{"id":1351,"date":"2014-02-10T17:14:34","date_gmt":"2014-02-11T01:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/preview.simple.biz\/pkperfumes\/?p=1351"},"modified":"2014-02-10T17:14:34","modified_gmt":"2014-02-11T01:14:34","slug":"on-the-trail-of-a-scent-perfumer-says-perfumes-can-take-between-3-months-to-seven-years-to-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preview.simple.biz\/pkperfumes\/on-the-trail-of-a-scent-perfumer-says-perfumes-can-take-between-3-months-to-seven-years-to-make\/","title":{"rendered":"On the Trail of a Scent – Perfumer says Perfumes can take between 3 months to Seven years to make"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On the Trail of a Scent \u00a0 NY Times<\/h1>\n

http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/02\/09\/jobs\/on-the-trail-of-a-scent.html?goback=%2Egde_2617877_member_5838339157654532099&_r=0<\/p>\n

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By\u00a0PATRICIA R. OLSEN \u00a0 \u00a0

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Mr. Gaurin says it can take from three months to seven years to develop a perfume.\u00a0Michael Nagle for The New York Times<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Pascal Gaurin,<\/em>\u00a044, is a perfumer at\u00a0<\/span>International Flavors & Fragrances<\/a>\u00a0in New York.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Q. How did you train for this career?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A. I studied at\u00a0a school in France<\/a>\u00a0that offers programs in this field. Originally I thought I\u2019d study economics, but I decided it wasn\u2019t a good fit.<\/p>\n

Did your upbringing in France influence the way you develop fragrances?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I spent summers with my grandparents in the country, in the Creuse area. I\u2019d spend time in the forest to entertain myself. It was dark with lots of smells \u2014 the damp soil, mushrooms and flowers. I didn\u2019t realize it at the time, but those rich smells became a fundamental part of my makeup. Beyond that, the French are exposed to fragrance from an early age and absorb it; it is part of the national DNA.<\/p>\n

Do you develop fragrances by yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I collaborate with or compete against about 10 other I.F.F. perfumers. We all want to have our idea be the one presented to the client, which would be a perfume company. Several other companies may be presenting their version of a fragrance to the client as well.<\/p>\n

Is your work similar to that of a chemist?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many perfumers do have a chemistry background, but we\u2019re somewhat like architects, who have a mix of technical and creative skills. Just as architects need a sense of engineering or physics to know if a structure will support a certain amount of weight, perfumers need to know which ingredients are compatible. But the work is not simply empirical; it\u2019s also imaginative. In my mind, I have an olfactory vision.<\/p>\n

\u00a0What\u2019s a typical day like for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I spend about half my time at my computer, choosing ingredients for a fragrance. Then an assistant compounds, or mixes them, in the lab, and I test, or smell, the result. Most of the time I go back and start again. If you can\u2019t take failure after failure you shouldn\u2019t be in this job. We must take calculated chances to innovate.<\/p>\n

How long does it take to develop a fragrance you\u2019re happy with?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It has taken me as short a time as three months, and as long as seven years. Ninety-nine percent of what I try goes nowhere; I\u2019m aiming for that 1 percent that is my best effort. The process can be frustrating, but achieving that 1 percent is the reward. You\u2019re chasing that smile on someone\u2019s face, the reaction when they smell the end result.<\/p>\n