The noses

Perfumers: the craft of the nose explained

A perfumer, often called a nose, composes fragrances by blending natural materials with synthetic molecules. Most don't work for a single brand. They're employed by fragrance houses such as Givaudan or IFF and answer briefs from brands. A few houses, like Guerlain and Hermès, have had their own in-house perfumer. Our perfumer pages trace each career and the style that carries from one scent to the next.

Francis Kurkdjian perfumes, from Le Mâle to Baccarat Rouge 540Baccarat Rouge 540 · Le Mâle · Grand Soir Olivier Polge perfumes, from Dior Homme's iris to Chanel's floralsDior Homme · Flowerbomb · La Vie Est Belle Dominique Ropion perfumes, from niche masterpieces to blockbustersPortrait of a Lady · Carnal Flower · Alien Thierry Wasser perfumes: Guerlain's in-house noseLa Petite Robe Noire · Mon Guerlain · L'Homme Idéal Alberto Morillas perfumes, the master of clean freshnessAcqua di Gio · CK One · Acqua di Giò Profumo Christine Nagel perfumes, from Jo Malone to HermèsNarciso Rodriguez for Her · Twilly d'Hermès · Wood Sage & Sea Salt

The craft, and how to read a nose's signature

The job starts with memorizing hundreds of raw materials, then learning how to dose them. In France, many perfumers come through chemistry studies or a specialized school such as ISIPCA in Versailles. A perfumer writes a formula and has it weighed. Then they smell it and correct it, often dozens of times. Reading a nose's signature means comparing several of their perfumes. Jean-Claude Ellena works with economy: few notes and plenty of transparency, as in Terre d'Hermès or Un Jardin sur le Nil. Dominique Ropion prefers scale, from Portrait of a Lady to Alien. Francis Kurkdjian moves from the sweet lavender of Le Mâle to the amber accord of Baccarat Rouge 540, yet keeps a clean and recognizable line. On each perfumer page we link their creations so these patterns show up on their own.

Frequently asked questions

Is a perfumer the same as a nose?

In practice, yes. Nose is the informal name for a perfumer who creates fragrances. In French, the word parfumeur can also mean someone who sells perfume. On our pages, perfumer and nose always refer to the person who writes the formula, not the one who sells it.

How do you become a perfumer?

The usual route runs through chemistry studies, then a specialized school such as ISIPCA in Versailles. Some fragrance houses also train future perfumers in-house. After that come years of apprenticeship to memorize materials before signing a first formula.