How Octavia Morgan Became the First Black and Woman-owned Prestige Fragrance Brand to Enter Ulta Beauty
Octavia Morgan’s “clean” and unisex namesake fragrance brand is coming to Ulta Beauty on Tuesday. This marks the retailer’s first Black and woman-owned brand within the prestige fragrance category.
“I started this journey with the brand in 2018,” said Morgan, a Los Angeles native. “I started to develop fragrance sensitivity. When I would spray my fragrances, I would get these headaches. I would get nauseated, and where I would spray on my skin, I would get these little red marks.”
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She searched for a “clean” alternative, but nothing performed at the same level as her favorite prestige scents.
“I have a science background,” said Morgan, a registered nurse. “And my grandmother was an herbalist. So, I had a working knowledge of how to work with botanicals, plant extracts and different fragrance materials. So, I started to research, took classes.”
She created the brand’s first four fragrances and began hosting pop-ups in L.A. “We sold out,” she said of the first event. She had found her core consumer, those with fragrance sensitivity looking for rich, complex blends. Her bestseller is Dark Rose, with notes of pink peppercorn, plum, rose, cumin, vanilla, patchouli and labdanum, sold at $150 for 50 ml. or $45 for 10 ml.
“More than one-third of the U.S. population identifies as fragrance sensitive,” she explained.
She launched officially in January 2022 at OctaviaMorgan.com, starting in her kitchen before working with a lab, based in Florida with a branch in California. “Our consumers are women and men, they’re multicultural, multigenerational. And what’s great is as they discover a fragrance, they turn into loyal and repeat customers. Word of mouth has grown our customer base, and we’ve seen increase in sales and growth.”
Ulta Beauty took notice; Morgan has had a relationship with the retailer as part of its MUSE Accelerator program, which supports young beauty brands by diverse creators with the opportunity to prepare for retail growth.
“Ulta Beauty will bring significant value to our brand, because it will help us expand brand visibility, also retail credibility and trust, and it’ll help us expand customer reach, driving sales and accessibility, and increase our marketing and promotional support,” said Morgan.
The rollout at Ulta Beauty will begin in key U.S. markets, showcased on its “Sparked” displays, which highlight emerging brands that focus on diversity, inclusivity and innovation, before entering an additional 600 doors in March.
“Octavia Morgan is a brand that immediately captured our attention with its sophisticated approach to fragrance and dedication to clean, thoughtful formulations,” said Jessica Phillips, vice president of merchandising at Ulta Beauty, in a statement to WWD. “We’re excited to launch this inspiring brand through Sparked, which is designed to elevate emerging talent, beauty’s next trailblazers, and provide a platform for innovation. Octavia Morgan’s fragrances are a perfect fit for our growing assortment, combining dynamic artistry with transparency to deliver an experience that resonates with our conscious-minded guest. This launch not only reinforces Ulta Beauty’s commitment to clean and inclusive brands but also highlights the remarkable talent fostered by our MUSE Accelerator program.”
“What’s next for us is retail expansion, product line growth, of course, to increase our customer base, to get our brand out into the world and have more visibility, and to continue to scale and grow our brand,” added Morgan.
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