Creating a perfume is a complex process that requires many steps. Today we are going to take you to the heart of perfume formulation to know everything about this wonderful adventure.

 

  • Sourcing

It all starts with the “sourcing” stage. This particular profession consists of traveling from end to end of the earth and finding the ideal raw materials for the formulation of a future perfume. A sourcer must have specific skills to negotiate the right price for everyone. The goal is to remunerate the producers fairly without producing an excessively expensive perfume. He must be curious and understanding in order to be able to discover new and sometimes singular materials. He is also the link between the company and the producers to ensure the smooth running of the exchange. When we think of raw materials, we think “natural” but you should know that this is not always the case. Many synthetic, non-hazardous raw materials,

 

  • The formulation

Once the raw materials have been chosen, and the laboratory cleaned, the perfumer enters the scene. Its role is to create a perfume according to a marketing request. He will then be inspired by the story, the images… of this request and will begin to create the perfume according to his imagination. He will then create chords, which are an assembly of several raw materials to create a smell (Chocolate, Lilac, Pear, Violet, etc.), then, will create the perfume by mixing all these notes together. The goal is to obtain a harmonious and singular juice. Many perfumers also have an “olfactory signature” that distinguishes them from others.

 

  • Evaluation

The evaluator is the last obstacle to overcome before finding the perfume in our perfumery shelves. It is he who decides whether the perceived fragrance is consistent with the initial marketing request. He feels it, analyzes it, observes it… Then he makes a decision. If the latter is positive, the perfume, which until then was “pure”, will be diluted in water and then in alcohol to reduce its concentration and its price. The perfume is then transformed into perfume extract, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne or eau fraîche according to the desired concentration (in order, from the highest to the lowest). If, on the other hand, the stated answer is negative, the perfumer must rework the fragrance until it is validated.

 

At the same time, the marketing team sets up the communication around the new fragrance, always discussing with the evaluator and the perfumer to be consistent at the release.

Perfume is a whole process and many professions, often in the shadows, which cooperate to create exceptional fragrances.