SOKI LONDON is the online persona of brand founder, Sophie King. Sophie’s fascination with the world of fragrance began when she would eagerly await her dad's return from overseas trips, often surprising her with a new perfume. As a student, Sophie worked in an independent perfume shop where she started to understand the complexity of fragrance. After university she worked as a management consultant for ten years. Searching for a creative outlet, Sophie launched her YouTube perfume channel in 2015 to simplify the world of fragrance and share product reviews. She has since amassed a following of over a hundred thousand fellow fragrance lovers and launched a range of award-winning perfumes and candles.
Sophie’s Story
As a girl, Sophie would eagerly await the return of her father from one of his overseas trips, when he would often surprise her with a new perfume. Having ignited this passion, it simmered for some years, growing ever more fervent when, as a student, Sophie found work in an independent fragrance boutique in the Lancashire. It was here she went beyond merely liking scent for herself, to learning the complexities of perfume’s compositions and, perhaps even more importantly, hearing first-hand from customers in the shop about what they were looking for, what they truly loved when finding a fragrance that fitted their personalities. The experience and emotional intelligence Sophie gained when working in retail built the foundations of her perfume expertise.
With a good grounding as both a consumer and seller in the scent world, Sophie knuckled down and started work as a management consultant in London. But, after a decade of doing it, her creative urges were desperate for an outlet – and, following her near death battle with personal illness, overcoming Bacterial Meningitis and Septicaemia; the world of olfaction came calling once again.
In 2015, Sophie launched a YouTube channel, where she built a following of fragrance lovers who were keen to see her explain perfumery in an un-fussy manner. The word ‘influencer’ wasn’t really being bandied about back in those days, but that’s doubtless what she became – using the soubriquet ‘Soki’, she shared product reviews with an aim to simplify scent for the masses, and in the forthcoming years has built a following of over 100k fellow fragrance fanatics.
Sadly losing her father to Covid-19, Sophie threw herself into the world of fragrance and was inspired to start her own business. As her perfumed persona Soki, Sophie had heard from many of her followers that they shared one disappointment in many of the designer scents they loved: the lasting power. Sophie set out to create her own fragrance – something that would be the best of both worlds, being affordable and long-lasting.
Innovatively using the ‘crowdfunding’ source of Kickstarter, Sophie was able make her fragrant dream a reality and launched Empress Eau de Parfum Intense in December 2022.
Soki London In The Press
- Fragrantica – Introducing Empress, The First Fragrance by SOKI LONDON
- Celebrushtime – APHRODITE-SOKI LONDON
- Perfume: Top YouTube Channels
- The Perfume Society – SOKI LONDON Profile
- iFragrance – Soki London Empress – The First Fragrance By Sophie King
- Highsnobiety – Fragrances That Bottle Barbie Core Energy
- Avant Skincare – Soki London Reviews Our New Fragrance-To-Share™ Collection
- Financial Times – The housing ladder is broken — just ask the Instagrammers
- Boohoo – Influencers Reveal Self Care Tips
- Escentual – 8 NICHE FRAGRANCES EXPERTS THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
- 80 Best Perfume Blogs – Feedspot
- Parfumo – SOKI LONON Empress
- The Fragrance Foundation – Experimental Gourmands
- Dyslexia Daily – Soki London on being Dyslexic
- Blogosphere Awards 2022 – Blogger Of The Year Nomination
- Hollywood Reporter – The Smell of Spring
- Spring Fragrances – ISSU
SOKI LONDON Awards & Memberships
The SOKI LONDON YouTube channel
Simplifying fragrance with weekly perfume reviews
Most Worn Fragrances
My go-to perfumes which live on my dressing table for easy access!
How I quit my job to start my own business
My personal story from northern England, to the corporate world, to YouTuber and Founder
Best New Perfumes
My favourite fragrance releases of 2022