Little’s most recent collaboration with Gwyneth Paltrow-the viral This Smells Like My Vagina candle made for her lifestyle brand, Goop-is perhaps the most fitting example of Heretic’s “whole point.” A blend of earthy, floral, and citrus notes, the candle has incited a visceral response around the world, leading to a rather polemic discussion around how the candle addresses sexual taboo. “That’s the whole point of this-to provoke, to intrigue, to entice.” “Rather than trying to bottle themselves, wanted a fragrance that made people feel something,” says Little. Little has made signature scents for burlesque icon Dita Von Teese (Scandalwood) and renowned drag performer Violet Chachki (Dirty Violet), capturing their essences in a way that rejects celebrity endorsements of years past.
This intention applies to every client, including the provocative tastemakers with whom he’s collaborated. Little wants his customers to genuinely benefit from Heretic products-whether that means cooling down with a constituent trace of cannabinoid or feeling empowered as an informed consumer. “I look at the functionality of ingredients in a way that asks: Could this fragrance perform beyond simply smelling good? Could it transmit, for example, a calming effect?” “A chemist once told me that working with natural materials in such a high concentration transforms the product, nearly elevating it to the level of treatment,” says Little. It also features vetiver, black pepper, and violet leaf-among other essential oils-which coalesce into what Little describes as an almost medicinal elixir. Dirty Grass, like Heretic’s other eau de parfum products, boasts 18 to 20 per cent plant matter in an organic, non-GMO sugar cane alcohol base.
Take Heretic’s Dirty Grass eau de parfum, which contains 1 per cent full spectrum, hemp-derived CBD oil. How many other perfumists consult sacred texts and astrological charts to place their scents in the broader context of human consciousness? As far as he’s concerned, Heretic fragrances shouldn’t just smell great-they should tap into the realms of history, spirituality, aromatherapy, and Ayurvedic medicine, moving beyond the cosmetic to serve as conduits for health and well-being. Little’s process certainly stands out among competitors, extending beyond pragmatic concerns into a more esoteric dimension.
But I don’t see a lot of companies examining all these parts at once because it’s incredibly hard to do.” “There are many other companies looking at ingredients, environmental impact, or the way a product is manufactured. “My goal with this company is to truly look-from the inside out-at how a product is made: its efficacy, sustainability, recyclability,” he says. Rooted in radical transparency, Heretic’s ethos includes crystal-clear ingredient lists and sustainable sourcing practices, but it stretches even further, striving for a holistic approach to production. So in 2010, after turning his career toward home fragrance and visual installation (think Bergdorf Goodman window displays and immersive event design), he shifted his focus to an artisanal enterprise reimagining the future of fragrance. While working in product development for a large cosmetic company, Little felt as though every aspect of mainstream beauty-from manufacture to marketing-lacked authenticity, that essential tenet of longevity.
Little launched his Heretic line in 2016, but the seeds were sown long before the clean beauty crusade gained traction.