The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Catherine Omai grew up in Lagos where spice markets perfumed the air and coastal winds carried salt and humidity into every corner of daily life. She trained her nose in those conditions, learning which materials held up against heat and which faded. By 2009 she was blending for friends and family, a private practice that became public by necessity. Contagious Gold represents years of refinement, a fragrance that embodies her belief in bold, unapologetic scent statements rooted in West African sensory memory.
Catherine Omai chooses materials for honesty and presence. Oud brings spiritual weight, a material used in West African ceremonies for centuries. Sandalwood adds a creamy counterpoint drawn from different cultural traditions. Oakmoss, ambergris, and labdanum complete the picture with their earthy, animalic, and resinous qualities. Together they create a fragrance that speaks to material truth over trend, cultural specificity over generic appeal.
The evolution
The arc of Contagious Gold moves from immediate impact to quiet persistence. Oud arrives first and strongest, its complex character setting the tone before sandalwood emerges to soften and smooth. Labdanum and ambergris work in tandem, adding layers of warmth and resinous depth that keep the composition from feeling one-dimensional. Oakmoss provides the earthy counterbalance, ensuring the sweetness never overwhelms. As time passes, the fragrance breathes and evolves on skin, each wearing revealing subtle shifts in how these materials interact with individual chemistry.
Cultural impact
The Contagious series established Omai as a voice for West African perfumery within the niche fragrance community. Contagious Gold, the debut, was positioned at Pitti Fragranze 2019 as an introduction of her work to international audiences, a fragrance built on cultural memory and premium materials, wrapped in ceremonial Yoruba textile. The series has since expanded to include Contagious Rose and Contagious Green, each carrying the same ethos of cultural narrative and material clarity.
