Mireille Picard

“I grew up in a French castle in the Loire Valley. As a child, I was always interested in smelling everything, amazed by the magnificent aromas of the flowers that grew in my mother’s garden. The scents I can still remember today are magnolia, lilac, freesia, primroses, primaveras, wisteria, lilac, laburnum, roses, peony, honeysuckle. During my adolescence, I became hypnotised by masculine fragrances and wanted to know more about the mystery that made them so wonderfully diffusive and seductive. The fragrances I kept around me included Kenzo Pour Homme, Fahrenheit, Drakkar Noir, to name a few. I discovered that there was a perfumery school and decided that this was for me. After completing all the chemistry requirements necessary to enter, I joined ISIPCA. I carried out my training in Provence, progressed through the various stages of creation, and learned about thousands of odours before finally joining Quintessence in 1998, and with joy I continue to learn and discover new aromas to this day. Recently my father discovered that his great-great-uncle was Georges de Laire, the first chemist to create some of the chemical ingredients most used in today’s perfumery: heliotropine, terpineol and phenylethyl alcohol. Now, alongside fragrances, I’m also passionate about dancing, and I like to blend my passion for Brazilian dance with fragrances to give a unique Latin touch.”