The Maker

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Indie, hotel-born fragrances blending bohemian sensuality with clean, gender-inclusive formulas.

Indie Official Website

About The Maker

The Maker is an American lifestyle fragrance brand created by beauty industry veterans Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, cofounders of Fresh, after years of global travel and work in beauty and hospitality. The business was founded around 2018 and first took shape as The Maker Hotel, a highly curated property in Hudson, New York that opened in 2020 as an immersive space celebrating art, design, and sensual living. The fragrance line followed in 2021 with an initial launch of six genderless eaux de parfum and scented candles that translate the hotel’s atmosphere and the founders’ travel fantasies into perfume.

Headquartered in Hudson and operating e-commerce out of New York, The Maker focuses on clean, vegan, cruelty-free compositions with gender-inclusive positioning and a pronounced bohemian sensibility. Core scents such as Fire, Libertine, Naked, Paradiso, Wild, and Stag sketch out a spectrum from bright citrus and airy musks to dense woods, leather, and vanilla, while later additions like Lover, Dream, Revel, and other extensions broaden that palette. Stag won the Fragrance Foundation’s Indie Fragrance of the Year award in 2022, giving the brand early recognition within the niche and indie segment.

The Maker’s perfumes are described by the brand and retailers as layered, sultry, and overtly sensual, often referencing travel narratives, hotel life, and intimate encounters rather than traditional perfume advertising tropes. The line sits at premium to luxury price points, distributed through its own site, The Maker Hotel shop, and selected partners including Sephora, BlueMercury, Bergdorf Goodman, and others. Beyond fragrance, The Maker has expanded into candles, glassware, and home decor, maintaining a consistent aesthetic built around vintage objects, curated spaces, and an emphasis on atmosphere and mood.

At a Glance

The Brand

Founded 2018
Founder Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg
Country United States
Category Indie

Scent Personality

Sweetness
Moderate
Freshness
Moderate
Boldness
High
Uniqueness
High

Worth It?

Price ££££
Value
Moderate
Accessibility
High

Scent DNA

Woody Musky Amber Vanilla Citrus
  • The Maker’s scents lean into overt sensuality and intimate, hotel-inspired storytelling, often framed as travel fantasies and encounters rather than abstract concepts
  • Compositions typically balance smooth woods, musk, and vanilla with fruits, florals, and citrus, producing plush, atmospheric blends that feel warm and lived-in rather than sterile or minimalist
  • There is a consistent bohemian, slightly decadent undertone that makes the line recognizable across very different note structures

Top Notes

Bergamot Juniper

Heart Notes

Floral Musk Fig

Base Notes

Leather Sandalwood Vanilla Vetiver

Typical Performance

Longevity
Long
Projection
Moderate

Positioning

A indie, luxury house known for woody compositions.

How It Compares

Who It's For

Best For

  • Evening wear and intimate settings
  • Fans of hotel and travel inspired storytelling in perfume
  • Unisex fragrance collectors who like woods and musk
  • Niche-leaning department store shoppers
  • Gift buyers seeking sensual, design-forward packaging

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

  • Strong, coherent brand narrative rooted in hotel and travel fantasies
  • Gender-inclusive, clean, vegan, cruelty-free positioning that aligns with current consumer values
  • Distinct sensual, bohemian aesthetic that sets it apart from many mainstream designer houses
  • Solid distribution mix across niche-friendly and prestige retailers

Weaknesses

  • High price point relative to materials and concentration may limit perceived value
  • Sensual, musky style may feel heavy or too intimate for those who prefer crisp or understated scents
  • Portfolio still relatively small, with less breadth than longstanding niche houses
  • Storytelling focus can overshadow technical details for buyers who care about perfumer and structure

Brand Evolution

The Maker began as a hotel concept and then expanded into fragrance, candles, and curated home goods, retaining hospitality at its core. The perfume line has grown from the initial six launch scents in 2021 to a broader collection including hero products like Lover and Dream as the brand builds out its narrative around sensual lifestyles and travel fantasies. Recent distribution moves into Sephora and other prestige retailers suggest a shift from ultra-curated hotel boutique toward wider yet still premium availability. Investment from True Beauty Ventures signals plans to scale while preserving its indie identity and hospitality-driven DNA.

Quick Verdict

If you like plush, sensual, story-driven perfumes and the romance of hotel life, The Maker is worth exploring. If you prefer highly experimental compositions or budget-friendly minimalism, this line will feel polished but not essential.

The Maker Perfumes