Creative boundaries, reading rituals, and scent as storytelling with Ingrid Nilsen
A fragrance founder on protecting her energy, building a sensory brand, and living offline.
Welcome to another round of 3 Good Things, my catch-up with creative people whose taste I trust implicitly. We chat about routines, tiny joys, and whatever things they can’t stop thinking about.
Today’s guest is Ingrid Nilsen, co-founder of the fragrance company The New Savant, whose candles I’ve been a fan of for many years now (and with whom I just launched a new holiday collection). Read on for Ingrid’s insights on maintaining boundaries, her reading rituals, and what it takes to create an unforgettable scent. Today’s issue is unlocked for all, courtesy of The New Savant!
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Catch up on the latest from Downtime:
A low-cost way to delight *almost* everyone on your gifting list. [from the archives]
The backstory on how the Downtime x The New Savant collaboration came about.
Coming up next week: Gifts under $50, personalized gifts, and gifts for kids. Plus, my answers to your toughest gifting questions. Oooh, baby.
Ingrid Nilsen is no stranger to the creative, entrepreneurial life. She kick-started her career with a bang, becoming one of YouTube’s top beauty creators on the platform in the 2010s when she was in her early twenties. I remember first discovering Ingrid’s channel back then and feeling seen: here was someone who was also olive-skin-toned, trying to figure out how to get perfectly frizz-free, straightened locks and pinch-blushed cheeks. (Later, to my delight, I’d learn that Ingrid and I share a mixed Asian background.) I avidly followed her every Bath & Body Works haul (throwback!) and so did the millions of fans who followed her.
In a bold move, Ingrid said goodbye to all that in 2020. She decided to quit the influencer life (and all the paychecks that come with it) for good, doing what feels right for her, which was, fortunately for us, continuing to create in another, more deliciously scented way. Today, Ingrid runs The New Savant, a daring fragrance brand, alongside her co-founder, Erica Anderson. I’ve loved getting to know Ingrid over the past six or so years and am thrilled to share some of her insights below. Enjoy! —Alisha
Ingrid Nilsen’s 3 Good Things
A few quick-hit recs from Ingrid…
Read: Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild. “This book! I’ve never read anything that touches on grief the way this book does. It’s shocking, beautiful, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at once. I couldn’t put it down.”
Watch: “I love true crime documentaries and recently watched Wild Crime on Hulu. It’s a series about crimes committed in National Parks, which is extremely niche, I know. But oh my gosh, the first season was fascinating. It really gives you a look inside this entire world I never knew existed.”
Listen: “I recently went to Generation Women, a live storytelling event in NYC. Women from their 20s to 70s share true stories around a specific theme, and it’s always a fantastic experience. This time, the woman on team 40s, shared a story about the holidays and an ex-boyfriend’s mom. It had everyone hollering with laughter, then melting from the wholesome ending. Even if you’re not in NYC, you can still watch the shows via their livestream.” [Ed note: This sounds so. cool. !!!!]
A Downtime Chat with Ingrid Nilsen
On reading rituals, creativity & social media boundaries
How do you nurture creativity when you’re in a slower or less inspired season?
“If I’m feeling stuck, I know it’s time to get out of my regular routine. My go-to is always a museum, especially The Natural History Museum. Nothing in that museum has anything to do with my work in fragrance, which is key for inspiration. Being surrounded by fossils that are hundreds of millions of years old is humbling and fills me with wonder. It makes me feel connected to the world around me, like anything is possible. That’s priceless creative currency.”
You’re a big reader! What’s your current reading ritual looking like?
“I love starting my day with breakfast, coffee, and some reading on the couch. I get overwhelmed and drained easily if I try to do too much all at once in the morning, so staying away from screens and going slow helps to regulate my system for the day. At night, I’ll read for another hour or so before bed… sometimes longer if I’m at a really good spot.”
You’ve spent years navigating public creative work as a YouTube beauty creator. How do you protect your energy and sense of self these days?
“I think it’s a lot more normalized now to have boundaries, which makes me so happy. When I started making content online in 2009, it was considered suspicious behavior if you didn’t want to share everything all the time. Now, I don’t feel like I owe anyone (online or IRL) personal access if it doesn’t feel right.
