Ondine Perfume originated in a confluence of logical and unexpected circumstances for Paul and Maya Boffa. Destiny includes the facts that Ondine is Maya’s middle name, while circumstances and logic recommended that they buy the trademark for a mid-twentieth century Parisian perfume by the same name when it became available in 2016. 

A December 2016 holiday trip to New York City landed them at Bergdorf Goodman for a reprieve from the cold, where a chance aisle encounter with a perfume vendor revealed a nose that Paul did not know he had. A quick identification of fragrant notes led to an invitation to a guided tour of the Bergdorf basement, where the major perfume houses reside. Much was learned. Inspiration followed.

Paul and Maya's multiple careers have threaded through nature and the arts throughout their lives. Maya was born to a family of artists, studied at the Pratt Institute, and created her own design and illustration businesses. In 2013, she opened Ondine Salon, now home to Ondine Perfumes, where she offers her Vermont clients a comfortable environment focused exclusively on organic products and services. Paul integrates his previous careers in education and social work with his lifelong practice of making music to formulate perfumes that spark immediate and intimate connections with others. As a homesteader in the hills of Vermont, his deep relationship with nature provides inspiration and enhances his ability to create scents—not unlike writing songs.

Within a year of the New York City trip and after more than a few blending experiments, Ondine was born—the first in a new line of original perfumes. Ondine Perfume embodies Maya and Paul’s commitment to artistic creation and the organic and wild materials that are so central to their lifestyle.