Abby Wallach is an award-winning beauty and media entrepreneur. She sets the stage as a visionary creator and businesswoman who has spent her career inspiring audiences and consumers with new engaging experiences, productions, and innovative products. Currently, Abby is re-imagining the beauty and fragrance industry with a radically new way to use, wear and sell fragrance.
As CEO and Co-founder of ScentinventTM Technologies, a beauty and fragrance incubator, innovation and licensing company, Abby has introduced to the global marketplace a groundbreaking brand called Sparti Scents® that for the first time combines fragrance and skincare in one sleek, twist-on swivel stick. This breakthrough fragrance technology in a glide-on, skin-safe, and alcohol-free form is perfect for the travel ready and social media savvy customer. Fragrance and beauty luminaries are touting this unique innovation as the NEW cool way to wear fragrance.
Under Abby’s leadership, Sparti Scents®, a fun, joyful and celebratory brand burst onto the scene in nearly 1800 Walmart stores nationwide in April 2022. The brand was then licensed to Scent Beauty as part of its designer fragrance portfolio and recently launched with the powerhouse global e-tailer Amazon.
As head of Abby Wallach Productions, Abby’s influence reaches far beyond the beauty and fragrance world. Her company develops and produces revolutionary TV and digital media programs with the overriding goal to entertain, while inspiring audiences to make meaningful change. Her most recent production, a 12-episode limited audio podcast series called, Finding Beautiful Strangers with Abby Wallach, shares the wild, fascinating, and tumultuous journey of Abby Wallach who lives for the win and for the dream.
FWM: You have set the stage as a visionary creator and businesswoman. Share your background.
From a young age, I had a fascination for beauty and fashion. I was always dreaming up new businesses and inventing new things, from playing with lotions and potions at my grandmother’s vanity to selling a Cinderella watch for a piece of bubble gum. My passion for creativity and innovation led me on a wild ride of pivots, twists, and turns, with many opportunities.
Over my 25-year career, I have been developing new and innovative brands and businesses in the media, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle industries. My latest venture, Scentinvent™ Technologies, is a fragrance start-up that is revolutionizing the industry by rethinking new ways for consumers to use, love, and wear fragrance. We recently launched Sparti Scents™, a collection of fun-loving skin-safe fragrances for your lifestyle that are pretty, playful, colorful, and portable. This new innovative and alternative fragrance brand is the beginning of what the future of fragrance looks, feels, and smells like.
Before Scentinvent™, I spent most of my career behind the scenes in media and entertainment. At Showtime Networks, I landed my dream job as a live event producer. Then, I was off to Hollywood as an Executive Producer for Nederlander TV & Film.
As soon as I had kids, my best production ever, I decided it was time to leave the corporate world and launch my own business. Beautiful Stranger.tv was one of the first digital media brands that would connect video and still content to the point of sale. We took it one step further to offer the ultimate service–a link to purchase every product and service mentioned. As pioneers in this venture, and one of YouTube’s first partners, we were on the cutting-edge to change the media landscape.
But where it all began was at a small boutique PR firm with big-name clients like Procter & Gamble, Oil of Olay, and Cal Que Fleurs Fragrance, which I launched at Bergdorf Goodman in my very first job. It all came full circle. Back to where I wanted to be, sitting at my grandmother’s vanity dreaming of lotions and potions, and now that dream is my reality.
FWM: Tell us about how Scentinvent™ Technologies and how it is re-imagining the beauty and fragrance industry.
The Scentinvent™ story began as a 15-year friendship between me and Caroline Fabrigas. We shared a desire to create a new voice and vision for the fragrance and beauty category. After interviewing thousands of fragrance fans from around the world, we set out to revolutionize the way consumers use, love and experience fragrance as part of their everyday beauty routine. This led to the creation of Scentinvent™ Technologies, a b-to-b business with a mission and vision to power-up the beauty and fragrance industry with innovative textures, formats, and delivery systems.
As an incubator, innovation, and licensing company, Scentinvent™ Technologies is thinking beyond the traditional bottle and offering a unique pipeline of innovations that are portable, fun-loving, skin-safe, alcohol-free, clean, and colorful for today’s travel-ready and social media-savvy customer. These new textures have a unique skin-loving complex that combines the best in hydrating, soothing, and antioxidant ingredients. They are also fun to show off, with unique packaging options that offer a new gesture in fragrance.
Soon, you will start to see these unique innovations in fragrance brands that Scentinvent™ Technologies is bringing to the retail market and direct-to-consumer (DTC) space. As the CEO and Co-founder of the company, with my incredible partners (Caroline Fabrigas & Wendy Gottfried) and our brilliant advisory board, we are dedicated to changing the way consumers think about fragrance as part of their daily lifestyle and beauty routine. We’re excited to see where this journey takes us and how we can continue to make a difference in the world of beauty and fragrance for years to come.
FWM: You have introduced to the global marketplace a groundbreaking brand called, Sparti Scents®. What makes it unique?
One of the first brands to come out of Scentinvent™ Technologies’ incubator was Sparti Scents™, a breakthrough brand using the Scentinvent proprietary fragrance technology that is a glide-on, skin-safe, and alcohol-free scent in a color stick.
