A fragrance range that weaves a narrative from mislaid memories, childhood dreams and long-forgotten hope; STORIES Parfums is a pilgrimage for the senses. Creative Director & Founder of the perfume house, Tonya Kidd-Beggs, curated each blend personally as a testament to the power of fragrance in her own life. Grasse, on the French Riviera, has a long-established fragrance history dating back to the 17th century. It was here that Tonya developed her first two perfumes, STORIES No. 01 and STORIES No. 02, using only the finest raw materials sourced from all over the world. Tonya employed time-honoured, traditional methods to formulate the perfumes while trusting her intuition to bring balance to the collection. STORIES Parfums is more than a range of luxurious beauty products, it is a journey of transformation. The hand & body range was developed in addition to the perfumes. The body washes are gentle cleansers full of moisturising properties including aloe vera, coconut oil and the deeply nourishing pro-vitamin B5. The body lotions provide a lightweight but rich treatment for the skin with ingredients such as shea butter, aloe vera, sweet almond oil, cocoa butter, marula seed oil and argan kernal oil. STORIES Parfums is a luxury fragrance house showcasing unique ingredients from around the world. Through the art of perfumery, Tonya pays tribute to the stories that have shaped her life, allowing the wearer to connect with their own story, past, present and future.

We speak to Tonya Kidd Beggs, the founder of Stories Parfums about why she started the brand and what makes her beauty products so special

Tell us a little about yourself, and what inspired you to create STORIES Parfums?

At STORIES Parfums we want to empower conversation through the fragrance memories that can heal, uplift, remind and reinforce what makes you uniquely you. This desire and want was built because of my grandmother. She was an extraordinary business woman and broke a lot of glass ceilings for women in Northern Ireland in her time. Sadly, I never met her but she always wore one particular scent and that smell is still what connects me to her today. It brings me joy and positivity as every fragrance should do.

Through the art of perfumery I tell my story in the hope that people would connect to their own story past, present and future. My story is just that, my story, but my hope is that my fragrances will be a gift to the wearer to connect to their own story, memories and aspirations – I liken what I do to a painting – the person experiencing the art always experiences something different to the next person.

What makes STORIES Parfums completely different to all the other beauty brands out there?

Let me tell you a little about the brand first, as it really is the core of how different and unique we are. I chose to stay at home with my children while they were young, and what started out as a new hobby and personal passion discovering perfumery, soon developed into a launching a niche fragrance brand. As my twin daughters got older I wanted to find something for myself to do, and as scent was always something that connected me to who I am and what matters to me I wanted to learn even more about the world of perfumery and develop my own fragrance, which led me to Grasse in the South of France. It was important that I worked with a perfumer who would be happy to teach me and also allow me to develop my own fragrances through my own intuition. It was during this time when I found that there is a unique connection with our sense of smell to our memories, I had such a mind-blowing connection with fragrance to the point where I was able to reconnect with memories from my childhood that had been blocked and forgotten. I left Grasse with my 2 new fragrances and a passion to tell my story of joy, healing and hope through my creations. That is the reason STORIES Parfums was born.

Fragrances have the power to connect us to the past but also gives us permission to stop in our busy day and connect to the now and make new memories for the future. Stories No 1 and No 2 mean so much to me and connect me to my story and continue to inspire my future and I invite others to do the same.

How do you get inspiration for your fragrances?

The inspiration comes from my true stories that shaped my life. The stories come to light as I work with blending of different notes, I do not work with a brief or what is on trend, I work like an artist and I tell my story through the art of perfumery through my nose and my own intuition.

What has been the most rewarding feedback you have received from a customer who has purchased one of your products?

Nothing rewards me more than when customers tell me how much joy one of our fragrances brings them – whether that’s connecting with the notes in a completely new and different way or the memories it reconnects them to. That’s always so special to hear and it brings me so much joy as it means the fragrances are truly serving their purpose.

Of the STORIES Parfums products that we are featuring on myza, which is your particular favourite and why?

That is like asking a mother which is her favourite child, I cannot possibly answer! I love them all the same! I love how personal both fragrances become to the wearer, but equally I love how the bath & body range transforms the skin and not simply an extension to the fragrances. The lotions and washes are packed full of nutrients and vitamins and are subtle enough to either wear alone for a hint of fragrance or perfect for layering with the fragrances for a longer lasting effect. All are perfumes and body care products are Cruelty Free, SLS and Paraben Free.

Where do you see STORIES Parfums being in the next five years?

As a brand we want to empower conversation through fragrance memories that can heal, uplift, remind and reinforce what makes you uniquely you and this vision will continue our story to come over the next 5 years and beyond. STORIES is dedicated to telling stories, expressing emotions and leading the way with sustainable and purposefully inclusive products. We will continue to launch new fragrances along with our existing body line and by the end of this year will have the introduction to our home fragrance line, which I cannot wait to share!

Finally, a few pearls of wisdom from you! Run us through your recipe for a great night’s sleep, and some do’s and don’ts that you recommend following, or including in a pre-sleep schedule.

I absolutely love my sleep and cannot survive with less that 8 hours, if I have a sleepless night I am worth nothing the next few days, I also feel it is imperative for our mental health and wellbeing. I have my usual routine with my skin care but I cover my whole body with my lotions, and I actually spray perfume on me before I get into bed. A perfume can be a hug in a bottle, a little joy when needed, it can be uplifting and relaxing all at the right time.