She Wanted Her Car to Smell Nice. She Ended Up Building a Fragrance Business

There are two versions of the family car. There is the one we imagined buying, with clean seats, organised compartments and a sensible little rubbish bag. Then there is the one we actually drive, where a child announces, “Something smells,” while sitting directly above a yoghurt pouch they lost three days ago.

We spend a remarkable amount of life in these spaces. We eat hurried breakfasts in them, negotiate sibling disputes, take work calls and occasionally sit in the driveway for an extra minute because nobody inside the house knows we are home yet. Wanting the car to feel a little more pleasant hardly seems unreasonable.

For Ann-Maree, founder of Amaree Collection, the desire for a more enjoyable everyday fragrance became the beginning of a business. Her hanging car diffuser, topped with preserved flowers, became one of the brand’s best-selling products, according to her: What started with oils and equipment in a spare bedroom grew into a brand bringing together fragrance, preserved flowers and a belief that beautiful things should be enjoyable to use every day.

Before she was developing diffusers, she was working full-time as a kickboxing instructor. Her career change began quietly, with curiosity, experimentation and the thought that perhaps she could create the products she had been looking for herself.

It Started With “Why Can’t I Find One I Actually Like?”

Most of us have bought a fragrance product with high hopes, only to discover that our lounge room now smells like a particularly enthusiastic perfume counter. Alternatively, the scent makes a brief appearance before disappearing, leaving behind a decorative bottle and a lingering question about what, exactly, we paid for.

Ann-Maree had her own frustrations. Around 2021 and earlier, she struggled to find fragrances that lasted and felt comfortable for her to be around. Some felt overpowering or gave her headaches, while others did not deliver the experience she wanted.

“I wanted something that felt cleaner and softer in a space. Something you could notice and enjoy but that did not completely take over the room.”

That frustration shaped her hanging car diffuser, which was designed to be noticeable without taking over.

Her interest in fragrance and flowers prompted her to learn more. She enrolled in an online course, bought equipment and oils from local suppliers and began experimenting in her spare bedroom around her work as an instructor. It became a creative outlet, with room to test combinations and work out what she enjoyed making.

“There was not really one big moment where I thought, “This is going to become a business.” It happened quite naturally.”

Friends and family became her early testers. Their encouragement helped her consider whether the products could become something more than a personal project, giving her the confidence to take the next step. The spare bedroom was slowly acquiring a job description nobody had originally planned for it.

Something Pretty That Doesn’t Need Watering

There is a particular appeal to a beautiful household object that asks very little of you. Fresh flowers are lovely, but eventually require a vase clean-out that nobody volunteers for. Decorative cushions need rescuing from the floor, and a stylish tray can become the place everyone deposits things they cannot be bothered putting away.

Ann-Maree wanted her products to combine fragrance with something people would enjoy looking at. Preserved flowers became a distinctive part of the design, making the bottle a decorative element in its own right, whether it was sitting in a home, travelling in a car or being given as a gift.

“The preserved flowers became that extra element of beauty. I did not want the products to only smell amazing, I wanted them to look beautiful too.”

She was also clear about wanting the brand to feel accessible. Her idea of everyday luxury involved products that looked polished and special without requiring customers to save them for visitors or a significant occasion. There is something appealing about enjoying a lovely detail on an entirely ordinary Tuesday, even if the surrounding décor includes three drink bottles and an unfinished craft project.

“For me, Amaree Collection is really about making everyday luxury feel attainable. Beautiful fragrance, beautiful presentation and products people genuinely enjoy using, without the hefty luxury price tag.”

The Hangging Car Diffuser That Changed Because Customers Spoke Up

The family car has a demanding job description. It is transport, snack station, mobile wardrobe and the place where a child remembers an essential school item approximately four minutes after you have passed the last convenient turning point. Ann-Maree understood the appeal of making that environment feel more enjoyable.

Her original hanging car diffuser became one of the brand’s best-selling products, according to her account. But customer conversations revealed something worth changing: some people liked the fragrance without wanting anything hanging from their rear-view mirror.

“Customers loved the fragrance, but some told me they did not like having anything hanging from their rear-view mirror or obstructing their vision.”

A hanging car diffuser that gets in the way of the view is not much use, so she went back to the design.

That feedback led to the development of a vent clip option. The resulting 2-in-1 hanging car diffuser gives customers a choice about how they use it, while keeping the preserved flowers and refillable bottle.Fdu

“I listened to that feedback and knew the product needed to evolve. That is where the vent clip option came in. Now customers can choose whether they want to hang the diffuser from the mirror or clip it directly onto the air vent, depending on what works best for them.”

The hanging car diffuser now suits drivers who like the mirror and those who prefer the vent.

Ann-Maree says the hanging car diffuser lasts up to three months. For this founder feature, that is her stated product performance rather than a duration we have independently tested. The development story is interesting in its own right: someone raised a practical objection, she listened, and the product became more flexible.

Anyone who has ever purchased something beautiful that proved inconvenient to use will appreciate the value of that conversation. Sometimes the next good idea arrives as a customer saying, “I like it, but could it do this?”

Keep the Bottle, Refill the Fragrance

There is an oddly frustrating moment when a product runs out but its packaging remains perfectly good. You like the bottle, it looks lovely where it sits, and replacing the whole thing feels unnecessary. Ann-Maree wanted refills to form part of the way customers used her products from the beginning.

“Sustainability has also always been important to me. I wanted the products to be refillable and reusable, so customers are not constantly throwing away the bottle and starting again.”

