Explore the Mimosa Trail in Grasse

Early in February students at IFF/ISIPCA’s Master of Science in Scent Design and Creation program found themselves in Grasse on the hills of the Tanneron Mountain pausing by the side of the road and inhaling deeply. The Tanneron was alive – almost as if on fire covered with fragrant yellow blossoms of mimosa.

The students were on an olfactive expedition spending time at IFF’s in-house naturals facility LMR Naturals. IFF-LMR is one of the leading companies for natural ingredients for perfumery and flavorists providing perfumers and flavorists all over the world with the best 100 percent pure and natural ingredients.

While at IFF-LMR the students attended olfactive classes and visited an experimental field where they smelled a range of herbs and plants including vetiver. They enjoyed discovering naturals that were new to them –such as the smell of Lavender oil Bulgarian (which has sweet nuances) and Lavender Heart (surprising with its traces of camphor) Mimosa oil from India and Morocco Vetiver Hearts and New Caledonia Sandalwood.

The students also visited the International Perfume Museum in Grasse to discover more about the history of perfume and the aesthetic social and cultural history of the tradition of the use of scents.

But most of all – the students wanted to experience the magical moment of mimosa in full bloom.

Mimosa is an ingredient that has been an eternal favorite of perfumers. IFF Perfumer Sophie Labbé says “The mimosa is a soft ball extremely fuzzy. Like a mini-sun. It’s a color as well – radiant like the sun’s rays. There is the powdering mouthwatering aspect as well…a slight fruity note.”

When Sophie is working on a fragrance that is inspired by mimosa she includes the flowers enchanting qualities as part of her ‘creation story’. “I always tell myself a perfume’s story before starting to create it. I need to transpose it into words. I note down all thoughts that come to my mind as well as the emotions and technical terms.

If I am working on mimosa the tale tells how I shall use its yellow nuances its ‘pollen’; which flowers I can associate it with in a contrast of colors and smells.” What does she look for when smelling a composition? Adventure purely and simply! How that particular perfume will carry her away with the emotions and sensations it arouses.”

What words did the students use to describe their mimosa immersion?

Inspiring Joyful Enchanting Surprising Memorable…and Irresistible!

What if you could discover and explore a whole new world of fragrance?

Last year with ISIPCA we developed a new accredited degree program a Master’s of Science Program in Scent Design and Creation. IFF/ISIPCA students explore various professional specializations as fine or consumer fragrance perfumers evaluators or scent design managers marketing sales and technologists and related roles. This new program is unlike any other program in our industry. It breaks ground in teaching the foundations and pioneering advances of designing fragrances.

Graduates will be extraordinarily well equipped for careers as fine and consumer fragrance perfumers scent design managers technical perfumers and related roles. Together we create the future. Join us.

Start here for a career in fragrance – apply now for the 2017 Master’s of Science Program in Scent Design and Creation.

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