I live my life mostly offline and don’t share much about my personal relationships. When I’m not working, I rarely use my phone. I mean, I still have an iPhone 11, so you can see where my priorities lie. Social media is a powerful tool for connection and sharing, but it’s not a replacement for real life.”
On scent and candle development
The New Savant has such a storytelling approach to scent. Can you walk us through how a candle begins for you? Does it start with a mood, a memory, a color, or something else entirely?
“Every scent starts in a different place. Sometimes I eat something that inspires me, like with Snow Gazer. That came from having hojicha and a soba buckwheat cookie at Kettl in Williamsburg.
Other times, like with Library in a Forest, the idea stems from a feeling. When I created that scent, I was falling in love and wanted it to feel grounding and wondrous.
Then there are scents that are inspired by specific memories, like California Christmas. Every note in that scent is inspired by a different aspect of Christmas Day when I was growing up. I never know where a scent will begin and end, and that’s one of my favorite parts about my job.”
What’s a surprising or fun fact about fragrance or candles that you’ve learned since starting the company that our readers might enjoy learning?
“Our scent preferences are largely shaped from the time we’re born to the age of 10. This time period is when our sense of smell is more dominant than sight and sound, so what you’re exposed to at a young age matters.
If you have kids, exposing them to a wide variety of smells will, in turn, create more open-minded people. As adults, we can actually create new neural pathways for smell, which means we have the capacity to enjoy things we previously disliked. Your scent preferences can expand if you leave room for a little surprise.”
Thank you so much, Ingrid! You can shop the candles she creates at The New Savant and read her just-launched newsletter, Ice Cream Before Dinner. Some of my favorite recent posts include this realistic guide to makeup in your 30’s and prioritizing fun over rest. You can also find Ingrid on Instagram @ingridnilsen.
And don’t forget to get ahead on gift-shopping with our holiday collab, The Downtime Collection. Use ALISHA15 for 15% off. :)
A few bonus bits from me…
I’m rounding up my holiday decor finds here, including some Etsy finds. Decorating for Christmas = my kryptonite.
That pillow is one of my favorite possessions. I felt seen by this essay that explores whether you’re a bad mom for posting kids’ face on social media. (Related: this subway take.)
My current secondhand search is for fun vintage fair isle sweaters on Poshmark and eBay. There are some good ones out there, like this or this chunky wool option.
I loved Erika Veurink’s breakdown of how to get the perfectly oversized “Jennifer Lawrence look” via secondhand pieces in her latest letter.
Michelle Pfeiffer, Felicity Jones, and Jason Schwartzmann in a holiday rom com? Sign. me. up. (recommended in Elyse Chambers’ newsletter) link
How good is this glossy new maraschino cherry red from East Fork? Would make such a cute gift or stocking stuffer for under $15.
I’m planning a trip to Trader Joe’s this weekend specifically to buy the maple butter so I can make a damn delicious latte in my mornings.
This recipe looks so cozy: roasted tomato soup with cheesy crouton topper. (thanks Emma Gray for the rec!)
An FAQ from last week: can you wear the clogs I keep yapping about outside? The answer is an emphatic yes. Patiently waiting for these babies to go on sale.
A great reminder that often the best gifts are not the most expensive, but rather the ones that foster real connection. (from Katie Hawkins-Gaar)
Last but not least, the comments thread from last week is on FIRE with so many great recommendations from you all!
SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY!
In honor of the holiday season, I’m giving something away every single week to one lucky paid subscriber to Downtime.
This week, I’m giving away a Camp Snap camera — a screen-free, 35mm film camera that looks so nostalgic. This would make a neat gift for a teen who should probably get off Snapchat and touch grass…or for yourself.
To enter, please leave a comment with your favorite Thanksgiving or fall recipe. Paid subscribers of Downtime who are in the U.S. and 18 years or older are eligible to win.
The winner of last week’s giveaway of the Outset beauty gift set was reader Maddie! Congrats!
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Jumping into the comments to plug the CampSnap camera - we got one for my 3-year-old at the beginning of the year to use on vacations/trips/etc, and we've loved being able to see his point of view!
My favorite recipe is the four and twenty blackbirds honeypie recipe!