Perfumer & Flavorist+ [P&F+]: What led you to the fragrance industry?
Pierre Bouley [PB]: I was born into the fragrance industry, and it has influenced me as I’ve grown up. From a very young age, my mother, a perfumer, used to take me with her to the mall and other stores to smell fragrances with her. Candles, fine fragrance, air fresheners, laundry—you name it, I was dragged along to smell it. While in high school, I did an internship in quality control, marketing and a fragrance lab and even did a science fair project on the longevity of Schiff Bases in different fragrance applications (yes, really). I’d say that my path into the fragrance industry was inevitable, and here we are.
P&F+: What applications do you primarily formulate for? Do you have a favorite?
PB: Luckily here at Sozio, I have the opportunity to formulate cross-category and get to learn the tricks and facets of different applications and markets. One day, we can be working on a collection for heavy gourmand fragrances, and the next, a brief for a delicate, floral fine fragrance. The bouncing back and forth means I have to be flexible and adaptable with my formulations, which I enjoy. However, if I had to pick one particular application, I’d have to choose fine fragrance. I find it to be the paramount vehicle for a fragrance to thrive and show its layers. Each raw material is almost a word and as it evolves over time, a story is told to the wearer, one that they can identify and express themselves with.
For the full article, please check out the Perfumer & Flavorist+ September 2022 issue.
