Hilary is de nieuwe Chief Brand Ambassador voor het Interieurparfum merk Below 60. Hiervoor heeft ze een fotoshoot gehad met Chris Blackwell en een interview met Architectural Digest.

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http//: Chris Blackwell

Duff, a self-professed “perfume gal,” felt the classic wall plug-in home fragrance was overdue for a fresh update

Hilary Duff joined the team at Below 60° because she wants a scent to “reflect my mood, and who we are as a family—but also to cover up certain scents, like my preteen’s closet with all of his shoes, and our dog room.”

Hilary Duff is a scent person. She’s always loved the gentle perfume of a candle and believes in the vibe-setting powers of their soft glow, but at this point in her life, the breakable, flammable home decor item is so yesterday: “I have three kids now and a 130-pound dog, and not having candles lit like I used to when I was younger is just something that I think about,” she tells AD. “My kids are constantly blowing out candles and dipping their fingers in the wax, and then we’re crying. But I still want to have that ambiance in my home and I want it to smell fresh and to reflect my mood.”

Her solution to the problem?
An actual liquid solution, one comprised of a combo of all-natural essential oils that plugs into your wall. Duff is a chief brand director for Below 60°, a line of home fragrance products out now. Among the offerings are the main diffuser plug-in and three cheekily named scents (“The titles are really playful… I’m inspired, I’m such a sucker for good marketing,”) that Duff hopes will bring a smile to consumers’ faces, as well as a fresh smell to their dwellings. Between chasing after her three kids, getting her LA home all set for the holiday season, and preparing for the release of her second children’s book (a tribute to her son Luca called My Little Sweet Boy), Duff sat down to chat exclusively with AD about her first foray into the home fragrance arena.

Which Below 60° fragrance has Duff been most into lately?
“It’s about 85 degrees here [in LA] right now, so I am currently using If Citrus Were a Feeling because it has this energetic zest and brightness,” she says. “And then probably as we get into the holidays, I’ll be using more Mint Disco on Ice. It’s a fresh, minty, pine kind of feeling, so that reminds me of Christmas a little bit.” Photo: Chris Blackwell

What is the line’s name, Below 60°, in reference to?
The idea behind the name was that the most clean, pristine air on earth is below the 60th parallel south [the line of latitude near Antarctica which does not cross over any land, only water.]

Of all of the lifestyle and the home brands that I’m sure would love to have you as a collaborator, what made this product in particular so appealing?

I love to be creative and I’ve always loved scents. I’m a big perfume gal, but I’m also very particular. I love to go into a store and smell perfumes or [when] I walk in somewhere and the smell kind of moves me, and I want to be a part of that story in people’s homes. Also, plug-in warmers just needed to be updated. I thought this was something that was really useful for my household and I know other moms are going to feel that way.

When were you first approached about this idea?
At the infancy stage, over a year ago. I’m always looking to invest and immerse myself in companies that I believe in and products that I love and feel would be useful to my home. It’s been really fun to be part of all of the iterations and to give my input.

Do you have a vision for how the brand will grow beyond the fragrances that are out now?
Yes. Oh, my God, are you kidding!? We’ve been using them for such a long time that I’m really excited for the next phase to come out. And soon we’re getting into the holidays, so we’ll have a lot more exciting things to come. The possibilities are endless.
Square scent diffuser surrounding by flowers

With all the smell testing processes involved in developing the line, Duff has refined her scent palate to pick up on certain notes in the same vein as a wine taster. “I’m like, ‘Okay, that is a spearmint, and I’m not sure I like that. Can I change it to a regular mint?’ It’s been really fun.”

What’s the story behind the names for the three debut scents?
The first one, Mint Disco on Ice, really plays into Below 60°’s [ethos]. It’s a lavender, mint, and glacial waters scent that’s really fresh and kind of cooling. I feel like it’s totally unisex. And then If Citrus Were a Feeling is heavily citrus-influenced, but it has some floral notes and a little bit of wood to balance it out. And then there’s Vanilla Buys a Timeshare in Paradise—obviously, these titles are really playful. I’m inspired, I’m such a sucker for good marketing. A great name and a story really involves me and I feel like that involves the customer and it just takes you there.

In LA I’m sure the weather is not crisp and autumnal quite yet, but we’re all kind of settling in for fall at home in these next couple of weeks. Are you the kind of person who becomes a homebody and hibernates in the fall?

For sure. I mean, there’s a lot more cooking going on in my household. We light the fire kind of prematurely in Los Angeles, we’re just so ready to use it. We actually just remodeled our backyard, too, so we have a firepit back there.

And the scent helps set a cozy tone. Walking into someone’s house, that’s one of the first things that leaves an impression on you—I know it sounds weird to say “what a family smells like,” but you know those homes that you walk into and you’re like, “Oh, yeah, it smells like you guys in here!” I like that. And I like to set an ambiance in an environment that represents me and what I’m into in the moment and the season.

You still have that chicken coop in your yard, right?
Yes! And unfortunately there’s no Below 60° products strong enough yet to take care of those chickens.