“Onam is not just another fragrance creation” is the first thing Olivia Larson told me about her most recent creation and the latest addition to Tales of India, one of the collections from her artisan perfume brand.
Onam highlights the note of rice as more than an ingredient commonly used in many kitchens around the world. Through this fragrance Olivia honors her proud sense of community, sharing food during happy times, and the farmers who work with heart and dedication to growing this essential ingredient.
Onam is also an ode to joy. “In a continuously crazy world, we can all use a small measure of happiness,” says Olivia. The theme of joy is central to this fragrance, which is named after a vibrant and colorful harvest festival in Kerala, India.
Onam is everything but your typical rice gourmand. I often enjoy this note in perfume, but it usually adds starchy or sapid touches to fragrances that include more typical foodie accords. In Onam, the scent of rice is unmistakable at first spritz and sniff (thanks to Olivia’s tincture of raw Basmati rice) but feels darker and less edible than in other creations. The aroma of rice is toasty and satisfying with hints of popcorn, but it’s also inextricably bound to a smoky and leathery note of saffron, the two working together to convey an aura of suffused mystery.
Herbs add a botanic feel, while lime lends a refreshing element. Onam also includes Olivia’s Indian flower accord, created with white and aquatic floral ingredients to suggest rangolis, the traditional floral arrangements typically found in houses, festivals, and temple entrances in India. Flowers are very often central in Olivia’s work, paying homage to her scented memories and the many festivals and celebratory occasions that take place in her native country.
Woody notes, which add structure and lasting power, along with a hint of coconut support the gourmand and floral elements completing the fragrance.
Onam is an all-natural fragrance in eau de parfum concentration. Ingredients and notes are listed as they appear on the brand website:
Top Notes: Citrusy-lime
Mid Notes: A Floral Rangoli with Indian flowers
Base Notes: Basmati Rice tincture, Saffron, Basil, Coconut, with woody and earthy touch
Onam was a finalist in the perfumer category for the New Luxury Awards by the INTERNATIONAL PERFUME FOUNDATION hosted in June 2025 at the Barcelona Perfumery Congress.
Olivia is the artisan perfumer founder, and owner of La Fleur by Livvy, based in Grand Junction, Colorado. Learn more about her creative process here.
A travel-size vial of Onam was kindly gifted to me by Olivia.
Read Sandi Lundberg’s thoughts on Onam on ÇaFleureBon.
Read my other reviews of the brand’s fragrances:
La Fleur by Livvy A Walk In Giverny – I Sniff Before I Sleep
La Fleur By Livvy The Other Side of Me (TOSOM) – I Sniff Before I Sleep
La Fleur By Livvy Bouquet de Printemps and Resham – I Sniff Before I Sleep
La Fleur By Livvy Jadon and Resilient – I Sniff Before I Sleep
La Fleur By Livvy Antheia’s Song and Fleur d’Innocence – I Sniff Before I Sleep
