opening the door to the world of Færal! You can follow her work on Instagram and explore Færal on her website. And if you're curious about Minou, it might be a good place to start.