At Beauty News NYC Official, we value innovation. That’s why we reached out to our friends at Drift for the skinny on their premium car and home scent brend. Our Q&A with Jeniece Trizzino, VP of Innovation & Physical Product at Drift, covers everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the brand, from inception, to best sellers, and much more!
What inspired Drift, and how did the first product come to life?
Drift was born out of a desire to elevate the everyday, starting with a product category that hadn’t seen innovation in decades: car air fresheners. Ryan Baylis, and Christian Thrapp founded the company because they couldn’t find anything that looked good, smelled good, and was safe from harsh chemicals, so they decided to make it themselves. The first Drift product was a handcrafted sleek wooden freshener with clean, natural scent oils – something that felt more like a design object than a disposable item.
What does “clean fragrance” mean to Drift?
We take a materials-first approach to everything we create. Our alder wood is sustainably sourced, our metal components are durable and recyclable, and our stone is 100% organic and porous, designed to naturally diffuse scent. “Clean fragrance” to us means transparency and responsibility – we use essential oils and non-toxic, phthalate-free ingredients that are safe for you, your family (pets too!), and the environment.
How do you approach the process of curating or crafting a new fragrance?
We begin with a feeling. A specific memory, a season, a place. From there, we work closely with world-class perfumers to capture that moment. Every Drift scent goes through a long process of iteration and testing – we make sure each blend is complex, clean, and transportive. We want you to smell something and instantly be taken somewhere.
The minimalist, elevated design really stands out, especially compared to traditional air fresheners. Was design always central to the concept, and how do you balance function with aesthetic?
Absolutely – design is in our DNA. We set out to create a product that people would be proud to display, not hide. Our design philosophy is simple: function follows form. Each product is engineered to work beautifully, but it’s the materiality, clean lines, and considered details that make it feel at home in any space, from your dashboard to your living room shelf.
How do you envision customers incorporating Drift into their daily rituals, both in their cars and their homes?
We want Drift to become part of how people ground themselves. Maybe it’s a few deep breaths in your car before a meeting. Lighting a candle to mark the end of a workday. Spritzing your room before climbing into clean sheets. Scent has the power to anchor us in the moment, and we design every Drift product to help people create small rituals of calm and clarity.
Can you share more about the Scent of the Month program? What inspired this offering, and how do you select or develop these exclusive scents?
The Scent of the Month program was inspired by the idea of seasonality – just like food, fashion, or music, scent preferences are often something that shifts with the time of year. Each month, we drop a limited-edition fragrance that captures the mood of the moment. It’s a way to keep things fresh, tell new stories, and give our community something to look forward to. Our team works months in advance to develop and test each scent, always pushing ourselves creatively.
What are some of Drift’s best-selling or fan-favorite scents—and do you have a personal favorite?
Our current best-seller is Teak – it’s warm, woody, and endlessly versatile. Open Air is another fan-favorite for its soft, fresh vibe. Personally, I love Wild Lavender for its calming quality.
Bungalow is also a good one. We had the opportunity to collaborate with NBA All-Star, Andre Drummond, to create a scent that represented the off-season, time with family, relaxation, and comfort. It was so popular when we launched last year that we had to bring it back. It is the car freshener Scent of the Month for July.
Looking ahead, are there any exciting new products, scents, or sustainability initiatives in the works that customers should watch for?
We’re constantly exploring new ways to bring scent into people’s lives – whether through expanded fragrance formats, creative collaborations, or scents. Stay tuned for what’s to come!
