Blending fragrance with thoughtful design, Feigrance BN is a homegrown lifestyle brand creating products that encourage people to slow down, reconnect with themselves and embrace small moments of self-care.
Through its signature heart-shaped solid perfume keychains, the brand combines scent, functionality and storytelling, transforming an everyday essential into something both practical and personal.
Founded by Nyau Zhi Fei, better known as Fei, Feigrance BN reflects her belief that fragrance should do more than simply smell pleasant. Instead, it should evoke emotion, provide comfort and become a gentle reminder to pause amid the demands of daily life.
“I’ve always believed that something as simple as a scent can change how we feel,” said Fei.
Image: Feigrance BN
“A familiar fragrance can bring comfort, boost our mood or help us unwind after a long day,” she added.
That simple philosophy eventually grew into Feigrance BN, although its beginnings were far more modest.
While pursuing her degree in Design and Creative Industries at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Fei developed the concept as her final year project, never expecting it to continue beyond graduation.
However, after launching the collection during Spectrum: Stellar 2025 and selling out 100 perfume keychains, she realised there was genuine interest in the idea and decided to pursue it as a business.
“It made me realise Feigrance had the potential to grow beyond the classroom,” she shared.
A passion shaped by creativity and emotion
Long before Feigrance became a business, Fei had always been fascinated by the emotional connection people have with scent. As she explored the perfume industry during her studies, she noticed that many brands focused on luxury, appearance and exclusivity, with little emphasis on emotional well-being.
Wanting to offer something different, she began developing a product that combined fragrance with thoughtful design, creating an experience that people could carry with them wherever they went.
The idea eventually evolved into Feigrance’s signature heart-shaped solid perfume keychain, allowing users to refresh their scent without carrying a perfume bottle.
Image: Feigrance BN
More than a practical accessory, each keychain includes a hidden mirror and an uplifting message, transforming an ordinary touch-up into a small act of self-care. Every detail was intentionally designed to encourage people to pause, breathe and take a moment for themselves, even on the busiest days.
“I wanted to create something that was more than just another perfume,” she explained. “Since bag charms have become increasingly popular, I thought, ‘What if it could do more than simply decorate a bag?’”
The heart shape was equally intentional. Rather than choosing it purely for its appearance, Fei wanted it to represent love, comfort and the things people hold closest to them. It also reflects the brand’s tagline, “Carry your heart, carry your scent“, reinforcing the idea that fragrance can offer reassurance as much as it offers freshness.
Inspired by nature and tradition
In addition to the fragrance itself, Feigrance’s visual identity is heavily influenced by Chinese culture and the tranquillity of traditional Chinese gardens. Drawn to colourful, expressive designs, Fei wanted every aspect of the brand, from its pastel colour palette to its illustrations and packaging, to evoke a sense of calm and balance.
She believes Chinese gardens are carefully designed to encourage people to slow down, reconnect with nature and find inner peace, qualities she hopes customers experience whenever they interact with Feigrance. Those influences extend into the fragrances themselves, with each scent inspired by nature, Chinese philosophy and the emotional qualities associated with different essential oils.
Image: Feigrance BN
The current collection features five fragrances, Flourish Bloom, Cloud Hug, Serene Aura, Sunset Boost and Start Anew, each created to evoke a different feeling rather than simply offering a pleasant aroma.
Whether inspired by calmness, confidence, joy or fresh beginnings, every scent is accompanied by its own story, allowing customers to connect with the fragrance on a more personal level.
Among the collection, Cloud Hug has become Feigrance’s signature scent. Inspired by the gentle flow of Qi, or life energy, it blends chamomile, jasmine and sandalwood to create what Fei describes as “a warm embrace after a long day”.
“I think people naturally gravitate towards warm, comforting scent. Even the name ‘Cloud Hug’ evokes a feeling of warmth, comfort and relaxation before customers experience the fragrance itself,” she shared.
Creating fragrance with care
Feigrance’s products are also shaped by Fei’s own experiences. Having lived with eczema, she often found conventional alcohol-based perfumes irritating to her skin, prompting her to look for a gentler alternative that was both nourishing and practical for everyday use.
That personal challenge inspired her to develop an alcohol-free solid perfume using essential oils, shea butter and coconut oil, creating a formula that is moisturising while remaining suitable for sensitive skin.
