Update: the dates for the classes in my Brussels studio are now available. Please take a look below.

It’s been such a pleasure to teach my online classes this year. I’ve enjoyed interacting and smelling with you and every session made me discover something new. And so this spring continues with more new courses. Everyone’s favorites Citrus-Spices-Woods and Rose-Orange Blossom-Iris courses will return and there will also be new offers.

I will teach you the next classical trio of floral notes such as Lily of the Valley, Lilac and Hyacinth. I will explain what makes each of these notes unique and how they are used in perfumery. Since these flowers can’t be extracted by steam or solvents, I will discuss how different perfumers, from Guerlain to Chanel, employed them. I will explain different accords and give you examples of materials that are used to construct these accords, in case you want to try to make your own.

Next, I will devote three seminars to Amber, Vanilla and Tonka Bean, giving you a glimpse into the rich and luscious world of ambers, amber-florals and gourmands. These classes are for students of all levels of interest in perfumery.

To register for the online courses, please go to the Online Perfume Classes page or take a look below:

Perfume Fundamentals: Spices
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: May 11th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Citrus
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: May 15th, Wednesday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Dark Woods
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: May 18th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

3-Class Package: Spices, Citrus, Woods
Price: €155 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Rose
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: May 19th, Sunday12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Orange Blossom
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: May 25th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Iris
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: May 26th, Sunday, 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

3-Class Package: Rose, Orange Blossom, Iris
Price: €155 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Lily of the Valley
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: June 1st, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Lilac
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: June 5th, Wednesday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Hyacinth
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: June 8th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

3-Class Package: : Lily of the Valley, Lilac, Hyacinth
Price: €155 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Amber
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: June 9th, Sunday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Vanilla
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: June 15th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

Perfume Fundamentals: Tonka Bean
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: June 16th, Sunday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €55 Book Now

3-Class Package: Amber, Vanilla, Tonka Bean
Price: €155 Book Now

“Create Your Own” 6-Class Package 
Location: Online, Zoom
Date: May 11th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET
Price: €295 Book Now

The class size is small to ensure that everyone gets attention and a chance to interact. The class is run as a lecture interspersed with guided smelling exercises. My style of teaching is personal and interactive. You will have a chance to ask question throughout the class and there will also be an allotted time at the end for your questions on any fragrance-related topics.

Besides the online classes, I would like to invite you to my Brussels studio to take an in-person class.

Brussels Studio Class: Perfumes That Influenced Fragrance History

This seminar will give you a rare chance to smell legendary perfumes in their original formulations. You will have access to my perfume collection and try iconic fragrances from Caron, Guerlain, Coty and Chanel. You will also explore some of the best materials used by fragrance industry professionals and discover why your nose is more sensitive than the most sophisticated machine.

We will step back in time, smell some of the iconic fragrance or examples of interesting genres from the past and also talk about people who made perfumes. Although contemporary perfume marketing focuses on perfume as a luxury item (or a tool for seduction), scents are more complex than this. A bottle of perfume contains an artistic message. It tells you something about the aesthetics of its time. Tastes of its contemporaries. Advances in science and trends in art and fashion had a big impact on the development of perfumery and on how perfumers were able to translate words and visions into scents. Together we will learn the evolution of perfume history by studying some of the most iconic examples of the perfumery art in their original formulations. You will also perform exercises to sharpen their sense of smell.

Class location: Brussels
Class duration: 2.5 hours
200€/per person   (50€ to be paid as a reservation deposit, the rest is payable in person on the day of the class)

Date: May 19th, Sunday, 12-2:30pm Reserve Now 

Date: June 23rd, Sunday, 12-2:30pm Reserve Now

Date: July 8th, Monday, 10-12:30pm Reserve Now (only one spot remains)

To request another date, please  email me.

Brussels Studio Class: Perfume Composition

The professional-level class is based on the classical perfumery training that teaches the fundamentals of perfumery construction. The key element of training features learning to build accords from different fragrance types and families. Each session focuses on a specific accord. I will explain each material and how it is used in perfumery. I will demonstrate iconic fragrances using this particular accord and share their history. Then I will give you simple exercises to learn creating their own accord.

At the end of your course, you will learn the key materials, their combinations and several accords that form the foundation of perfume structure. You will have a finished accord that you can use in shower gel, soap or bath salts.

All of the materials and tools will be provided. At the end of the course, you will take home all of the samples you made.

