learning perfumery: 12 posts

Update: I have a last-minute opening in the Citrus workshop on Wednesday. You don’t need any essential oils for that class, just citrus fruit and easy-to-find spices. The seat has been taken. Thank you for your interest! If you’ve missed this round of registration, please subscribe to receive updates about new workshops.

When I first started planning my perfume classes, I decided that for the fundamental series, I will offer the option of using common spices and fruits as study aids. My belief is that anything can be useful to training our sense of smell, as long as we follow the proper technique, smell consciously and practice regularly. You can create a box of spices and study them, noting their different nuances. Even after a week of diligently smelling your spices, you will find your sense of smell much sharper.

Once you learn the basics, you can consider investing into a smelling kit. I researched a few reputable options, compare them and made the guide below. Some of the products I mention are available in the US, others in the EU. Either way, I hope to give you a few choices. And to repeat, these kits are not necessary when you first start out with your perfume explorations, but they become useful if you devote more time to unraveling notes and accords.

Tasterplace Aroma Set

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I’m delighted to share that I have joined ISIPCA and I will teach Perfume History starting this fall. ISIPCA (Institut supérieur international du parfum, de la cosmétique et de l’aromatique alimentaire) was founded by Jean- Jacques Guerlain in 1970, and it’s the leading academy in France conferring degrees in perfume, cosmetics and flavors. It’s thrilling to become part of its faculty. I have always enjoyed teaching and I look forward to exploring the subject of iconic perfumes and history with my students.

In the meantime, I will resume my online perfumery classes starting this winter. As always, I will release the new dates via my newsletter, so if you haven’t done so already, please subscribe to stay informed. If you have any wishes about particular topics, I would be glad to hear from you.

Photography by Anna Kozlova, my perfume seminar in France.

I’m happy to announce that I can finally offer Bois de Jasmin online courses. The first series of classes will be lectures designed to sharpen your sense smell and improve your enjoyment and appreciation of scents. You will learn professional smelling techniques and receive personalized tips. You will learn how to smell complex aromas and about the main criteria of a well-made fragrance–and how to look for them.

Please note that every lecture has a slightly different theme! For the winter of 2021, I will focus on spices, woods, and citrus.

We will use readily available fragrant materials for our class exercises, such as spices, coffee, or citrus fruit. You can also bring your favorite perfumes to the lecture. You’ll receive the full instructions before the start of the class.

You’ll also have time at the end of the lecture to ask questions. If you are interested in something specific, you can send me your questions beforehand. I look forward to meeting you! 

Location: Online

Date & Time: 1h + 15min Q&A

November 10th, Wednesday 1:30pm-2:30pm ET/7:30pm-8:30pm CET (time zone converter)   Spices $55 per person:  SOLD OUT please send me an email to be notified when this class returns

December 1st, Wednesday 1:30pm-2:30pm ET/7:30pm-8:30pm CET (time zone converter)   Dark Woods $55 per person: SOLD OUT  please send me an email to be notified when this class returns

December 11th, Saturday 1:30pm-2:30pm ET/7:30pm-8:30pm CET (time zone converter)  Citrus Fruit $55 per person:  SOLD OUT  please send me an email to be notified when this class returns

Important: If you booked the class successfully, you should receive a receipt and a confirmation from me. If you don’t, please check your spam folder or contact me. Closer to the date of the class, you will receive a separate email with joining instructions.

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For the news of upcoming lectures, refund policy, and privacy policy, please take a look at the Online Courses page.

I continue the topic of perfume industry professions. I receive many questions and most of them are similar, so I decided to record a follow-up video. This episode addresses questions from people interested to become perfumers but worried about diversity and not being able to fit in. I’ll explain based on my own experiences and offer several practical suggestions.

This topic is certainly vast, but I hope to touch upon a few key issues. The main idea I would like to reinforce is that the fragrance industry is open to anyone who is passionate, curious, and motivated. I don’t come from a perfumery background. I don’t even come from a country where perfumery is a viable profession. I had no connections to the industry. Yet, I managed to enter it, learn, and create my own niche in it.

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments. I also recommend taking a look at Things to Consider if You Want to Become a Perfumer.

Today I will continue the technical series on perfumery that many of you have enjoyed, and I will cover the topic of accords and bases. What are these concepts? How are they used in perfumery?

In my video, I explain the differences and nuances and will give some ideas to the perfumers-in-training.

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