Noses Archives - The Perfume Society

Fragrant reads we recommend: Nose Dive by Catherine Haley Epstein

This week we’re diving in nose-first to Catherine Haley Epstein‘s Nose Dive – a brilliant book for adventurous noses. We have a whole scented bookshelf of Fragrant Reads we recommend, so do please feel free to browse at your leisure, from literary to scientific and everything in-between.

Meanwhile, let’s get up close and personal with our sense of smell, and re-connect our sense of wonder as we read…

On the back of the book, author, artist and scent-maker, Catherine Haley Epstein, introduces her book in a way that intrigued and delighted us immediately. Describing it as a handbook for taking ‘…Adventures for your nose in art, anthropology, and science, the book Nose Dive is a broad introduction to olfactory culture meant for artists or anyone curious about the power of scent.’ Well that’s pretty much a checklist of our intersts, so we were eager to learn more, and Epstein contnues: ‘Something is in the air with respect to our most powerful and least regarded sense. This book demystifies the world of scent, provides springboards for further study, and presents exercises for shifting gears with your nose. A must-read for anyone intrigued by the superpower right under our noses.’ Consider us sold!

Epstein was lovely enough to send us a first-edition copy of her book with a letter, saying further that she wrote it because she wanted ‘…to invite dialogue from the different aspects of the scent arena.’ And also explaining the cover of the book is ‘Tiffany blue… not for the reason you might think – it’s actually the colour of my favourite smell, a pool toy.’

You know what they say about finding kindred spirits? We think she’s definitely one of us…

Reading Nose Dive is an absolute must for anyone of us who’s wanted to dive deeper than merely smelling nice by spraying something beautiful, deeper still than having a particular memory connected to smell – Epstein manages to express both a childish glee at this super-power right under (and in) our noses, while explaining some complex theories and inviting the reader to explore. There are short, easily digestible chapters on Art, the science of smelling, things to consider when making a perfume and on extolling the utter joy that our sense of smell can bring. On that first thorny issue of art, and in answer to the on-going debate as to whether perfume ‘deserves’ to be classed as such, Epstein puts it perfectly by saying, simply, that ‘Art is translation. Art is a human-specific activity for translating our experiences, using whatever mediums we can.’

Along with theoretical discussions, pondering on her own years of research and development, Epstein also offers some practical exercises for those interested in making their own fragrances, or things to think about, study and and enjoy in your own time. Half the joy of Nose Dive, in fact, is that it doesn’t pretend to have all the answers or place itself on a pedestal to preach about perfume to the already converted. Neither does it simply re-hash historical references and methods of making fragrance or only focus on new, exciting niche houses. This is a well-considered work that manages to pack in some powerful topics and truly thoughtful themes into such a slim volume, you can practically feel the waves of excitement about perfume and smell pulsating from every page. Not only to read and enjoy for yourself, we suggest this is one to press into the hands of everyone who’s ever asked you why you’re so obsessed with scent… Spread the love!

Nose Dive by Catherine Haley Epstein, $25 catherinehaleyepstein.com

By Suzy Nightingale

International Women’s Day 2019: celebrating female perfumers

As it’s International Women’s Day, can we take a moment to collectively cheer the world’s first recorded chemist – a woman named Tapputi – and a perfume maker whose existence we only know about thanks to being recorded on a 1200 BCE Cuneiform tablet, found in Babylonian Mesopotamia.

Tapputi was granted the title “Belatikallim” which suggests she was regarded as a high-ranking scientist, and her role would have held great sway in both the Mesopotamian government and their religion, because she was overseer of the Mesopotamian Royal Palace.

But think of a perfumer or famous ‘nose’ now and, chances are, the picture that comes to most peoples’ mind is a man in a white lab coat, or – if you’re more romantically inclined – a man in a velvet jacket plucking rose petals at sunrise and being struck by artistic inspiration. My point is: it’s probably still a man you’re thinking of.

In the Fashion, Feminism & Fragrance edition of our magazine, The Scented Letter, we devoted the issue to looking back to the women we have to thank for shaping the way we smell today, and focussing on the current crop of women perfumers shaking up the scent world.

