Seamus Hammond
Becoming a perfume nose requires years of intensive study and training. While a good sense of smell is important, it is not the only factor that determines success in this field. Communication skills and olfactory memory are key, as well as an understanding of odour perception and creation. Perfumers must be able to recognize, describe, and blend different materials to create unique scents. Building a career in this small industry can be challenging, but it is possible to develop your scent IQ through simple acts like sniffing aromatic things in your surroundings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Training | Years of intensive studies |
| Perfumer's skills | Good communication skills, a good memory, and knowledge of materials |
| Perfumer's qualities | Creative, willing to take risks, tenacious |
| Perfumer's background | A degree in organic chemistry, experience in a research lab |
| Scent identification | Smell perfumes and identify specific scents to retrieve the formula used |
| Scent practice | Inhale fragrances, foul and pleasant, to develop olfactory awareness |
| Scent memory | Create links and associations with memories, feelings, colours, and textures |
| Testing perfumes | Try several fragrances, using blotters, to distinguish notes |
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What You'll Learn
- Training your nose: Develop olfactory memory by creating links with memories, feelings, colours and textures
- Education: Study organic chemistry or enrol in a perfumery school
- Practice: Smell your surroundings, including herbs, teas, coffees, and spices
- Communication: Learn to describe smells and communicate them effectively
- Creativity: Be willing to take creative risks and think outside the box
Training your nose: Develop olfactory memory by creating links with memories, feelings, colours and textures
Smell and memory are closely linked due to the brain's anatomy. The olfactory bulb, located at the front of the brain, sends information to the limbic system, including the amygdala and hippocampus, which are regions related to emotion and memory. This means that scents can trigger powerful memories and emotions.
To train your nose, you should create your own links and associations between scents and your memories, feelings, colours, and textures. By practicing this regularly and methodically, you can develop your olfactory memory to a professional standard.
Start by simply inhaling the various odors you encounter in your daily life. This will help you develop olfactory awareness and open you up to a range of new sensory experiences. You can also try sniffing aromatic things like herbs, teas, coffees, chocolates, fruits, and spices. This will help you become familiar with different scents and improve your ability to recognize and communicate them, a key skill for perfumers.
In addition to recognizing scents, you can also train your nose to differentiate between similar odors. For example, you can practice distinguishing between different types of mint by crushing the leaves and inhaling the aroma.
Finally, it's important to note that scent and emotion are stored as one memory. Therefore, childhood tends to be the period in which we create the basis for the smells we will like and dislike for the rest of our lives.
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Education: Study organic chemistry or enrol in a perfumery school
A career in perfumery requires a blend of technical knowledge and artistic skill. While perfumers today are not necessarily steeped in chemistry, a foundational understanding of the field is still important. Organic chemistry, in particular, is useful to know as many common fragrances utilise specialised metabolites found in plants. Esters, for example, are a class of molecules known for their strong, pleasant smells.
One of the world's most revered perfumers, Christine Nagel, obtained a degree in organic chemistry before beginning her career in a research lab at fragrance and flavour firm Firmenich. It was there that she first witnessed a "nose" at work and decided to pursue perfumery.
If you're interested in becoming a "nose" yourself, you might consider studying organic chemistry at the university level. Alternatively, you could enrol in a perfumery school such as the legendary Givaudan Perfumery School in Paris, which has moulded many masters of the craft. The school has another campus in Singapore. Another option is the Grasse Institute of Perfumery, which offers field trips to places like Morocco.
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Practice: Smell your surroundings, including herbs, teas, coffees, and spices
To become a perfume nose, you must be able to perceive odours, recognise them, describe them, and blend them to create something new. This requires practice and a good memory.
One way to practice is to smell your surroundings, including herbs, teas, coffees, and spices. By familiarising yourself with the unique scents of various herbs, you can develop a strong olfactory memory. For example, rosemary has a woody and evergreen aroma, while basil has warm and spicy notes with hints of anise and clove. Thyme has a herbaceous, slightly sweet, and warm aroma, adding depth and richness to fragrances. Aromatic herbs such as lavender, mint, and rosemary have been used for centuries by ancient civilisations like the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks for anointing the body, scenting the air during rituals, and for their therapeutic benefits in aromatherapy.
