If you have read the latest issue of The Scented Letter, you will have discovered Olfactive Studio (if you don’t know this exciting new fragrance house already). They are innovators in the world of art and fragrance – a growing trend – with each scent starting as a visual concept, based on the mood depicted in a photograph. We asked Céline Verleure, Perfume Creator for the brand, what her 10 favourite smells were and why – and here’s what she told us…
1. CARDAMOM
‘Because I used to travel a lot in India – in Pondicherry it’s everywhere!’
2. RHUBARB
[It brings back] ‘Childhood memories – my mother’s rhubarb tart’
3. ROSEMARY
‘I love cooking spices!! I put it in my garden… I put it EVERYWHERE!!’
4. SANDALWOOD
‘Because it’s creamy. I love creamy wood – when you work in fragrance, sometimes you just have favourites. It doesn’t mean I always use it, you always need an element of surprise in fragrance.’
5. YUZU
‘This is definitely something I love. My favourite restaurant in Paris is always using it in their food, in their mains and in their desserts.’
6. CAIPIRINHA
‘It’s a Brazilian cocktail with rum and lime. I used to live in Rio and it takes me back there immediately! It takes me back to being on the beach, drinking your first cocktail of the night and looking at the sunset – heaven!!’
7. PLUM
‘Because it smells like Pino Noir and all the Burgundy wines. When I was in Rio, I had a wine shop and it’s a good memory.’
8. WASABI
‘I LOVE it – the green, strong smell. I don’t eat it much, but I like to smell it. I think it is interesting that it has never been used in perfumery – it’s a great smell.’
9. TONKA BEAN
‘Because it is a little gourmand, but not too much. It smells like toasted nuts – edible, but without being too sweet.’
10. JAPANESE INCENSE
‘It’s totally different to other incense and very subtle. I like the smell of things that burn, the whole story of perfumery began with things that burn.’
Written by Alice Crocker
