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How to become a nose...

Creating a unique fragrance is a dream shared by all perfume lovers, but they can not all fulfill it. Monique Schlienger, perfumer and founder of Cinquième Sens,* tells us about the long, hard road to becoming a nose.

By Justine Hossano. 13/09/01

What skills are required for becoming a nose?

You must, of course, possess a certain sensitivity to smells and be able to capture any scent within range. Some of my students, for instance, swear that they have always been able to smell the food they are eating. But to become a nose, you also need to have a tremendous amount of imagination and creativity. It's like the difference between a good musician and a composer, who can hear a tune in his head before he has committed it to paper.

How do you train to become a perfumer?

In France, there is a long course of studies at the ISIPCA (International Institute of Perfumery, Cosmetics and Alimentary Aromas), which accepts twenty students a year in the perfumery department. You must have already completed two years as a chemistry or biochemistry major. The program lasts two academic years, with both theory, in class, and practice, in on-the-job training at a perfume company. Then you have to prove your merit. The ideal career path for an aspiring perfumer is: assistant perfumer, junior perfumer, senior perfumer and finally, master perfumer. Many are called, but few are chosen.

Do you absolutely have to have studied chemistry?

As a matter of fact, I did want to become a chemist before going into perfumery. Jean Carles, my professor, told me: "If you go to chemistry school, I will not take you on as my pupil." He must have thought that a scientific approach would impair my creativity. So I didn't study chemistry. But nowadays, given all the technical constraints, it is better to have some knowledge of chemistry, though you don't have to be a wiz.

Are there nose dynasties?

It is easier to put a smell on a name than a name on a smell. A nose will "smell" a scent as soon as they hear its name. When they compose a fragrance, they write down the formula and blend it, and don't smell it until its finished.

How many smells can and must a perfume creator memorize?

To begin with, you have to know 400 raw materials "by nose". Later, you can expand your palette to up to 1,500 or even 2,000 different smells.

How does the creative process work?

IIt is easier to put a smell on a name than a name on a smell. A nose will "smell" a scent as soon as they hear its name. When they compose a fragrance, they write down the formula and blend it, and don't smell it until its finished.

Has the work of today's creators changed?

Of course. Before, it was a handicraft. Nowadays it is an industry, and a big business at that. Plus, we have legal considerations to contend with, and prices for raw materials which our predecessors did not have.

Can you improve your sense of smell?

The more you smell, the better you smell. Of course, they really should teach smell in school, in the same way as they have art classes. Developing this sense brings great joy. In fact, I created a module called "Awakening the Fifth Sense" for the Jardin d'Acclimatation (the children's garden) in Paris.

They often say that the sense of smell goes hand in hand with the sense of taste...

When Jean Carles interviewed me, he asked if I enjoyed eating. For him, it was an essential quality. When you compose a perfume, it is like creating a cooking recipe (especially nowadays). In fact, we use many of the same ingredients as for cooking.
* Cinquième Sens offers customized training programs in perfumery for professionals and interested individuals. In addition, Monique Schlienger has just released a CD-Rom entitled "Un siècle de parfums" (A Century of perfumes). A great encyclopedia with a "wind rose" of creations listed by year, quizzes, fact sheets and plenty of historical trivia. Telephone: (33) (1) 4753-7916.
www.cinquiemesens.com