Developing the final product took around six months of research, testing and refinement as Fei worked to achieve the right balance between scent performance, texture and skin comfort. While natural solid perfumes do not last as long as alcohol-based fragrances, she believes being transparent with customers is far more important than making unrealistic promises.
Image: Feigrance BN
“Rather than making unrealistic promises, I prefer to be transparent with my customers,” she shared. “Since the perfume is always attached to your bag, reapplying throughout the day is quick and convenient. To me, honesty builds much stronger trust than exaggerating a product’s performance.”
Building connections through storytelling
Although Feigrance is still a relatively young brand, it has steadily built a loyal following through pop-up events, exhibitions and word of mouth. Introducing solid perfume to the Bruneian market has not been without its challenges, as many customers are unfamiliar with the concept. Rather than viewing that as a setback, Fei embraces every interaction as an opportunity to introduce people to a different fragrance experience.
“The biggest challenge has been education,” she explained.
“Since solid perfume is still relatively unfamiliar in Brunei, I spend a lot of time explaining how it works and what makes it different from traditional perfumes. It’s definitely a slower journey than selling something people already recognise, but seeing customers understand the concept and then come back for refills makes every conversation worthwhile.”
Her background in design has also shaped the way she approaches branding, believing that customers connect with stories as much as they do with products.
From the pastel colour palette and carefully designed displays to the fragrance names and scent cards, every detail has been thoughtfully considered to create a consistent experience. Even the gift boxes are hand-tied with ribbon, reflecting her desire to make every purchase feel like receiving a heartfelt gift.
“People don’t just remember products, they remember how a brand makes them feel,” she said. “Every fragrance comes with its own scent card so customers can discover the inspiration behind it and connect with it on a deeper level.”
Image: Feigrance BN
Among the many conversations she has shared with customers, it is often the simplest moments that leave the greatest impression.
One customer with sensitive skin told Fei she had always sprayed perfume only on her clothes because conventional fragrances irritated her skin, but after trying Feigrance she was finally able to wear perfume directly on her neck without discomfort. For Fei, stories like these reaffirm the purpose behind everything she creates.
She is equally encouraged by returning customers who proudly show her their growing collection of Feigrance keychains or stop by for refills months after their first purchase. To her, those familiar faces are a reminder that the brand has become part of people’s daily routines, something she values far more than sales alone.
Sustainability is another value that continues to shape the business. Customers are encouraged to refill their existing perfume keychains instead of purchasing new ones, and whenever possible, the keychains are cleaned and restored before being returned. While simple, the initiative reflects Feigrance’s commitment to creating products that are made to last rather than be easily replaced.
Although Feigrance is still a home-based business, Fei hopes to grow it into a lifestyle brand centred around scent and emotional well-being. Beyond solid perfumes, she envisions expanding into home fragrances, car diffusers and other everyday essentials, all designed to bring a sense of calm into people’s daily lives while remaining true to the values that inspired the brand from the beginning.
Her longer-term dream is to open a dedicated studio where customers can fully immerse themselves in the world of Feigrance. More than a retail space, she imagines it as a quiet retreat where visitors can discover fragrances at their own pace, learn the stories behind each collection and enjoy a brief escape from the pace of everyday life.
Image: Feigrance BN
Looking back on her entrepreneurial journey, Fei hopes aspiring creatives will have the confidence to pursue ideas they genuinely believe in, even if the path ahead seems uncertain. She believes every challenge offers an opportunity to learn, and that authenticity remains one of the most valuable qualities a business can possess.
“Don’t wait for the perfect time because it rarely comes,” she advised. “Start with what you have, even if it isn’t perfect. Every mistake teaches you something, and every challenge helps you grow. Most importantly, create something you genuinely believe in.”
As Feigrance continues to evolve, Fei hopes the brand will inspire people to see fragrance differently, not simply as something that smells pleasant, but as a source of comfort, a thoughtful gift or a gentle reminder to pause and care for themselves. For her, success is measured not only by the number of products sold, but by knowing that something she created has become part of someone’s everyday life.
“My hope is that more people discover that fragrance can be more than just something that smells nice,” she concluded.
“It can become a small source of comfort, a meaningful gift, or simply a gentle reminder to pause, breathe and take care of yourself.”
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