Tea is another beverage with a unique scent profile that can add an airy, soothing quality to a fragrance. For instance, green tea has a more aqueous note, while black tea is woodier and earthier. To create the smell of tea in perfumes, perfumers use natural extracts or a 'fantasy' interpretation called an accord. Earl Grey tea, for instance, has a distinct aroma due to the addition of bergamot, lending a citrusy smell.
Spices are also key components in perfumery, adding depth and intrigue to fragrances. Cinnamon and vanilla, for example, can enhance the warm, spicy notes of basil.
By creating your own associations with memories, feelings, and textures, you can build up your olfactory memory and improve your ability to identify and distinguish various scents in your surroundings.
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Communication: Learn to describe smells and communicate them effectively
Communication is a key skill for a "perfume nose". It is not enough to be able to perceive odours; a perfumer must also be able to describe and communicate what they are smelling in a way that others can understand.
Developing an olfactory memory can help with this. Creating your own links and associations with memories, feelings, colours, and textures can help you build up your olfactory memory to a professional standard. You can do this by sniffing your surroundings and making associations with what you smell. For example, you might smell something that reminds you of your grandmother's kitchen, or a particular holiday.
It can also be helpful to build a vocabulary of smell descriptors. Adjectives like "spicy", "musty", "citrusy", "floral", and "earthy" are a good starting point. You can also use metaphors and similes to compare smells to familiar objects or experiences, for instance, "as sweet as the intoxicating aroma of a field of lavender". Describing the intensity of a smell can also help to create a more intimate understanding for your audience. For example, a smell might be "heavy", "overpowering", "lingering", "sharp", "light", or "fleeting".
It is also important to remember that smells are often blends of many different scents. Describing the different components of a smell can create a fuller picture. For example, "the scent of the forest after rain was a blend of fresh earth, green leaves, and a hint of decay".
Finally, it is worth noting that, while it is important to be descriptive, you should also be concise. Giving too many details may overwhelm your audience.
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Creativity: Be willing to take creative risks and think outside the box
Creativity and a willingness to take risks are essential to becoming a successful "nose" in the perfume industry. While perfumery requires technical expertise, it is also an art that involves odour perception, creation, and communication.
Developing a creative approach to perfumery involves building an olfactory memory and a unique "scent IQ". This can be achieved by creating personal links and associations with memories, feelings, colours, and textures. For example, Christian Dior's master perfumer, François Demachy, suggested an interview be held in a garden with 250 varieties of flowers, fruits, and herbs, encouraging an immersive and sensory experience.
Similarly, perfumer Victoria Forlova recommends sniffing everyday items like herbs, teas, coffees, chocolates, olive oils, and fruits. This approach helps to build a nuanced understanding of scents and their associations, allowing for creative combinations when crafting perfumes.
Taking creative risks also involves challenging industry norms and thinking outside the box. For example, Christine Nagel, the "nose" of Hermès, succeeded in a male-dominated industry despite not hailing from Grasse, the traditional capital of the scent industry. Her willingness to take risks and her unique perspective have contributed to her success.
Additionally, creativity in perfumery can involve collaborating with other departments, such as marketing and product design. For instance, Nagel discusses the bottle design and advertising for her perfumes, showcasing how creative input can influence the overall product beyond just the scent.
Lastly, creativity in perfumery requires an understanding of the alchemy of scent—it's about what's going on in your head, not just the mixing of ingredients. This involves recognising, describing, and blending materials to create something new, which demands both technical skill and artistic flair.
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Frequently asked questions
A degree in chemistry is a common entry route into the world of perfume creation. Some noses also have a graduate degree in perfumery or cosmetic science. There are also some specialised perfumery schools that offer courses, but these are highly competitive and costly.
A good nose is not enough. You need to be creative and artistic, with a good imagination and artistic sensitivity. You also need to be able to put words to smells and be able to identify them at a glance.
You can apply for entry-level positions in cosmetics and perfume companies, such as a scent evaluator, lab tech, or quality control worker. You can then work your way up to become a perfumer. Alternatively, you can apply for student perfumer positions once you have completed your degree.
