Meet TikTok-Viral Perfumer Funmi Monet

Jun 13, 2023

Sourdough bread, niche fashion communities, and daily walks are some of the many things that went TikTok viral during the 2020 lockdown. Another which no one really saw (or smelt) coming was perfume! Now, “Perfume TikTok” has taken a life of its own since lockdown with people sharing everything from their entire collection to their bedtime scent to their sneaky link signature. A woman who has undoubtedly left her mark in this space is Funmi Monet from Dallas, Texas. Within the past two years, she has built an engaged audience amassing over 166,500 followers across social media, with TikTok being her biggest arena.

Owning over 200 fragrances, Funmi has gone TikTok viral a number of times and became a go-to reviewer offering such a wealth of knowledge on all sorts of smells from her all-time favorites, gourmands to woody scents to ouds. With her comedic and gentle flair, she roasts perfumes that may be your signature scent, but don’t take it to heart because she means it in jest. Funmi stands by the fact that everyone should wear whatever they want to wear no matter what anyone has to say about it — including her!

In this day and age where we have a sea of influencers, there aren’t many who are able to describe scents in such an alluringly and eloquent way that encourages people to buy without smelling first. But, after the 31-year-old spoke about one of her favorite designer perfumes, Givenchy l’interdit Rouge, in a viral TikTok, people like myself ran to stores. Speaking to Teen Vogue, Funmi shares how she became TikTok’s “Fave Fragrance Auntie.”

Funmi shares that she has had a thriving collection since her early 20s, but it really took a life of its own when she started working at a perfume department during college. “That was when Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb was very popular. I was getting really high sales with this one,” she tells Teen Vogue. “Working there was an opportunity for me to learn about smells, the performance, what goes into creating a fragrance”.

Perfume has become one of the latest “Black Girl Luxury” staples. The movement received backlash from critics for being too elitist, however, Funmi smartly sums up why perfume can play a crucial part in a luxurious lifestyle. “You might not be able to buy a Chanel bag, but you can save and buy your first Chanel perfume. You might not be able to go and drop $3,000 on a new pair of shoes, but you might be able to spend $250 on maybe a Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrance. You might be able to spend on luxury high-end fragrances, which yes are a little bit more expensive, but they’re still accessible for the average person who wants to save up a little bit.”

Funmi knows these can still be too expensive and that’s why she firmly believes that everyone should be able to smell expensive on a budget. She frequently creates videos suggesting perfumes under $30. She adds: “It’s fascinating because it allows you to be able to still have some type of luxury in your life. You can still feel good about yourself and still feel like you’ve splurged but you don’t have to buy a Hermès bag. This is accessible luxury,” she says.

Given how popular she had become from recommending perfumes, it only made sense that Funmi created her own fragrance, Exalté. “When I had an opportunity with my business partner to actually work with one of the best perfume labs in France, with a really well-renowned perfumer, I just jumped at the opportunity because it’s a dream come true,” she says. “In my mind, I know all these things I like and working with a perfumer allowed me to be able to basically have a vision that he could execute.”

Some perfumes Funmi has often mentioned on her page are Gentle Fluidity GoldMy Way Intense, and La Yuqawam Jasmine Wisp. So it wasn’t a surprise that her debut scent, Exalté, has her favorite floral notes, specifically Turkish rose. Exalté also has a dash of jasmine, orange blossom, vanilla, and a sprinkle of lemon and pink pepper. And just like Funmi reviews perfume on her TikTok, other TikToker’s reviews of Exalté are pouring in. Black perfume experts such as Jade Alycebod describes it as “the most exciting package of the year” with over 8 hours staying power. Dami from The Perfume Stop calls it a “gorgeous rose niche perfume.”

Given how popular she had become from recommending perfumes, it only made sense that Funmi created her own fragrance, Exalté. “When I had an opportunity with my business partner to actually work with one of the best perfume labs in France, with a really well-renowned perfumer, I just jumped at the opportunity because it’s a dream come true,” she says. “In my mind, I know all these things I like and working with a perfumer allowed me to be able to basically have a vision that he could execute.”

Some perfumes Funmi has often mentioned on her page are Gentle Fluidity GoldMy Way Intense, and La Yuqawam Jasmine Wisp. So it wasn’t a surprise that her debut scent, Exalté, has her favorite floral notes, specifically Turkish rose. Exalté also has a dash of jasmine, orange blossom, vanilla, and a sprinkle of lemon and pink pepper. And just like Funmi reviews perfume on her TikTok, other TikToker’s reviews of Exalté are pouring in. Black perfume experts such as Jade Alycebod describes it as “the most exciting package of the year” with over 8 hours staying power. Dami from The Perfume Stop calls it a “gorgeous rose niche perfume.”