summer fragrances

Meleg Perfumes was founded by Matthew Meleg, a self-trained perfume enthusiast, in 2020.

It’s impossible to consider Meleg Perfumes without taking into account Matthew Meleg himself. “There is no separation between myself and the perfumes. Each one has a story behind it, and they’re kind of like diary entries,” the Vancouver-based self-taught perfumer says.

Every component from the ingredients to the packaging is deliberate and conscientiously crafted. The box that holds each perfume is inspired by apple bins of the Meleg Orchard in Ontario. 

The goal? ”Thick, nuanced and layered with facets, I’m playing jazz here. Meleg Perfumes express liveliness and are recognized by their hedonistic character. Sometimes baroque and once in a while I’ll even throw a little Pop-Art as well – ode to fellow Slovak, Andy Warhol. And because I’m self taught, stubborn and unwilling to compromise with their compositions you’ll either love or hate my perfumes. My goal isn’t to please everyone. My goal is to make art, to celebrate being alive.” Matthew Meleg

As he suggests, his perfumes are mostly diary entries, they would detail a fascination with culture, history and sexuality. They also tell the story of a wayward journey – from growing up on a farm to a difficult family life to dropping out of Emily Carr University, to his decade of living in Japan. His scents are unapologetic, nuanced and complex, much like Meleg himself. 

What drew us to the brand?

We pride ourselves on being a beauty destination that features curated brands from around the world. Simon, Etiket’s founder, carefully selects beauty, fragrance and lifestyle brands that are well-established, or up-and-coming like Meleg Perfumes.

We asked Simon what prompted him to add to add Meleg Perfumes to our fragrance lineup. This was his answer:

”I am always looking for new brands, especially Canadian brands to add to our assortment. I was excited when I had a call from Matthew to talk about his new fragrance collection because we don’t have that many Canadian perfumers. We already carry three Canadian perfume brands: Monsillage, Zoologist and Libertine Fragrance and Meleg Perfumes made a perfect addition. Matthew’s approach to fragrance comes not only from his personal experience and travels but from being a self-taught perfumer who has pushed himself to make innovative and beautiful fragrances often rooted in a Canadian heritage with inspiration from his travels around the world.”

We currently carry 12 of the Meleg Perfumes in our store and on our website. If you’d like to test some of the fragrances, you can always purchase samples through our sample program, or stop by the store!