Here, we pay tribute to just some of these remarkable and talented women, and urge you to seek out their work as a way celebrating International Women’s Day 2019…

Daniela Andrier’s CV now stretches endlessly: triumphs include Bottega Veneta Knot, the daring Maison Martin Margiela Untitled and Guerlain’s Angélique Noire – but the name which continually crops up on her list of creations is that of Prada. She clearly has a fantastic working relationship with Miuccia Prada, which has brought us such blockbusters as Prada Man (2006), Prada Candy (2011), and every single one of the Prada ingredient-focused Infusion series, so widely adored by bloggers and perfume-lovers alike.

Christine Nagel says the first time she met a ‘nose’, that’s what she knew she wanted to be. So she trained as a research chemist and market analyst, and in Paris, in 1997, launched a seriously distinguished career that’s included creations like the blockbuster Narciso Rodriguez for Her (with Francis Kurkdjian), Jimmy Choo Flash and Guerlain’s Les Elixirs Charnels collection. After several years at Jo Malone London, Christine joined Hermès, to work alongside the legendary Jean-Claude Ellena in 2014. When he retired two years later, Ellena named Nagel his rightful successor, and she took her place as the esteemed Head of Perfumery. Nagel’s pared-down style with innovative twists has composed Eau de Rhubarb Ecarlate, Galop d’Hermès and the much-admired recent addition of Twilly d’Hèrmes – some of the Hermès’ most critically acclaimed and commercially successful fragrances to date.

Mathilde Laurent is widely considered the ‘rock ‘n roll superstar’ of contemporary perfumery, having been encouraged to become a perfumer by a family friend who noticed from a young age she’d been ‘encountering the world nose first, whether to describe a plate of food or the atmosphere of a new house,’ as Laurent puts it. Trained at ISIPCA after gaining a degree in chemistry and physics, she put in a call to Jean-Paul Guerlain himself, asking for an internship. After three months, she was offered a permanent position and stayed for the next 11 years. Joining Cartier to become their in-house and bespoke perfumer, Laurent has tirelessly worked to promote the creative use of quality synthetics in modern perfumery, in order to ‘shatter the idea that the result had to be hard, abstract, aggressive.’ Her work is by turns contemporary with a classic touch, surprising yet ultimately, sublimely wearable.

Camille Goutal studied Literature at ‘A’ Level then took courses in art, photography and design at the Louvre Museum School. It led to a career in photography, but it was scent that ultimately beckoned. Her mother, Annick, had founded the now renowned house in 1981, being joined by equally talented nose Isabelle Doyen in 1985 and watching as the name spread like wildfire around the world. By the 1990s, the collection was in the ‘top five’ in leading department stores like Saks and Nieman Marcus. When Annick sadly passed in 1999 aged just 53, Camille – who’d been the inspiration for both the inspiration for both Eau de Camille, and Petite Chérie – the baton was passed from being muse to Aromatique Majeur: honouring her mother’s legacy while continuing to drive the house – now re-branded as Goutal – ever onwards, to the delight and relief of millions of fans worldwide.

Alice Lavenat was a young perfumer working for Jean Niel in Grasse. Entering the prestigious French Perfumers Young Perfumer of the Year Competition in 2014. Inspired by her family’s wine business, and creatively interpreting the brief of using blackcurrant bud, the judges’ decision was unanimous: Lavenat was awarded first prize. One of Jean Niel’s clients was Marie Lise Bischoff – founder of the perfume house, Nejma – and she’d not only smelled Alice’s fragrance and fallen in love with it, but was determined to nurture the talent of this young perfumer. Naming the creation Parfum d’Alice, her talents have developed Nejma’s incredibly successful fragrance collection, including a collaboration with a French rap star for KoEptYs, and an exclusive range of Extrait for Harrods.

Fanny Bal is apprenticed to none other than Dominic Ropion – regarded by many as one of the greatest perfumers of our time – who says her approach to perfumery is ‘curious, tenacious and bold’ and predicts she has ‘all the best qualities to become a great perfumer.’ Another ISIPCA alumni, going on to work at IFF, Bal’s currently storming the expectations of the fragrance world with Sale Gosse for Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle (inspired by a mixture of bubblegum, cheeky ‘enfants terribles’, old-fashioned sweets and ‘doodles on the blackboard’). According to Malle, Fanny Bal is known for ‘constantly surprising her seniors’, and having recently smelled her utterly majestic (homage to) Hemmingway for Masque Milano (a trio of vetiver that had us swooning for hours), we say: watch this space. The name Fanny Bal will soon be on every fragrance fan’s lips, and her scents surprising your nose for years to come…

Written by Suzy Nightingale

11 virtual Valentines to our perfumer pin-ups…

Yes, it’s THAT DAY, and while we eagerly await the better day that follows (happy half-price chocolate-box day, everyone!) we are pondering on the many ways in which scent can set our hearts a-flutter.

