The business’ first product Base Note is a fragrance-enhancing balm that’s applied to the skin before spraying perfume to give the scent more staying power.
We spoke to the company’s CEO & founder Mohammad Zaidi to find out more...
Cosmetics Design-Europe (CDE): Can you tell us more about this product, Base Note?
Mohammed Zaidi (MZ): It combines moisturising ingredients that hydrate the skin, helping slow the evaporation of fragrance molecules, with industry-standard fragrance fixatives like Iso E Super, Galaxolide, and Ambroxan. These fixatives are typically found within perfumes themselves to improve longevity and projection. We’ve flipped that approach by placing them into a balm infused with beeswax and skin-loving oils, creating a first-of-its-kind product that adds real oomph to any fragrance.
Cosmetics Design-Europe (CDE): Why did you decide there was a market need for this product?
Mohammed Zaidi (MZ): As an avid perfume collector and someone deeply involved in online fragrance communities, I saw a clear and consistent pain point: perfumes that smell amazing but simply don’t perform. Many high-end fragrance houses release beautiful compositions, but if they don’t last or project well, they become frustrating to use. They end up gathering dust on the shelf—either because you’d need too many sprays to make them noticeable or because the bottle was so expensive, you hesitate to use it.
We’re at a point in the industry where performance often outweighs the scent itself. Fragrance enthusiasts increasingly want projection, longevity, and compliments, sometimes even more than a complex composition.
The desire for ‘beast mode’ scents is real. Base Note was created to solve this. Whether it’s making a beautiful but underperforming fragrance viable again, or enhancing a powerful scent even further, our balm fills that gap. Ultimately, while fragrance brands do their best to balance scent and performance, the pain point still exists—and Base Note steps in to solve it. We’ll be launching consumer research on this soon so keep an eye out for that!
CDE: Does it work with all fragrances? Are there any limitations?
MZ: Yes, it’s fragrance-free and compatible with all types of fragrances — from light citrus and florals to deep woody or oud scents. Because the balm doesn’t contain any strong competing scent, it doesn’t interfere with your perfume. We’ve tested it across a wide range of fragrances and concentrations (EDT, EDP, extrait) with consistent results. The only limitation would be that extremely oil-based attars or non-alcoholic perfumes may interact differently depending on skin type.
CDE: How long were you working on the formula and what kinds of challenges did you face?
MZ: This began as a passion project around two years ago. I challenged myself to develop a product that could solve a well-known issue in the fragrance world and one that no other brand was addressing.
The journey involved a lot of trial and error. I initially included glycerin, which performed well in terms of skin hydration and scent retention, but being water-based, it raised concerns around shelf life and stability. Preserving it properly would have required additional ingredients that would’ve weakened the core fragrance-enhancing effect. After further experimenting, I discovered that a combination of squalane and fractionated coconut oil gave me the same moisturising benefits while keeping the formula shelf-stable and simple.
Finding the right texture and balance between balm consistency and fragrance-enhancing power took time, but the end result is something I’m proud of.
CDE: Where can your customers buy the product at the moment?
MZ: Base Note is currently available direct-to-consumer via our website at www.basenotebalm.com and we’re also listed on TikTok Shop. We are currently in the process of completing brand approval for Amazon, so you can expect to see us there soon too.
CDE: Do you have any new products in the pipeline or expansion plans you can talk about please?
MZ: Absolutely. We’re planning to launch a smaller trial-sized version of the balm soon, which will make it easier for new customers to sample the product. We’re also developing a series of scent-assorted companion products that layer well with different fragrance DNAs—think supporting notes that enhance popular scent families.
Longer term, we’re developing a line of solid perfumes that are built on the same foundation as Base Note. These would essentially be all-in-one products—moisturiser, enhancer, and scent combined.
As an early-stage brand, our focus right now is spreading awareness, primarily by partnering with influencers in the fragrance community. We want people to know there really is a solution to a problem we’ve all accepted for too long. Retail partnerships are also part of our roadmap once we’ve built strong traction.
