Perfumer’s word: Nathalie Lorson

Nathalie Lorson

Perfumer of Fig Infusion 

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Essential parfums 

Your first olfactory memory?

As the foundation of our personality, our childhood memories are among our strongest; for example, Europeans enjoy the savory, sweet notes that make up what we commonly call our “Madeleine de Proust. These memories evoke the sweetest emotions evoked by our grandmother’s cakes or the magic of Christmas filled with orange peels, balsam trees, spices and roasted chestnuts.

I spent my childhood in Grasse surrounded by the culture of perfumery. When I think back to that time, the smell of mimosa comes immediately to mind. In the hills of Tanneron, in the hinterland of Grasse, I used to pick mimosa with my parents in February. I have a fantastic memory of it. Mimosa is first of all a soft powdery sensation that announces spring. The yellow pompons reveal delicate floral and green shades.

What fragrance would you like to create?

I remember my fascination when Acqua di Gio was launched. Its intense freshness, evoking the force of the waves, has become mythical. It has been one of the best-selling fragrances for over 20 years.

I dream of capturing the atmosphere of the peaks and recreating the smell of the clouds. I would translate this breathtaking effect by transmitting the incredible sensation of fresh mountain air on the skin.

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What was the first perfume/juice you ever won? 

My first creation in Fine Fragrance was a perfume called , in the late 80s. A composition with a racy freshness expressed by a floral heart that combines the green candor of lily of the valley with the elegance of narcissus.

Do you wear perfume? If so, which ones?

I often wear the perfume I’m working on. When I take a break, I like the velvet veil, the second skin sensation of the musks, they provide a soft comfort, a delicate envelopment.

If you could have put yourself in the shoes of another perfumer, who would it be and why?

Without hesitation, Edmond Roudnitska for whom I have great admiration. He is at the origin of great perfumes of the 20th century, but above all he was famous for revolutionizing the formulation of perfumes. In particular, he introduced hedione, a synthetic molecule derived from jasmine that gives a tenacious freshness and volume to creations. Hedione became a must-have and is still used by many perfumers today. A real master stroke !

Do you have a ritual, a working method that you apply for each creation?

My quest for the best ingredients is essential when working on a new project. Each project inspires me with specific qualities and species. When I design a perfume, I follow my inspiration to select the best ingredients that my perfumers’ palette offers me to create a unique signature. I like to explore the multiple creative possibilities of composing with different raw materials. I see myself as a gold digger in search of the nugget.

I like to immerse myself in an inspiring universe and start with a clear idea in mind. I choose precious and voluptuous raw materials to better embody the sensuality I want to express. Then, I build the facets and search for the best balance creating a unique and sophisticated alchemy of seduction.

I see modernity in simple and direct perfumes. A clear structure highlights the noble materials that compose it and makes the perfume very accessible.

The most difficult aspect of the perfumer’s job is the creation and transformation of emotions into addiction. They only come when we are able to capture the perfect match between the fragrance and the person wearing it.

Being a very visual person, colors and shapes are very important to me, they guide my creativity.

If you were a raw material, what would you be?

There are raw materials that I particularly like. I like musk, rose and vanilla, which have an olfactory identity that is a little round and soft, which corresponds to me.

Is there a smell from everyday life that you particularly like?

I like the smell of cut grass, lime blossoms or the sea breeze. These are beautiful olfactory interludes, they plunge me into the reminiscences of simple and pleasant moments in the middle of nature.

If you had to develop another perfume for Essential parfums, what would you think of? 

Why not create a juice around a tonka bean all in roundness warmed by the sun or a racy cedar contrasted by aromatic facets.