Perfume Rebels: NOYZ’S Shaun Neff on Fusing Art, Community, and Philanthropy Through Fragrance
Crowned by Forbes as a fashion and lifestyle brand whisperer, Shaun Neff is no stranger to the fragrance industry, having launched beloved beauty brands like Florence by Mills. His new venture, NOYZ, merges his passions for art, community, and philanthropy through fragrance. Exclusively launched at Harrods, NOYZ aims to promote a space for inclusivity, innovation, and sustainability. We catch up with Shaun to explore the creation of NOYZ and his vision for its unique scents.
What does the power of scent mean to you?
I don’t consider myself a fragrance ‘expert’ but I know when something smells good. I’ve always been intrigued by the ability of a scent to transport you to a favourite memory, create a different vibe, or form a new headspace. Fragrance is very personal, and to me, it’s something I use before heading out the door.
How does NOYZ aim to disrupt the fragrance market?
In an industry long rooted in hyper-filtered fantasy, we saw a massive white space in the fragrance market for a brand grounded in realism. We feel more people will relate to our Sh**ty Day fragrance rather than to a perfect hair flip with an 18-pack of abs or flawlessly riding a beautiful white horse in a magical meadow.
Our goal is to create fragrances inspired by real storytelling that people can actually relate to—scents that smell great and make our community feel great wearing them. We’ve partnered with Jérôme Epinette, one of the best and most acclaimed perfumers in the industry, to create fragrances that deliver—they are truly unique, with a rebellious edge that pushes boundaries, and most importantly, they have unmatched quality and staying power.
What has the process been like in bringing the brand to life?
I’m a very visual person, so during the initial concept phases, it involved a lot of going through images and mood boards as a team. There was one image in particular that really struck me. It was of a girl who looked like she just had the worst day. It was so evocative and raw, making you feel like, ‘yeah, we’ve all been there’.
Right then, I knew one of our fragrances had to be called Sh**ty Day—now, that is something people can relate to. If today kinda sucks, that’s okay, and if putting on this fragrance helps you feel better by giving you a reset, a deep breath, or just knowing you’re not alone, we’ve done our job.
The team behind NOYZ is incredible, and it’s been an amazing journey bringing this brand to life.
Given our rebellious DNA, we’ve created space to break some rules and do things differently, which I love.
For example, for our launch event with Harrods, we took over their loading bay and transformed it into a speakeasy-like warehouse party—something they have never done before.
I’m so grateful to Mia and the team at Harrods for trusting us and really leaning into the vision.
As a brand, we’ll continue to do things that are unexpected, fresh, and push boundaries—from our products to our partnerships and marketing.
How have your marketing campaigns challenged consumers’ perceptions of fragrance?
Not everything or everyone is perfect, and we wanted to celebrate that with our visuals, our packaging, and our storytelling.
Our fragrance names are inspired by real stories and raw feelings, and our bottle is intentionally off-kilter. Fragrance has traditionally been seen as inaccessible, or a gateway to luxury that only certain people can understand and experience.
We aim to demystify it through education, transparency, and accessible price points, sharing content on our social platforms about ingredients, notes, and explaining “insider” fragrance terms so that we can all have fun and experiment with fragrance.
How do you encourage the consumer to explore NOYZ fragrances?
By repositioning fragrance as an accessory versus just the singular “signature scent”, we can unlock a new world of creativity and self-expression.
We champion building your fragrance wardrobe, switching up your scents based on your mood, layering, and mixing it up to create something uniquely you.
Who is the perfumer behind the brand and how have they brought the scents and stories to life?
Our launch collection of four core scents and our Parfum collaboration with Damon Baker —Monochrome— were all developed by Jérôme Epinette. Jérôme is known for innovating traditional fragrance techniques and has developed some of the most iconic scents on the market today, so he was a clear choice for us.
We’re honoured to be working with him and the team at Robertet. He’s been able to perfectly capture the essence of NOYZ, creating incredible, genderless scents that have an unexpected and unique edge with each fragrance.
Across NOYZ’s vast fragrance portfolio, can you give us examples of some of the fragrances and what purpose they serve for the consumer?
Loveclub is a fruity, floral, woody composition with s hypnotic and addictive allure. Notes of Turkish Pink Rose, Saffron, and Ebony Woods hit you with an unexpected compliment. The best part about Love Club? Everyone’s invited.
Our ambery and woody Unmute is sweet and dangerous, with a beguiling vanilla that feels upgraded, made to be craved with notes of juicy Black Plum and spicy Spanish Cistus. It’s loud, bold, unmute.
Lost + Found is citrusy and woody with a fresh and clean vibe, like close skin contact. It pulls you in and won’t let you go. Italian Lemon, Jasmine, and Cedarwood send a soft, citrus kick that keeps you on the mind, leaving a trail so you can be found, lingering on the sweatshirt you "accidentally" left behind.
Sh**ty Day is our amber and aromatic instant reset. If today kinda sucks, that’s okay. Notes of Ocean Air, Clary Sage, Salted Fig, and Baltic Amber tell you to own it. It’s a deep breath, a good laugh, the vent session you needed.
Last but not least, Monochrome is our floral scent with woody and complex smoky accents, balancing light and dark. It is an intimate scent collaboration by NOYZ x Damon Baker, made exclusively for Harrods.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
How do NOYZ’s fragrances encapsulate the motto 'smell good, do better'?
Smell Good. Do Better is our mission statement that encompasses our sustainable business practices and values, from ingredients to packaging and our impact work.
We believe in intentional development with our formulations, meticulously selecting each ingredient and partnering with top suppliers who share our mission of environmental responsibility.
All NOYZ formulas are certified vegan through the global organisation The Vegan Society and certified cruelty-free through PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies programme.
All our fragrances are formulated without parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, and animal by-products.
We always use FSC-certified, recyclable cartons with no unnecessary plastic cellophane covering. Our bottles are made from recycled glass and feature a threaded neck, making it easy to disassemble the cap and pump (which are considered hard-to-recycle parts) and recycle the bottle. Most fragrance bottles have what’s called a “crimped neck”, which makes these components difficult to separate and recycle, and we are combating this with our design.
NOYZ decided to partner with the charity CALM: why is this an important collaboration for you? And how do you see fragrance working to affect our mental health?
There’s so much pressure to be perfect online—from the beauty filters to the perfect vacations and perfect relationships—the reality is, most of it is fake.
It’s a highlight reel that’s unfair to compare to our real lives. Given our brand story and DNA, it was important for us to use our platform to start real, unfiltered conversations around mental health to help eliminate the stigmas that still exist today. We’re proud to partner with CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) as a leading organisation in this space, dedicated to driving awareness and providing important services, resources, and tools to support our mental health.
We know our fragrances aren’t going to save the world, but I think we’ve all had an experience where scent has played a role in transporting us to a different mood, given us a boost of energy, or made us feel more relaxed when we need it. I hope that our fragrances and the stories we’re sharing make people feel good in their skin, and know that it’s okay to not be perfect.
What innovations are exciting you about the fragrance industry that are being implemented within NOYZ?
The fragrance category is exploding right now, so I’m excited by the idea of innovating the fragrance experience overall. We’re currently developing new fragrance formats, launching later this year, that not only deliver performance but are elevated, fun, and can integrate fragrance as a part of your lifestyle. I’m also excited by the new scent profiles we have in development for 2025 as well as partnerships and collaborations that will continue to push the boundaries.