Of course we have incredibly strong emotional responses to fragrance – as has been proved by many scientific studies – and about which we are learning more all the time. It’s a fact: smelling something you adore lights up particular parts of the brain that little else can reach.

But it’s not just the perfumes themselves that we love: how about celebrating the fact that the once obscure ‘noses’, those who create the masterpieces we love, and the people who are so inspired by their passion for fragrance they go on to found a whole new house, have finally stepped into the limelight they so deserve?

There may still be some who, when they imagine a perfumer, picture them beavering away in ivory towers (or secret laboratories) – ancient, scented Methuselahs with mad-scientist hair and perhaps a long beard – aeons of scent wisdom etched into their care-worn features. Now, while some may indeed have more than a hint of the mad-scientist about them (naming no names), we are here to tell you that many noses (and indeed founders of the houses) today are stepping out from the labs so we can get to know all about them, not just their creations.

We don’t have the time or space to include all of our favourite perfumers and founders (how could you choose?) but here’s a little list of some of those remarkably talented people we’re sending our heartfelt love to this year…

Pierre Guillaume – When he was only 25, his first composition ‘Cozé’ was an immediate success, with esteemed New York Times fragrance critic Chandler Burr dubbing his creations “the coolest new European fragrances from a young French chemist”. Not a bad start, then, and after founding Parfumerie Generale and Huitième Art Parfums, his scents are still causing great excitement.

Mathilde Laurent – Ultra-cool with a no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll style and yet seamlessly carrying on the tradition of translating the glamorous Cartier image into contemporary fragrances with timeless appeal, Mathilde is one of very few in-house perfumers, and also creates exquisite bespoke perfumes in their oppulent Parisian boutique. We admit to having a total girl-crush!

Thierry Wasser – All his predesessors were Guerlains, but his sheer talent shone through and Jean-Paul Guerlain himself appointed Wasser as the successor to the role of head nose for Guerlain – entrusting him with the top secret ‘Formula book’ passed down through generations of the family, and resting securely in his hands. Charmingly elegant, always with a twinkle in his eye, his knowledge and humour always seem in harmonious balance.

Lyn Harris – Not content with setting up Miller Harris, Lyn has now gone back to her bespoke perfumery roots with Perfumer H – a jaw-dropping selection of scents that will change each season in the most stylish shop we’ve seen for ages. Laid-back, highly talented, she’s like the coolest girl at school you always wanted to be…

David Frossard – Owner of niche perfume house, Frapin, he was previously export director for L’Artisan Parfumeur and Penhaligon’s before starting – Différent Latitudes – an alternative perfumery brand representing, distributing and communicating for 20 independent brands in over 50 countries. He also gives kickboxing classes, apparently. Sign us up!

Cécile Zarokian – When your first ever professional fragrance creation is Amouage Epic Woman, you have a lot to live up to, but Cécile more than rose to the challenge – already creating over forty fragrances for various niche houses like Jovoy Paris, MDCI, Jacques Fath, Laboratorio Olfattivo, and the entire Château de Versailles scented candles collection. We’re always fascinated to see what she does next…

Ben Gorham – Intrigued by scent and memory after visiting his mother’s hometown in India and being passionately stirred by spices and incense, Ben graduated from art school but – following a chance meeting with perfumer Pierre Wulff – became convinced his furture lay in perfumery rather than the world of art alone. Founding BYREDO, the house is known for understated, refined, fragrances that appeal to all the senses.

Julie Massé – Hailing from a Grasse family, once Julie graduated from perfumery school, she gained the remarkable opportunity to train with perfume legends like Christine Nagel and Pierre Bourdon, and is now principal perfumer at Shay & Blue. A young perfumer who delights in taking classic accords and weaving her own contemporary style in to each creation, she’s already developed her own unique nose’s scent signature.

Carlos Huber – Training as an architect, Carlos was inspired by his Mexico City roots and the diverse mixture of Aztec, Spanish Colonial, contemporary buildings and culture surrounding him. Creating luxury spaces and instillations with historical references for Polo Ralph Lauren, Carlos was increasingly drawn to his love of fragrance, eventually founding the house of Arquiste and wooing the noses of many fragrance aficionado around the world.