Cologne (Citrus) Accord

Class location: Brussels
Class duration: 2.5 hours
170€/per person (50€ to be paid as a reservation deposit, the rest is payable in person on the day of the class)

Date: May 26th, Sunday, 12-2:30pm Reserve Now

Amber Accord

Class location: Brussels
Class duration: 2.5 hours
170€/per person (50€ to be paid as a reservation deposit, the rest is payable in person on the day of the class)

Date: June 2nd, Sunday, 12-2:30pm Reserve Now

Chypre Accord

Class location: Brussels
Class duration: 2.5 hours
170€/per person (50€ to be paid as a reservation deposit, the rest is payable in person on the day of the class)

Date: June 16th, Sunday, 12-2:30pm Reserve Now

To request another date, please  email me.

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Update: I have a last-minute opening in the Citrus workshop on Wednesday. You don’t need any essential oils for that class, just citrus fruit and easy-to-find spices. The seat has been taken. Thank you for your interest! If you’ve missed this round of registration, please subscribe to receive updates about new workshops.

When I first started planning my perfume classes, I decided that for the fundamental series, I will offer the option of using common spices and fruits as study aids. My belief is that anything can be useful to training our sense of smell, as long as we follow the proper technique, smell consciously and practice regularly. You can create a box of spices and study them, noting their different nuances. Even after a week of diligently smelling your spices, you will find your sense of smell much sharper.

Once you learn the basics, you can consider investing into a smelling kit. I researched a few reputable options, compare them and made the guide below. Some of the products I mention are available in the US, others in the EU. Either way, I hope to give you a few choices. And to repeat, these kits are not necessary when you first start out with your perfume explorations, but they become useful if you devote more time to unraveling notes and accords.

Tasterplace Aroma Set

Continue reading →

I’m delighted to share that I have joined ISIPCA and I will teach Perfume History starting this fall. ISIPCA (Institut supérieur international du parfum, de la cosmétique et de l’aromatique alimentaire) was founded by Jean- Jacques Guerlain in 1970, and it’s the leading academy in France conferring degrees in perfume, cosmetics and flavors. It’s thrilling to become part of its faculty. I have always enjoyed teaching and I look forward to exploring the subject of iconic perfumes and history with my students.

In the meantime, I will resume my online perfumery classes starting this winter. As always, I will release the new dates via my newsletter, so if you haven’t done so already, please subscribe to stay informed. If you have any wishes about particular topics, I would be glad to hear from you.

Photography by Anna Kozlova, my perfume seminar in France.

I’m happy to announce that I can finally offer Bois de Jasmin online courses. The first series of classes will be lectures designed to sharpen your sense smell and improve your enjoyment and appreciation of scents. You will learn professional smelling techniques and receive personalized tips. You will learn how to smell complex aromas and about the main criteria of a well-made fragrance–and how to look for them.

Please note that every lecture has a slightly different theme! For the winter of 2021, I will focus on spices, woods, and citrus.

We will use readily available fragrant materials for our class exercises, such as spices, coffee, or citrus fruit. You can also bring your favorite perfumes to the lecture. You’ll receive the full instructions before the start of the class.

You’ll also have time at the end of the lecture to ask questions. If you are interested in something specific, you can send me your questions beforehand. I look forward to meeting you! 

Location: Online

Date & Time: 1h + 15min Q&A

November 10th, Wednesday 1:30pm-2:30pm ET/7:30pm-8:30pm CET (time zone converter)   Spices $55 per person:  SOLD OUT please send me an email to be notified when this class returns

December 1st, Wednesday 1:30pm-2:30pm ET/7:30pm-8:30pm CET (time zone converter)   Dark Woods $55 per person: SOLD OUT  please send me an email to be notified when this class returns

December 11th, Saturday 1:30pm-2:30pm ET/7:30pm-8:30pm CET (time zone converter)  Citrus Fruit $55 per person:  SOLD OUT  please send me an email to be notified when this class returns

Important: If you booked the class successfully, you should receive a receipt and a confirmation from me. If you don’t, please check your spam folder or contact me. Closer to the date of the class, you will receive a separate email with joining instructions.

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For the news of upcoming lectures, refund policy, and privacy policy, please take a look at the Online Courses page.

I continue the topic of perfume industry professions. I receive many questions and most of them are similar, so I decided to record a follow-up video. This episode addresses questions from people interested to become perfumers but worried about diversity and not being able to fit in. I’ll explain based on my own experiences and offer several practical suggestions.

This topic is certainly vast, but I hope to touch upon a few key issues. The main idea I would like to reinforce is that the fragrance industry is open to anyone who is passionate, curious, and motivated. I don’t come from a perfumery background. I don’t even come from a country where perfumery is a viable profession. I had no connections to the industry. Yet, I managed to enter it, learn, and create my own niche in it.

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments. I also recommend taking a look at Things to Consider if You Want to Become a Perfumer.