Call for applications
until September 30, 2025
Purae - Solid cosmetics and home fragrances
Founded in 2019 by Rama Mbaye, Purae invests in the world of solid cosmetics and home fragrances with healthy, eco-designed products, such as its plant-based candles labeled "Fabriqué à Paris". The designer also offers manufacturing workshops and an olfactory design service, and is actively committed to combining craftsmanship and solidarity on a daily basis.
With a lifelong passion for handcrafted products, Rama began by creating cosmetics for friends and family, who soon encouraged her to market her products. When she had the opportunity to leave her job in international trade to train in chemistry and European regulations, the young woman jumped at the chance. In 2019, she will set up her first laboratory at Les Cinq Toits (16th arrondissement), a space dedicated to social integration for people in emergency situations, as well as a number of professional structures.
This first experience confirmed for Rama the importance of combining crafts and solidarity: " Knowledge is the only thing that increases when you share it ". Today, she is a trainer forEmmaüs' soap-making program, runs workshops at the Cœurs de Femme emergency shelter and makes numerous donations to various organizations. At the same time, she explores the therapeutic possibilities of perfumery in workshops with the elderly to stimulate their memory, or with victims of abuse to support their reconstruction process, always as a complement to social work.
" By making soap, you can regain awareness of your body and the need to take care of it," she explains.
In 2020, Rama began specializing in olfactory design, creating formulas for perfumes, candles and diffusers. This expertise enables her to support professionals in the development of their olfactory identity, and to respond to specific requests from individuals. Her ambition is now to open her own space to offer her products for direct sale and host workshops, the high points of her business.
" I see people's faces light up when they come into contact with the smells. Participants confide in each other, sharing family anecdotes. Smell connects us beyond our differences ," she observes.
But is the Parisian environment welcoming to a scent enthusiast like Rama?" You don't notice it anymore, but fig trees are everywhere here. The city abounds in fruit trees and unsuspected medicinal plants. There are also the marine notes that rise from the Seine at dawn, and of course, the smell of coffee and croissants ".
Thanks to the Fabriqué à Paris label, the designer was able to exhibit at the Foire de Paris and run a workshop at the Paris Media Centre during the Olympic Games. By joining the label's association, she also discovered the synergy between these local manufacturers who share common problems (and solutions). " Being a craftsman can quickly lead to isolation. This kind of initiative helps us grow as entrepreneurs," concludes Rama.
The range of vegetal candles awarded the "Made in Paris" label in 2024
The "Olympic Flame" candle with the "Made in Paris" label in 2025
Practical information
Atelier-laboratoire
3 avenue Victoria, 75004 Paris (Arches Citoyennes)
By appointment only.
