How did you become a ‘nose’?
A ‘nose’ is a person whose olfactory skill is used to compose fragrances. I grew up surrounded by fragrance – my mum and aunt both worked in the industry. I’ve been working in the industry since I was 17 and found I had a natural gift for detecting notes and determining what works well together. Becoming a nose takes passion and a bit of natural skill. It can take months or years to come up with a great fragrance.
Do you have to take care of your senses to retain your role?
Everything I see, feel, touch, smell and observe every day is part of my inspiration. As a nose, I am essentially a designer and need to understand and know the current trends, fashion and culture. Memories and visiting new places inspire my scents – for example, my second latest creation this year, the Maraca Generalife Gardens candle and diffuser, was inspired by the historic Jardines del Generalife gardens in Granada, Spain.
How closely are creating candles and fragrances related?
They are two completely different things, and blending the fragrance and wax together can be quite complex at times. It involves vigorous testing to ensure the scent remains the same in a candle as it does as a pure fragrance. Some fragrances are just too delicate and don’t combine well with wax, so the formulation needs tweaking to make it work. For instance, my latest citrus fragrance, Sevillian Neroli, has taken me more than a year to develop. The citrus notes are usually quite thin and so the temperature has to be set perfectly when pouring the wax and fragrance together, or else the fragrance will vanish quickly during the process.
What are some of your more unusual combinations?
Generalife Gardens! This is definitely the most unusual fragrance I have created – it’s like a green garden in a jar. The notes consist of green tomato leaf, wild fig, blackcurrant, grapefruit and galbanum.
Any tips on candle care?
The first time you light your candle, do not trim the wick-this first burn needs a high hot flame to melt the wax right to the edge of the vessel, which will encourage even burning. Do not extinguish the first flame until the entire top layer turns into liquid wax. This may take up to an hour or more depending on the size of the candle. After the first burn, try to let the candle burn for long stretches to encourage the wax to evenly melt and to prevent wax tunnelling. Burn for periods of no more than three hours at a time. Always trim the wick to a quarter of an inch before you light the candle again after the first bum.
Written by Fairfax Media