Principal Perfumer Gabriela Chelariu Shares Projects Wins & Industry Insights

Gabriela Chelariu

Position: Principal Perfumer

Company: dsm-firmenich

Location: New York City, New York

What led you to the fragrance industry?

I spent my childhood and teenage years in a small town in Romania, and more than half of that time in a political regime that was very restrictive and did not allow almost any influx of any kind from outside, including fragrances. Despite this, my life was permanently punctuated by scents, not from bottles, but from nature. My grandmother was a big influence in cultivating in me the knowledge and love of plants and what nature can offer us and from a young age I could identify the scents of all the plants around me, whether flowers, herbs, vegetables, or spices. Scent was so vital in my life, that I had olfactory cues for seasons, even months of the year, recurring celebrations, places, and people; scent was one of my closest guides in my life.

Against this backdrop, in the last year of studying to be a pharmacist, by some fortunate circumstance, I had the amazing chance to work in research for aroma chemicals used in fragrance creation. I can proudly say that my lab was by far the best smelling around—coconut, jasmine, orange blossom. It seemed extraordinary that from not-so-good-smelling sludge such wonderful smells should emerge. This is how my journey in perfumery started. But to get where I am today, I am profoundly thankful to the wonderful and generous mentors and collaborators I had along the way, be they perfumers, fragrance developers, brand creators, and so on.

Read this article in Perfumer & Flavorist+'s April 2024 issue.

What applications do you primarily formulate for? Do you have a favorite?

Throughout my career, I have had opportunities to create for various applications, but today I primarily focus on fine fragrances, occasionally branching out into body products and candles. What I can say is that my creations are translated into a wide range of applications by amazingly talented colleague perfumers with whom I collaborate at dsm-firmenich. I believe that different applications require different expertise, and I am delighted to be part of an organization where collaboration brings forth the best results.

Gabriela Chelariu shares, "I am profoundly thankful to the wonderful and generous mentors and collaborators I had along the way, be they perfumers, fragrance developers, brand creators, and so on."courtesy of dsm-firmenich

Are there any recent projects/wins you’re particularly proud of?

This is always a very difficult question to answer because when I create a fragrance for any project, I dive very deeply into the process. I attach myself emotionally and with both intuitive and analytical faculties, when I successfully secure a project, I feel proud not only of the product but also of the process.

Some recent achievements I am particularly proud of include—Maze for Liberty of London which originated from an accord I created for personal use, blending orange flower, musk and Ambrox Super^a.

Another fragrance I am proud of is Romance Eau de Parfum Intense for Ralph Lauren which is such an iconic fragrance that introduced a new American signature to the fine fragrance world. Having the chance to continue the journey of this legend was an incredible honor.

Last, another project that was particularly close to my heart was the Kayali Wedding Collection—Silk Santal 36. Creating a fragrance for such a special moment, and capturing emotions in fragrance notes was quite a challenge and privilege.

Describe yourself in three ingredients.

Blackcurrant bud, or cassis, as it's commonly called, would be one as it is an explosive ingredient—multifaceted and full of contradictions. It is tart and sweet, quite aromatic and cooling, with green vegetal and mossy undertones.

Neroli oil offers the most harmonious combination of clean citrus notes, a soft petal effect, and green earthy undertones of green pepper.

Vetiver oil, known for its woody, earthy, smoky, and nutty qualities—I happen to be addicted to peanuts, which we sometimes use to describe vetiver. But another reason I like vetiver is because it reminds me of hiking in the woods. Vetiver evokes the smell of decaying leaves and trees mixed with wet earth.

Now you can draw your conclusions, but one thing I can say is that nature is what inspires me most and where I feel most myself.

 Advice for people coming into the perfume field.

I will not mention "passion" first because it sounds cliché, and secondly, if the intention is to become a perfumer, I can’t imagine anyone going through the complex and arduous process of becoming a perfumer without having a passion for perfume. So, what I advise people who would like to pursue becoming a perfumer is to be curious, authentic, and resilient. To have courage, patience, and a continuous desire to explore.

One of the most important qualities, however, is generosity. Generosity to bring beauty into people’s lives. Fragrances have the power to change people’s lives, so we should never take this lightly. It is an amazing privilege, and I am thankful for it.

How has the job of a perfumer changed during your career?

I can certainly say that the job of a perfumer has indeed changed during my career, and I think that’s to be expected since we are in a creative field that is linked so directly to the pulse of society. People’s expectations change, and so does the advancement of technology, just to mention a few factors.

When I started as a perfumer, we had several major brands of fine fragrances and a limited number of smaller brands, and fragrance launches were at a much slower pace. Today, the landscape is dramatically different. There are thousands of launches per year and a similar number of brands. The speed of launches has accelerated, and the lifespan of a given fragrance is much shorter, often being the brand's intention, as they respond to the expectations of their consumers.

All this said, as perfumers, we need to adapt to this increased pace of creation and be much more aware of the market and consumer trends so we can be very intentional in our creations, offering differentiation and newness. Today, we work more closely with marketing and consumer insight teams, using tools that make some aspects of creation faster so we can focus on innovation.

The growing desire for brands to feature the perfumer in their launches, allowing people to hear about the inspiration, story, and process behind the creation is also something we see more now and this adds another layer to our jobs as creators, and this type of exposure is not always easy as it was not always the case.

Throughout Chelariu's career, she's had opportunities to create for various applications, but today her primary focus is Fine Fragrance, occasionally branching out into Body Products and Candles.courtesy of dsm-firmenich

Are the types of projects you're working on changing over time? How are the creative demands of the job evolving?

The types of projects I work on are always changing over time. We are in a very innovative industry, and I am continually impressed by the continuous stream of new ways to bring fragrances into people’s lives.

One of the recent developments in the fragrance industry is the use of fragrance for wellness. It has long been known that fragrance influences emotions, well-being, and health but as an industry, we have only recently begun to intentionally explore this side of fragrance benefits. What was once considered the domain of aromatherapy is now being integrated into fine fragrance applications, candles, and various other products containing fragrance that touch people in their daily lives.

There is a significant amount of research being conducted at dsm-firmenich to unlock the full potential of fragrance in improving people's well-being, and as a perfumer, I am deeply engaged in the process of creating fragrances that not only bring beauty but also well-being benefits to people's lives. Today, we have technologies developed by the most talented scientists that are integrated into our creation tools, allowing us to make the most informed choices to maximize the signature and performance of our creations.

Therefore, I can confidently say that our creative work now takes a multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach. This represents the future of creation, and I am eager to see how our craft will continue to evolve.

What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job, besides creating fragrances, is the collaboration with my colleagues inside the company and with partners on the client side. Creation never happens in a vacuum, and collaborating with passionate and amazing fragrance developers internally and on the client side has resulted in amazing fragrances, as well as in trust, respect, and admiration.

I learn a lot from the people I work with, and collaboration is often a source of breakthroughs. Collaborating with fellow perfumers is another amazing aspect of my job, and if I must choose between winning a project on my own or collaborating with a fellow perfumer, I will always choose collaboration. There is nothing like sharing the happiness of successfully completing a project, and it is definitely easier to handle a loss as well.

^aAmbrox Super is a trademarked ingredient of dsm-firmenich