She says the core range is designed with refills in mind, allowing customers to continue using the packaging. That gives the decorative bottle a role beyond its first fill and makes the product something people can keep in their routine. The same approach applies to the hanging car diffuser, where the bottle and preserved flowers stay put while the fragrance is topped up.

What goes into the bottle is also shaped by the people using it. Ann-Maree pays attention to the fragrances customers return for, what they ask about and which scents fail to connect. Testing involves considering how noticeable a fragrance is, how long it lasts and whether it feels pleasant to live with, alongside packaging, presentation and ease of use.

“I think that is such an important part of building a product people genuinely want. It cannot just be about what I personally like. I have to listen to the people using it.”

Try Selling a Smell Through Your Phone

A beautiful product photograph can show you the flowers, the bottle and exactly how well it might suit your shelf. Unfortunately, it cannot tell you whether the scent will remind you of a favourite holiday or something you would rather leave in the shop. Fragrance presents a particular challenge when customers are browsing online. Nobody can sniff a hanging car diffuser through a screen, which is why markets and events mattered so much.

For Ann-Maree, getting the products in front of people was one of the first major hurdles. She says it took close to a year to establish more consistent access to markets and events, where customers could experience the fragrances and speak with her directly.

“I knew I had something unique, but fragrance is such a competitive space and when you are brand new, you do not have the credibility or recognition that established brands already have.”

Those events created opportunities for conversations, feedback and discovery. Growth came through people trying the products, returning and recommending them to others, rather than through paid advertising.

“I have never relied on paid ads, so a lot of the growth has come through word of mouth, repeat customers and people discovering us at events.”

Now she hears people recognise the brand as they pass her stand. Some have received a product as a gift; others recognise the flowers in the bottle. For someone who once struggled to get into events, a casual “I know this brand” carries the weight of a great deal of work.

The Flowers Are Pretty. The Workload Is Substantial.

There is a reason small-business owners sometimes laugh when people mention how lovely it must be to choose their own hours. The choice frequently involves deciding which part of the weekend will become a workday. Ann-Maree manufactures the products herself, so production sits alongside the many other jobs required to keep the business running.

“Another big challenge is that I manufacture the products myself. I am not just buying finished stock and reselling it, so there is a lot more involved behind the scenes.”

That means thinking about ingredients, packaging, stock levels and demand while also managing the website, marketing, wholesale relationships and customer enquiries. She has learnt photography, design and email marketing along the way, adding skills as the business has required them.

Growth brings financial decisions, too. Ann-Maree describes putting much of the profit back into the business while balancing a broad range and increasing ingredient costs. Moving from home into a commercial warehouse was a significant turning point, bringing more space alongside additional expenses and responsibility.

“There have definitely been sacrifices too. Long days, late nights, weekends, travelling for events and constantly thinking about the business. But when I have those moments where I wonder if it is all worth it, I always come back to why I started.”

It is the part of a founder story the finished bottle cannot show. Customers see the flowers and the packaging; behind them are production schedules, stock decisions and a person working out how to keep everything moving.

When “What Is That Smell?” Is Actually a Compliment

For Ann-Maree, repeat customers are among the most rewarding signs that the work is connecting. Someone choosing to buy again tells her the product has become something they enjoy having in their life. She also loves hearing the stories behind how people discover the brand.

“Sometimes someone has walked into a room, a shop or even someone’s car and immediately asked, “What is that smell?” Then they go looking for the product themselves.”

In a family car, that question can go either way. In this instance, happily, it is a compliment, and it captures what she hoped to create: fragrance people notice in a way that makes them want to experience it again.

Her approach leaves room for different preferences. Some people want fresh and clean, others prefer floral, fruity, warm or comforting scents. She wants the range to help people create an environment that feels right for them.

“For me, the ultimate goal is not to tell someone how their home should feel. It is to give them the fragrance options to create the feeling they want, whether that is fresh, uplifting, calming, warm or simply beautiful.”

For parents, that is a welcome thought. Your house does not need to be completely organised before you enjoy something about it. A small detail can be pleasing even while the washing waits and somebody has built a substantial structure across the lounge room floor.

For the Person With an Idea They Keep Putting Off

At the time of our interview, Ann-Maree was preparing to launch a travel-size perfume range in early November. She described twist-lock perfumes designed to fit into a handbag, pocket or travel routine, continuing her interest in products that slot into everyday life.

Her longer-term ambitions include reaching more customers across Australia, expanding the brand’s retail presence and building a team. Having support with manufacturing and operations would allow her to share the daily workload while protecting the care she has put into the business.

That last ambition will resonate with anyone whose small business has gradually turned them into an entire department list. Learning to do everything can help get a business started; building towards a future where you can share the responsibility is another step.

For someone still waiting to feel ready to pursue an idea, Ann-Maree’s advice comes directly from her own experience.

“My advice to anyone sitting on a business idea would be not to wait until you feel completely ready, because I do not think you ever do.”

The business she runs today looks different from the one she began. Products have evolved, customer feedback has shaped decisions and her confidence has grown through working things out as she goes. As she puts it, “You do not need to know exactly where the business will end up. You just need enough confidence to take the first step.”

For Ann-Maree, that first step involved a course, some oils and a spare bedroom. The warehouse, repeat customers and recognisable flower-filled bottles came later, built through a series of decisions that began with wanting something different for her own everyday life.

Explore the hanging car diffuser, fragrance range, refill options and floral designs at Amaree Collection.