When you spritz perfume on your body, the idea is that you will attract others and leave a pleasant impression on whomever you come in contact with that day, because of how you smell.
But what if you could leave a more meaningful impression not just by how you smell, but what that smell “looks” like?
That’s the idea behind Amkiri, a company that recently launched the world’s first visual fragrance technology. The founders – a trio of a mother-daughter team and a veteran entrepreneur from Israel – developed a product that includes scented ink you can apply to your skin yourself using specifically developed applicators, creating sophisticated (and temporary) body art infused with fragrance.
“As a designer, and a very visual and expressive person, I initially came up with the notion of Amkiri for my own personal needs,” founder Shoval Shavit Shapiro said. “I have always loved fragrances, fashion and cosmetics, and kept trying to blend the three while experimenting constantly.
“I asked myself how I could create a fragrance that is visual. I wanted to blend makeup, tattoos and fragrances in one product,” Shapiro continued. “Fast-forward three years, and with fantastic co-founders, investors and team, we have made this dream come true, with a product which has been designed for all, that we can’t wait to share with everyone.”
Amkiri’s technology allows fragrance to be carried in liquid “ink,” while ensuring the scent remains true to itself and lasts for up to 12 hours. The ink adapts to the natural elasticity and movement of the skin, enabling any visual designs created by the user to dry smoothly and last as long as the user intends.
The team just won first place in the JournEY israel “ThePITCH” contest, winning a $250,000 prize. The Amkiri product has been available on a limited basis since May, with a wider launch expected later in the year.
“We needed to create a whole new category in the beauty industry, which involved formulating fragrance in a color form, and inventing applicators, which did not exist,” co-founder and chairman David Chissick said.
Source: Visual fragrance is a thing, and this company just won a major award for it
