Just
as a musician needs a good ear, a perfumer needs
a good nose. Their olfactory organ must be better
trained and more highly aware for their profession.
They must also be imaginative and have a good understanding
of chemestry. Creators of fragrance, who are known
as "Noses," are held in the highest esteem
in the perfume industry and theirs is the final
say as to whether or not a fragrance is acceptable.
Perfumers
are chosen in various ways, each company having
a different procedure. Generally, the candidates
remain apprentices for a minimum of 6 years and
may never make the grade at all but, if they do,
they become full-fledged perfumers and then can
move up the ranks, depending on the success of their
creations.
The
primary requisite for becoming a Nose is a keen
olfactory sense. Perfumers must not only be able
to distinguish blindfolded between the fragrance
of a rose and a tulip, but their sense of smell
must be so acute that they can detect in a mixture
of 100 or more ingredients the precise amount
of the various substances that have contributed
to the formula.
They
must not only be able to recognize various raw
materials but must have the capacity and artistry
to blend them harmoniously. They must be able
to tell the difference between oils of the same
species of plant cultivated in different countries,
and which type will achieve a particular result.
Lavender oil, for example, can have a topnote
that is floral, balsamic, sharp, sweet, green
or nut-like. The Nose has his or her counterpart
in the wine industry, where the skilled expert
can tell in an instant the region, type of grape,
and vintage of the wine he or she is sampling.
A truly great perfume is not created in a hurry.
Mass-produced fragrances may be blended from a
standard formula in a short time, but the original
creation of a beautiful perfume may take years
to accomplish. If the artist has a picture in
mind that he or she wishes to translate into scent
many weeks and months will be spent over it. Surrounded
by myriads of bottles, vials, jars, each filled
with precious essential oils and other materials,
the perfumer goes to work.
During
the blending they dip long, slender bits of blotters,
called mouillettes (pronounced moo-yets) into
the solution and put them aside to dry. At intervals
these strips are sniffed, to determine what should
be added to perfect the composition and to round
out the fragrance.
Just as a painter spreads paint over canvas and
then steps back to view it critically checking
up on whether more light is needed in an area,
or a bit more blue needs to be added to the purple,
so does the perfume artist make tests. Perhaps
a minute quantity of jasmine to give smoothness,
or a slightly heavier note to add more character
to an otherwise too light scent, is what the perfumer
decides.
Throughout the building of the perfume it is tested
frequently, and under varying conditions. Is it
the same in the early morning as it is in the
dusk of the evening? Is the scent altered by weather
conditions? These and many other checks are made
before the perfume is considered a finished product.
