Maekaeda Gibbons, CEO of popular fragrance brand Brown Sugar Babe, calls herself a “reluctant winner.” From the workings of her kitchen and $300, to a 20-million-dollar brand with no investors, the entrepreneur has created an empire of body and perfume oils that have won the hearts of fragrance lovers all over. Now Gibbons is celebrating the opening of her first storefront in Atlanta. Located at Peoplestown’s burgeoning Terminal South, Brown Sugar Babe is finally bringing its accessible luxury to the noses of the people in person at its flagship location.
“I love Atlanta, and this is home,” Gibbons said. “It feels wonderful to stop and think that this was just once an idea, and now we are here.”
Photo by Laura Nwogu/The Atlanta Voice
That idea began to build when Gibbons was just a child. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, her mom migrated to the U.S. when she was six. As a self-soothing tool whenever she missed her mom, Gibbons shared that she would press the fabric of her mother’s clothes to her nose to remember her scent. Throughout the years, Gibbons continued to use fragrance to maintain her stress levels, especially when she became a loan officer at Bank of America. She found that just a whiff of a pleasing scented oil to start her day immediately energized her and changed her mood.
“I think a lot of people don’t understand how fragrance impacts their mental health, how fragrance impacts their mood. And I think, with how we do it, it really invigorates people.”
That form of aromatherapy quickly caught the attention of her colleagues, friends, and family, who soon began enlisting Gibbons to make oils for them. “Eventually it snowballed into, ‘Hey, I probably need to start charging you guys,’” Gibbons said with a laugh. She launched a website and, seven years later, has built a multimillion-dollar brand.
It’s a testament to the community of Black women and fragrance enthusiasts she has created. Every aspect of Brown Sugar Babe is an ode to Black women, Black culture, and self-empowerment, from its name — inspired by D’Angelo’s “Brown Sugar” — to the cleverly-titled perfume and body oil scents such as Rich Aunty, Mint Conditioned, Bad & Bougie, and What Ahhh Man. Known for its long-lasting scents, projection, and dupes of popular high-end perfumes, Gibbons said she worked with chemistry partners to bring affordable yet rich scents to her customers.
“It had to be relatable to the women that I knew. It had to be relatable to the audience. Obviously, we are for everyone, but I feel like Black women really put it on and drive the conversation in a lot of ways. And so, I wanted to make sure, from the images to the copy in our ads, spoke to everything we are.”
The space is a blend of shades of brown, wrapped in the aroma of creative excellence and hard work. The storefront features a discovery station where guests can apply the brand’s top 40 oils to their skin or use atomizers to test and discover their new favorite fragrance before purchasing. A layering lab is a unique aspect of the store where guests can further their experience by receiving consultations and recommendations from local influencers on how to layer scents that best complement their skin and create a personalized scent profile.
Gibbons said she also hopes to host community and fragrance events such as bridal showers, birthdays, and fragrance education events. Atlanta is just the first location that Gibbons plans to open in the U.S., with a look toward international commerce in the future.
“I just wanted to make fragrances. That’s literally all. I don’t want to be in the spotlight. I literally just love making the product. I found this hornet’s nest of like-minded women on the internet who also love fragrance. And that’s exactly what this is.
“I hope for this store to be a community space for people who are just as geeked about fragrances as I am. We hope to enrich and teach and fellowship with ‘fragheads’ from across Atlanta.”