Baltimore Native Channels Experience With Domestic Violence Into Fragrance Line
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Baltimore native is channeling her experience surviving domestic violence into a celebration of life through a fragrance line.
Monique Plair has made it her mission to celebrate women like herself who are emerging from abusive circumstances. She not only wants to honor fellow survivors' courage but also recognize those who are no longer here to have a voice.
She is doing that through a fragrance line called BU, which stands for beautiful unapologetically.
"I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to let someone know we're a community out here, and you're not alone," Plair told WJZ.
As a child, Plair said, she witnessed domestic abuse both inside and outside of her home. She said that abuse continued once she got married.
"When a woman goes through something so traumatic, she feels beautiful, she looks beautiful," she said. "She deserves a scent just as beautiful to celebrate her, so we are no longer suffering in silence."
But, Plair said, it's more than just spraying on a scent for the day—it's about wearing a coat of strength, perseverance and empowerment.
"Every time you spray it, you close your eyes and think beautiful," she said. "You think strong, resilient, all those things that we, as survivors, are."
Samples for the three perfume scents are available now, and a pre-sale is running through March 1.
Plair is making sure some of the proceeds from every purchase go directly back into the community of women who have survived domestic violence, including here in Baltimore City.
"When you purchase, you're saving someone's life, you're doing something to enhance another woman's life," she said. "You're building a community of survivors."
Down the line, Plair hopes to expand on this fragrance line with beauty products and accessories. She also wants to establish a safe place for survivors and empower women like her around the world.
"The hope is that we are showing up in strong numbers and letting abusers know that the silence is done," Plair said.
If you need help navigating domestic violence or abuse, the House of Ruth has a 24-hour hotline. Coordinators will work with victims to offer emergency shelter, legal experts and counseling.
The hotline number is: (410) 889-RUTH (7884).
