Present a combination between any of the 3,000 raw materials available in Cesar Veiga perfumery. The chance of making mistakes which ingredients were used is virtually zero.
“My nose is like anyone. Physiologically, it’s the same thing, but he’s trained,” says the perfumer Infomoneyon the eve of this Sunday (21) in which the Perfumer Day is celebrated.
Put training on it. Professional perfumers invest 5 to 10 years in formation to distinguish fragrances ranging from natural roses and orange leaves to synthetic aromas obtained through chemical processes such as vanilla.
Continues after advertising
There are two ways to get certification: the first, unique through an educational institution, is to enroll in the Isipca design and aromas course course, the French acronym for the International Institute of Food, Cosmetics and Aromatic Perfumes; The second, most common, is to do industry training from a business company.
This training “in-house“, Linked to the inner schools of the so -called fragrance houses – suppliers of the“ smells ”that make up perfumes around the world – it takes about three years, and lasts until the perfumer keeps in memory the more than 3,000 basic ingredients for the creation of perfumes.
“It’s like learning music,” compares Veiga, who had already gone through the technical course of laboratory and degree in pharmacy.
Continues after advertising
First come the “chords”, mixes three to five raw materials to reach a new odor. Then training perfumers reproduce market products only based on smell. THE grand finale It is learning the “composition”, elaborating its own perfume based on a subjective inspiration: it can be a Christmas in winter or a tour of a winery, for example.
Much of the work, even, has nothing to do with the nostrils. “It has the question of sensitivity and talent. Hence the artistic part. A very rational person cannot understand that perfumery is emotional,” explains Veiga.
He himself is a good example. From piano to watercolor classes, the perfumer often seeks inspirations in the arts: “I’m visual. For me, places are inspiration. Architecture, colors, pieces of art. I can see a picture and in my head forms a fragrance interpreting the smell of those colors.”
Continues after advertising
For a long time, he explains Veiga, perfumers had a previous training in chemistry or pharmacy graduations. Today, however, many professionals even come from the fine arts. “It is not a precondition to have a technical course, but there is a prerequisite of understanding a little chemistry.”
A working day of a perfumer – or at least Veiga – is never the same. He may be in a European museum looking for inspirations today, in the restaurant of a neighborhood cool In Asia tomorrow or extracting new essences via chemical methods for a new perfume.
“My routine is to arrive, evaluate products and projects that are underway, but also look a lot at this more strategic issue of new, concept raw materials,” explains the perfumer. “Working hard with what is coming. Futurism issues, being aware of information, signs that can become a trend and this trend becomes a product mainstream No future. “
Continues after advertising
Not even a profession that is based on a human sense is escaping the impact of AI on the labor market – and, in Veiga’s assessment, in a positive way. It already uses, for example, data sets to understand fragrances with greater grip in certain groups.
“We have a lot of information taken from market research, consumer research. Everything goes to a reference that crosses information. It helps us faster to make suggestions,” he says.
For each perfume it will develop, Veiga receives a briefing. For example, a product to reach a 35-45 -year -old woman, contemporary, with children and at the moment of fullness of life. Fulfilled and romantic. With artificial intelligence, it is possible to understand which notes already please this profile and be more assertive in the construction of the perfume.