Sparti Scents offers the GEN Z customer a fun and fresh way to experience scent that is clean, pretty, playful, and perfect for the girl on the go. The brand is unique in that it combines fragrance and skincare in one sleek, twist-on swivel stick, making it a perfect multi-use product.
What makes Sparti Scents® stand out as a brand is its joyful, celebratory voice and short-form video content, which engages fragrance fans on a whole new level. From the Sparti Shuffle dance on TikTok to unboxing moments with recycled confetti and reusable bags, the brand has created a playful and joyful experience that resonates with GEN Z consumers.
Walmart was the first retailer to launch Sparti Scents® on its website, followed by a nationwide rollout in 1800 stores. The brand was a hit with customers, and soon after, it was licensed to Scent Beauty as part of its designer fragrance portfolio. The brand recently launched with the powerhouse global e-tailer Amazon, which is expected to further expand its reach.
Sparti Scents®, is changing the narrative around fragrance and is aligned with today’s modern customers’ preferences for sustainable packaging, and skin-loving products that are also fun, playful and travel ready.
FWM: How has the fragrance industry changed over the past 5-years?
Over the past five years, the fragrance industry has experienced significant changes and innovations. One major factor that has impacted the industry is the pandemic, which has prompted consumers to explore new ways to use scent and enhance their experiences on their skin and in their homes. As a result, the industry has seen an increased interest in new ingredients, scent wardrobing, layering, and blending to create a personalized fragrance experience. There are also many new beautiful indie brands launching into the market with great storytelling. Candles, diffusers and even new scented home care brands and devices are launching every day.
In addition, there has been a shift towards thinking beyond the traditional bottle, as brands are launching new products around scent. Taking the scent from their existing body care, lotions and potions and using it as a fragrance. We will start to see a lot more of this as the category is expanding and exploding.
Another trend that has gained popularity, particularly on TikTok, is “The Dupe,” where influencers share their favorite fragrances and suggest similar scents that can be found at a lower price point. This trend is not new, but it has been popularized by short-form content on social media platforms.
Looking toward the future, it is expected that new forms of fragrance will enter the market, incorporating sight, smell, and sound to create unique and immersive experiences. The fragrance industry is continually evolving, and with the rise of new technologies and changing consumer behaviors, it is an exciting time for innovation and creativity in the industry.
FWM: Sparti Scents® was licensed to Scent Beauty as part of its designer fragrance portfolio and recently launched with the powerhouse global e-tailer Amazon. What did this do for your brand?
Partnering with Scent Beauty and launching on Amazon has been a significant milestone for Sparti Scents®. Not only does it give the brand a chance to expand globally, but it also opens opportunities for growth and innovation.
Working with a team of fragrance industry experts such as Scent Beauty means that the brand can benefit from their wealth of knowledge and experience to grow and scale much faster than we could have done on our own. Sparti Scents® can now be accessed by consumers all around the world, allowing the brand to become a household name and reach a wider audience.
With the support of Scent Beauty, Sparti Scents® can also focus on our innovative pipeline for the future. As a brand that is committed to developing new and unique fragrance experiences for our customers, this partnership means that we can continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the fragrance industry.
Launching on Amazon also provides Sparti Scents® with a strong e-commerce platform and access to millions of customers globally. This is especially important in today’s digital age, where online shopping has become increasingly popular, and brands need to have a strong online presence to succeed.
Overall, licensing to Scent Beauty and launching on Amazon has been a game-changer for Sparti Scents®, providing us with the resources, expertise, and exposure we need to take our brand to the next level.
FWM: Tell us about Abby Wallach Productions and why it is important to your brand strategy.
Abby Wallach Productions is a media company that specializes in developing and producing creative intellectual media properties aimed at inspiring and entertaining audiences to create meaningful change. My most recent production, a limited podcast series called “Finding Beautiful Strangers with Abby Wallach,” shares my personal and professional journey of discovery, innovation, creativity, and big business.
In addition to content development and production, I mentor, advise, and coach startups in the beauty, fashion, media, and technology industries. It is a huge part of my passion and purpose.
Additionally, I have spoken at various events and universities on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the beauty, fragrance, and media industry. There is nothing more gratifying for me than sharing my knowledge with the bright young minds of today to inspire and educate them to pursue their own passion and dreams.
With my extensive network and experience in multiple industries, my goal is to create value for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to grow and succeed.
FWM: Where do you go from here?
As a serial entrepreneur and a creative visionary, I look forward to continuing to develop innovative businesses in the different industries that I am passionate about. With my vast experience in the beauty, fragrance, and media landscape, I am always inspired to continue to create and produce cutting-edge content, and productions for different audience’s that connect to whatever venture I am working on.
I continue to be challenged by taking risks and disrupting traditional business models where I will continue to push boundaries, innovate, and explore new mediums for content creation, product innovation and technology as that is what is most interesting to me. Of course, I will continue to mentor, advise, and invest in emerging talent and brands that align with my core values, principles, and vision.
My goal is to continue to leverage my expertise, experience, and influence to create meaningful change in the industries that I am passionate about and champion others along the way. Whether it’s through my fragrance / beauty innovation company, my media projects, speaking engagements, or mentorship, I will continue to be a trailblazer and use my stories with passion and purpose to inspire and educate the next generation of bright young minds.
