Perfume interview: meet perfumer Paul Guerlain

"Constraint in perfumery is often an incredible asset to creativity, a driving force." - Paul Guerlain

Today, we're taking you to meet Paul Guerlain, perfumer at IFF, who has signed Pleine Luneour seductive, mysterious floral withAnne Flipo.

Observant and inquisitive, discover his story, his career path, his inspirations for creating Pleine Lune and the challenges he faced when composing natural fragrances.

Enjoy your reading!

Paul Guerlain's background and inspirations

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your background?

I trained as a perfumer at IFF, first in New York and then in Paris. It was there that I had the great pleasure to becomeAnne Flipo's student. I owe her a lot. She transmitted her knowledge to me and allowed me to reveal my abilities.

What finally made you want to become a perfumer?

I come from a family of perfumers, so I smelled very young. When I came home from school I would see my grandfather working on notes, with a fan of wicks around him.

He never trained me, but he is the one who made me want to become a perfumer.

What are your inspirations?

The sources of inspiration are endless I would say. Nature, people, art, I like to observe what surrounds me.

Inspiration, ideas, are not summoned, they often come when you don't expect them.

How do you manage to transcribe words, an inspiration or a memory in a perfume?

I create a dialogue. What I like when I create is to create a dialogue between raw materials. I like to make them meet, that's how they attract each other, oppose each other, reveal themselves... That's how I work.

Do you have an olfactory signature? If yes, which one ?

I don't think so... or maybe it's constantly changing.
The danger is perhaps to have one. To create is to evolve constantly, to renew oneself.  

Paul Guerlain and Bastille...

What are the challenges of composing fragrances with 95% natural ingredients?

For this project, it was indeed necessary to have a very high proportion of natural ingredients. But constraints in perfumery are often an incredible asset to creativity, a driving force. As the palette shrinks, new sources of expression must be found, while guaranteeing the finesse and staying power of the final creation.

What did you like/like about the Bastille adventure?

The team's approach and commitment and the creative challenge. I liked the willingness to be transparent. The creative freedom we had on this project as well.

On a more personal note, this perfume was also an opportunity for me to create alongside Anne Flipo. Working with Anne is always a pleasure and a great learning experience. I always come out of it better.

Can you describe in 3 words the fragrance you've signed with Bastille ?

Pleine Lune: Sensual, delicate, biased

What did the Pleine Lune brief inspire you when you were presented with it?

The brand especially presented us its approach, this desire for transparency, the specifications. On the creative side, we had territories of inspiration, but no brief in the strict sense. This leaves room for creative imagination.

And we end this fragrant interview with these last 3 questions:

For you, a perfume is...

A journey.

And a perfumer is... 

An explorer. Being a perfumer means exploring new ideas, new horizons, new combinations of raw materials every day.

Finally, what is your motto?

Dialogue! Dialogue between materials so that they respond to each other, oppose each other or assemble.

The olfactory portrait of Paul Guerlain

We now move on to the olfactory portrait. Here we go!

Your personality in 3 words? Curious, passionate, observant.

Your first olfactory memory? Ylang in Mayotte. I was 5 years old, I visited the plantations with my grandfather, I will remember it all my life.

A smell you hate? White vinegar. That smell should be banned! But other than that one, I don't really have a smell I don't like... the challenge as a perfumer is to find the combination that will reveal the beauty of each raw material.

A smell you love? The smell of rain.

A favorite raw material that you like or would like to work with? Vetiver.

An original association ? Tuberose and matcha is an original association. The false innocence and the creamy addiction.

A mythical perfume? Dior Homme.

Natural, synthetic or both? Both!

That's it! Now you know Paul Guerlain inside and out.

To discover the perfumed interviews of the other perfumers who have designed Bastille fragrances, go to the "Perfumed Interviews" section of our blog - they're coming soon, so please be patient!

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Photos : Michael Avedon