“Cooking, art, travel, reading… I draw inspiration from everywhere. Creation inspires me.” - Domitille Michalon-Bertier
Today, we're taking you to meet Domitille Michalon-Bertier , perfumer at IFF who created Hors-Piste , our sassy Cologne and Un Deux Trois Soleil , our gourmand and mischievous eau de parfum that you'll have on the end of your language.
Inspired and inspiring , discover her story, her journey, her inspirations for the creation of Bastille perfumes and the challenges she encountered when composing natural perfumes .
Good reading !
The journey and inspirations of Domitille Michalon-Bertier
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your background?
Before knowing that the profession of perfumer existed, I wanted to be an architect. I liked the idea of creating for others .
But the day I discovered the existence of ISIPCA it all made sense... It was obvious to me. I have always been attracted to smells . I had the chance to join this school and then do my end-of-studies internship at IFF, where I am still with.
What ultimately made you want to become a perfumer?
As a child, I lived for a few years on the Vanuatu Islands. I remember the olfactory shock that this move caused. I left Paris to discover an incredible world of new smells.
All the scents seemed heightened to me . I remember the scents of spices, flowers, wood… a very strong forest smell. This experience undeniably contributed to my desire to become a perfumer .
What are your inspirations?
Cooking, art, travel, reading… I draw inspiration from everywhere . Creation inspires me. I also do a lot of research on the brands I work for, I like to understand their world. Ideas often come to me when I'm moving, especially when I practice Nordic walking in the great outdoors.
How do you manage to transcribe words, an inspiration or a memory into a perfume?
I manage to transcribe words, an inspiration, a memory by association of ideas... I immerse myself in my thoughts, ideas that I note in a notebook or in my library of smells and accords that I have created and that I keep. These are often starting points for new structures.
Do you have an olfactory signature? If yes which one ?
No but yes. No because I mainly work to order but yes because I infuse my way of doing things.
Domitille Michalon-Bertier and Bastille…
What are the challenges of composing perfumes with 95% natural ingredients?
It’s first about seeing what ingredients are at our disposal. Composing 95% natural ingredients means working with a new palette, which is regularly enriched .
It also often means dealing with more expensive ingredients , you have to be careful to remain accessible.
What did you like/like about the Bastille adventure?
I liked this challenge that was offered to us. The objective of making a perfume composed of 95% natural ingredients.
I appreciated the approach which leaves room for pleasure, chic and playfulness. The Bastille adventure exudes the joy of living and I loved this creative environment.
Can you describe to us in 3 words the perfumes that you have created at Bastille?
Off-Piste : modern, vibrant and full of energy!
Un Deux Trois Soleil : warm, smelling of summer and joyful
What did the Un Deux Trois Soleil and Hors-Piste briefs inspire you when we presented them to you?
The briefs showed us the spirit in which the brand wanted to inscribe the creations but leaving us great creative freedom . I especially remember the images from these briefs… very inspiring !
For the brief that ultimately gave birth to Un Deux Trois Soleil, I remember images representing childhood, carefreeness, play... Something very warm and regressive .
Concerning the Off-Piste brief, there was none . But we thought that this flash of freshness could fit perfectly into the collection, so we proposed it to the brand, which ultimately accepted this idea of a modern Cologne.
And we end this fragrant interview with these last 3 questions:
For you, a perfume is…
Pleasure.
And a perfumer is…
A creator of emotions.
Finally, what is your motto?
As long as there is life, there is hope…and joy!
The olfactory portrait of Domitille Michalon-Bertier
We now move on to the olfactory portrait . Let's go !
Your personality in 3 words? Enthusiastic, involved, curious.
Your first olfactory memory? The smell of a Basque black cherry cake.
A smell you hate? There is no scent that I really hate... but sometimes there are pairings that don't enchant me, scents that don't go together harmoniously . The smells of mint chocolate or the notes of dairy desserts with exotic fruits for example!
A smell you love? The smell of iris concrete.
A favorite raw material that you like or would like to work with? I would love to work on a natural popcorn absolute.
An original association? Combine Timur pepper and vetiver.
A legendary perfume? L’Eau des Merveilles, Hermès.
Natural, synthetic or both? Both as long as they are good and “clean” for the planet!
So ! Now you know Domitille Michalon-Bertier inside and out .
To discover the perfume interviews of other perfumers who have signed Bastille perfumes, go to the “Perfume Interviews” section of our blog!
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