Everyone has a nose, but for some, it becomes a tool of the trade.

Behind every fragrance is a person who composed it: in perfumery, they are called a "nose," or perfumer. It is a rare profession that takes a long time to master, halfway between chemistry and writing.

How to become a nose

You study for years, often at schools linked to the major fragrance houses or in Grasse, the city that has been the heart of perfumery for centuries. The first thing to learn is memory: a nose can recognize hundreds, then thousands of raw materials, both natural and synthetic, with their eyes closed, and knows how they interact.

How a fragrance is created

Usually, it starts with an idea: a place, a memory, a raw material, or sometimes a request from the fashion house (the so-called brief). The nose writes a formula, that is, a list of raw materials with their quantities, and has it prepared. Then they smell it, correct it, and remake it. A single fragrance can require hundreds of versions and even years of work.

It is a balancing act: removing a note is often more difficult than adding one. The final result can contain dozens of ingredients or very few, depending on the style of the person who composed it.

A nose's style

Like a writer, every nose has a recognizable style: some work with transparency using a few raw materials, some love opulent flowers, others dry woods. When you really like a fragrance, looking at who composed it is one of the best ways to discover others. In our product pages, when we know it, you will find the nose's name and their other fragrances in the boutique.

Frequently asked questions

What does a nose do in perfumery?

They compose fragrances: they choose the raw materials, decide their quantities in the formula, and refine it trial after trial until the final result is achieved.

How long does it take to create a fragrance?

It depends: from a few months to several years, with dozens or hundreds of versions of the formula before the final one.

How can I find other fragrances by the same nose?

On each fragrance's product page, when the nose is known, you will find their name with a link to their page and the other fragrances they have created.