A perfume gift that gives back

Twentysix perfume by Natasha Koifman and Aromachology to benefit Haiti.

With the holidays quickly approaching, we know you’ve probably started a mental wishlist. We’d be lying if we said we hadn’t started one of our own—at least a virtual one—and obviously, perfume tops our gifting list. Which is why it’s nice to come across a perfume like Twentysix—it smells good and it gives back.

The do-gooders

The Twentysix fragrance is the creation of Natasha Koifman, founder of PR firm NKPR in collaboration with Aromachology, a perfume brand founded by Torontonians Ashlee Firsten and Kirsten Menkes. “It was a natural fit based on our like-minded passion for philanthropy,” Koifman says of the collaboration. “We both wanted to develop a product timed for holiday that would truly be a gift that gives back”.

Wondering about the Twentysix name? Well that would be the perfume’s “26 ingredients to inspire and move the heart.”

Feels good

Profits of the perfume support Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ), of which Koifman is a chair. The mission of APJ is to support communities in Haiti and remove the barriers of poverty that limit Haitian children. They do this through empowering local communities, fostering economic growth and focusing on change through education. Koifman joins notable stars such as James Franco, Daniel Craig, Susan Sarandon and Olivia Wild on the board of APJ, and since 2009 she has contributed to the organization.

Smells good

Of those namesake 26 ingredients, the perfume centres on Haitian vetiver and includes notes of rose, peony, patchouli, sandalwood and bergamot. “The scent evokes Haiti’s natural charm, timelessness and possibility,” explains the product material, “serving as a reminder that beauty can come out of chaos.”

Warm, earthy and sultry, this is one heart-and-soul satisfying perfume to give at any time of year.

Aromachology x Natasha Koifman Twentysix, $75 (50 ml), www.thebay.com