Cherry Ambition
Eau de Parfum
The 7 Virtues
Statement
The 7 Virtues
Socially driven Canadian perfume brand using fair trade, clean ingredients for approachable, unisex scents.
About The 7 Virtues
The 7 Virtues is a Canadian fragrance company founded by author and social entrepreneur Barb Stegemann around 2010. Stegemann has described how the idea was born after her close friend Captain Trevor Greene was gravely injured while serving in Afghanistan, and she pledged to continue his work by supporting peace through business. The brand started when she bought a small quantity of orange blossom oil from Afghan farmers as an alternative to the illegal opium poppy trade and turned it into the fragrance Afghanistan Orange Blossom, one of their early flagship scents.
From the beginning, The 7 Virtues has focused on sourcing fair trade, organic essential oils from countries rebuilding after war or social upheaval, including Afghanistan and other regions where legal agriculture can offer a path out of conflict economies. The company emphasizes clean-formula compositions, using organic sugarcane alcohol, lab-created ingredients free from phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and formaldehyde, and concentrations that can reach around 22 to 30 percent fragrance oils, which is notably higher than many standard eau de parfum formulas.
The line is sold widely through Sephora and is positioned as unisex, accessible fragrance with a wellness twist, highlighting aromatherapeutic effects such as stress relief, focus, or mood support in its scent descriptions. All products are vegan, Leaping Bunny certified, and marketed as cruelty-free and gluten-free, aligning the brand with consumers who prioritize ethical sourcing and ingredient transparency alongside modern, easy-to-wear compositions.
At a Glance
The Brand
Founded
2010
Founder
Barb Stegemann
Country
Canada
Category
Indie
Scent Personality
Worth It?
Scent DNA
Gourmand
Fruity floral
Aromatic
Clean musky
- The 7 Virtues fragrances commonly blend bright fruits and florals with creamy gourmands and soft musks, designed to feel easygoing rather than challenging
- Formulas lean on clean, allergen-conscious construction and higher oil concentrations, so the scents often feel smooth and polished rather than rough or experimental
Top Notes
Heart Notes
Base Notes
Typical Performance
Longevity
Long
Projection
Moderate
Positioning
A indie, mid house known for gourmand compositions.
How It Compares
Who It's For
Best For
- Daily casual wear
- Office and school environments
- Gifting to newer fragrance users
- Ethical and clean-beauty shoppers
- Unisex sharing within a household
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Clear ethical sourcing and social mission behind the ingredients
- Clean-formula, vegan and cruelty-free positioning with good transparency
- Approachable, broadly appealing scent profiles suited to everyday wear
- Above-average longevity for a clean fragrance line
Weaknesses
- Scent structures can feel safe and repetitive if you prefer avant-garde perfumery
- Gourmand-leaning sweetness may be too much for strict fresh or minimalist fans
- Limited ultra-dark, animalic, or challenging compositions for niche enthusiasts
Brand Evolution
The 7 Virtues began with fairly straightforward, mission-centered perfumes like Afghanistan Orange Blossom focused on a single key ingredient from conflict-affected regions. Over time, the brand has expanded into more playful, gourmand and fruit-forward compositions such as Cherry Ambition and Lotus Pear while keeping the social enterprise sourcing model. Distribution has grown from small-scale launches to broad availability at Sephora, and the messaging has gradually blended peace entrepreneurship with the wider clean fragrance and wellness conversation.
Quick Verdict
This is a strong choice if you care about clean formulas and social impact and prefer friendly, modern gourmands and florals over edgy niche experiments. Hardcore fragrance collectors may find the line a bit safe, but the ethics-to-wearability ratio is hard to beat at the price.
