Almira Armstrong

Curriculum Vitae Q&A with the founder of Lumira; a Sydney, Australia-based niche fragrance house that offers an olfactory escape through scent for home and self.

Astrological sign? 
Virgo

Lucky number? 
7

Favorite color? 
Pink

Morning, Noon, or Night? 
Morning

Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner? 
Lunch

Football, Baseball, or Basketball? 
Basketball

Green Tea, Black Tea, or Herbal Tea? 
Green Tea

Sugar, Splenda, or Stevia? 
No sugar

Red, White, or Rosé?
Red

Spicy, Salty, or Sweet? 
Salty

Sandwich, Soup, or Salad? 
Salad

Cashmere, Silk, or Linen? 
Linen

Black, white or color? 
Black and White

Is your closet messy or neat? 
Neat 

What’s your favorite room in your home?
Living Room

What do you collect? 
Art

Dream dinner guest? 
Diana Vreeland

Sunday ritual? 
Breakfast with the family and reading a book on the lounge

Favorite flower? 
Peony

Favorite scent? 
LUMIRA La Primavera

Cheat meal?  
Chicken salad

Favorite place to escape to when you need a moment of respite?  
Bondi to Bronte beach walk

Talent you’d like to have? 
Time travel

Quality you want to be remembered by? 
Kindness

Best thing about where you are from.  
I love having so much to explore outdoors from the beaches to the country.

It’s hard not to be reminiscent of the past, and be distracted by the future. How do you strive to live in the moment?
I wake up with a morning meditation and set my goals for the day.

What does Considered Luxury mean to you?  
The notion of luxury is akin to a sense of peace of mind – a comfort in the knowledge that a purchase meets a set of criteria and expectations. LUMIRA was conceived as a direct response to this evolving set of criteria. Recognizing that savvy and conscious consumers are prioritizing brands that deliver comprehensive integrity across sustainability, impact and provenance – in addition to long-established principles of quality, design and exclusivity. 

What was the inspiration behind starting your brand?  
I have always had a passion for fragrance and scent, understanding how people create perfumes that are so identifiable and distinctly associated with their brand. However, my own passion around this really only manifested in my buying beautiful perfumes and occasionally making candles to burn at home. Post university, my life quickly became consumed with my career in PR and Marketing and travel – I spent quite a few years living and working abroad in London and New York. However, it was when I fell pregnant with my son, I had this very real desire to turn this ongoing passion around fragrance into a small business venture. My husband had visions of me selling my creations at the markets, but I formulated a business plan that took it beyond that and I really honed in on all aspects of this – from the fragrance design, to the packaging, to quality control, to price points. Each and every part of the Lumira brand was considered, until eventually in 2013, I took it to market.

Give three words that describe your brand.
Exclusive, Quality, Sustainable.

Who is a woman in your life you are inspired by and why.
My mother is my biggest support who has inspired me to follow my dreams from the very beginning.  Her advice always comes at the right time.

Favorite female singer to listen to when you need some motivation?
Beyoncé

What are three words to describe your most fabulous female friend?
Giving, Kind and Fun.

Name three things all women need in their life. 
A good pair of shoes, a best friend who is always there and hand cream.

What does giving back mean to you and your brand?
Spending time enriching myself, my employees and the brand is a great way to broaden the perceptions of the world. By immersing ourselves in a community and surrounding ourselves with people and companies who are dedicated to bettering the world, we can learn so much about how the world works.

What’s one thing you’ve learned in the last year?
Personally, being able to be around my kids and learning through their eyes has been so amazing to witness. They are so resilient and I see that they can get through anything even a pandemic. Professionally, communication and leadership during this time has been so important for me and I continue to learn and grow with my team. I am lucky to have a great support network.

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