Daily Inspiration: Meet Jovanna Kay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jovanna Kay.

Hi Jovanna, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a child, and still to this day, you hand me an item and without thought… I will smell it. I’ll either get an eyebrow raise or someone will join me in the sensory experience. I found that this created almost a mental “filing cabinet” of everything I’ve ever known to exist, which made it easier for me to translate when formulating fragrance in scent design.
I experience a form of synesthesia, where scent connects to sounds, colors, taste, feeling, films, memories, words… that’s shaped how I approach fragrance as storytelling. I formulate ingredients building from emotional landscapes, memories, or visual downloads I receive.
Also if someone had a headache? Memories of 8 year old me would cup both my hands over their head and imagine absorbing the pain from them. Somehow, that moment feels connected to what I do now, holding space for others through medicine and healing, both physically and psychologically.
I am a first gen, born and raised in Los Angeles. Through years of wild stories, adventures, being queer, a student of expansion for different subjects, I found myself blending art, science, holistic medicine, and psychology into one. I established my brand KIMORA SKIN in 2019, moved to downtown LA in my early 20s, expressed emotions, stories and controversy through painting, perfumery, candles, jewelry design, then lived out an impulsive idea to move to Tokyo for personal perfume research and curating immersive experiences during my 6 months of integration;
I then ended up in Mexico, London, Paris, Austria, and Bali all in 2023. This is how the 047 eau de parfum travel collection was born.
After travels through Brazil, Kauai, Morocco, and camping throughout California, I’m now integrating, cultivating and smoothing out how to connect these memories and studies for people and into fragrance story telling. Whether I’m hosting group travel trips, curating immersive installations, or analyzing someone’s recurring dream to create a bespoke perfume… the creations are endless, as long as someone gets to smell or activate new parts of their senses and become more in their body.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Far from smooth. Every moment has been an opportunity to celebrate or learn from. I would not be where I am today without the humility that comes from growing pains, rock bottoms and the reminder that life is anything but linear. From putting all my eggs in one basket after a viral hit product moment, to holding the weight of this world’s injustices and the ongoing environmental disasters we’re all living through. In 2025 to, “act being a symptom of love rather than fear,” has been a major theme.
Being a 1-person team, there have been moments where grief, burnout or emotional overwhelm put everything on pause. From my business to my creative flow. But each pause has always cycled into new skin. That’s one of the gifts of being your own creative…every breakthrough allows space to birth new versions of you without anyone else adjusting your timeline (this has its perks and also..doesn’t). Being physically and emotionally connected to community, to LA, and to the world’s collective devastations continues to challenge the work but it also strengthens it. The sensitivity that once slowed me down is now part of what brings me and people inspiration.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a multi-sensory artist, perfumer, entrepreneur, dream analyst and travel host. I specialize as an olfactory artist and business owner, storytelling through fragrance and immersive experiences as well as hosting sensory workshops. Curating immersive art installations for music festivals, private events, holistic spaces and exhibitions in Los Angeles and other cities around the world. My work engages all five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch) to transform spaces into engaging sensory experiences. I specialize in designing themes that integrate aromas, soundscapes, tactile elements, and visual artistry that invite full engagement for people to experience integration. The goal is to evoke specific sensations.. emotions.. open a space of reflection and translate into a memorable experience. In 2023 I opened space for analysis and consultations, developing scents to align with their identity, current energetic state, enhance perception leading to 1 of 1 bespoke creations.
I’m known for my free-spirited nature traveling the world, being a space holder and formulating the experiences into fragrances for people to wear and visit within their visual transportation. My inspiration comes from wishing I could bring people along with me during my solo travels, to live through both our lenses, to hear, hold, see and learn from one another, immersing together with appreciation for others’ cultures and teachings. So many people in this world, so many stories to share, and my way of connecting with them are through the senses. Now we’re in 2025, I celebrate a full circle moment becoming a travel host, hosting sensory-focused group travel trips to experience exploring the world with others. Whether it’s someone’s first time traveling or 44th country to visit, there’s something so sacred connecting on the other side of the world together. We just came back from an unforgettable surreal trip in Morocco this past May, now getting ready to board our trip to Japan in 2026, which feels like another full circle of being able to bring the community favorite’s perfume in the 047 travel collection created in 2023, “Tokyo 047”!
I am most proud of making a difference in people’s mental and physical space through 1 on 1 bespoke fragrance and collective group sessions. Coming from a holistic and psychological approach, focusing on their subconscious through dream analysis, memories, etc. Blending with guided meditations and shared stories, I always make sure the client leaves the session feeling more in their body or feeling more open in a situation they were once blocked in. By the end of our consultation session I have notes to formulate a bespoke perfume, intended to aid what was intuitively asked for, taking a few weeks to finalize, and their feedback for me is what reminds me why I do what I do, and maybe one of the reminders why I do what I do, it is an activation and a purposeful feeling coming from the heart. Fragrance for me is a vessel to connect and aid others on their personal journey or just sometimes simply enjoy wearing the fabric of scent. I look forward to expanding these sessions with more people, either privately or in a full room, blended with sound, sight as well, locally and globally.

What matters most to you?
Community! Being able to connect with others and offer support..to feel seen and heard, and for others to feel more in their body. And i’ve found ways to hold this space in a creative and sensorial vessel. Most of our world was built on systems that condition us to live on autopilot. And something many of us have experienced is disconnection from our own bodies, which can show up in different ways. What fuels my heart is creating space for those conversations and offering safe containers whether through artistry, medicinally, energetically or physical experiences that help people come home to themselves.

Pricing:

• $300 Private Bespoke Perfumery Session
• $90 Eau De Parfum 50ml
• TBD – scent design + immersive events
• $47 047 Discovery Set
• $45-90 Candles

Contact Info:

• Website: https://KIMORASKIN.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohkimora/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jovanna-kay-trein
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jovannakay

Image Credits
image 02 – event space with incense + ash trays in Tokyo, Japan PC: Lara Shapiro @ljshapiro
image 7 – blindfolded with craft PC: Sasha Emoniee @sashaemoniee