Latest / Skin Anarchy / E.334: Veronique Gabai- Master Fragrance Expert: Exclusive Interview

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E.334: Veronique Gabai- Master Fragrance Expert: Exclusive Interview · Skin Anarchy

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Diablo 4 has arrived.
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  SPEAKER_00: Tap the banner or visit this episode's page to learn more.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: Hey guys, welcome back.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_02: So today is an amazing day because Beauty 4 published in Beauty Matter.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited that I did not have any of you have the chance to check out the article yet, but it is a wonderful article written by Erica, and she has really highlighted a new video, which is really, really excited about this because Beauty Matter is the ideal publication.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_02: I wanted to really highlight this in the Holly Howard.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um I will come to the thing.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: This is going to be something that, you know, it's a full database of people who are filming, writers, editors, uh publishers, you know, mentors, and mentors, um, right here.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um as far as you know, my wanted to focus on more science and finding that.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: So my concept, you know, some amazing fragrance five.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome back to Speaker Anarchy.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_02: We have such a special guest for our Fragrance Friday series today.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_02: I am so honored, and I know all of you have heard of the fragrance Aqua de Joe, and she is the mastermind behind that fragrance, um, as well as her own line, which is absolutely beautiful.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: So without further ado, I want to introduce you guys to our guest, Veronique Gabai.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the show, Veronique.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited to be hosting you.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I'm so happy to be here and to talk to you and to your uh public.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm thrilled to be part of your beautiful podcast.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: It is such an honor, and I cannot wait to learn all about your career because I mean, you are truly a master of your craft.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like I said, and you know, I am a huge believer that, you know, fragrance is one of the best beauty products you could ever own.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's like the most, I in my eyes, it's the epitome of self-care because it brings you to a moment, you know, or memory or something.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: So without me ranting, I want you, I want to ask you, Veronique, if you could walk us down memory lane and tell us all about your career and where everything began.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my god.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna take a few shortcuts, but um, you know, it's interesting what you say about fragrance because really scent is indeed a connector to your own emotion, to your own personality, a way to escape, a way to feel confident.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's a wonderful, wonderful category.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_01: And you can explain it with with science, really.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: And if we have time, we should talk about it.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: But um, as per my career, you know, it's very interesting because nothing in my career was planned.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I followed my heart every step of the way.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, I think that the passion that I have for scent started when I was a very small child.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: And um the reality is my sense of smell was very highly developed.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, and as a kid, it was really playing tricks on me, and it was making me sick um almost every day because when I had an overload of a bad scent, I would throw up.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: And so scent and smell was making me sick very often.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: At the same time, on the other end, it would enchant me on you know, in a way that was hardly explainable to people.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and so I never knew that you could have a career with scent, you know.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: We didn't know about perfumers or this type of work.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: And so by elimination, I went into business school.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: And really, when I say by elimination, I mean it.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't know what I wanted to do.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I started to work, um, my first full uh position was at L'Oreal, and I started in makeup, and then a couple of years into it, L'Oreal told me, you know, that my manager told me, You are a very creative person, and we want you to try to work on fragrance.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: And um, I was moved into their luxury division for a fragrance brand, and I fell in love completely with the category.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: I felt I was coming home.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so my path was a management path, a marketing path, but I was so um, you know, enthralled by the category that I trained myself into really the development of scent.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: And one night, and I will never forget it, uh, the owner of a fragrance house was passing by the hallway where my office was.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: It was after hours, I was working after hours to train myself.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: And he asked me, Mademoiselle Gabai, you like to smell?
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I said, Monsieur Amique, I love to smell.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: And the next day I was put in touch with some of his perfumers, and they really took me under their wing and they really gave me my first really approach to perfumery.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, after that, you know, one thing led to another.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: So you mentioned Aquadigio, I created Aquadigio, I created a few other things for Giorgio Armani, and then you know, I moved on.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: I worked at um LBMH, I was in charge of Gerlin, and I had the chance to work with Jean-Paul Gerlin directly.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, so I was trained in development, then I understood with Jean-Paul the beauty of natural ingredients and how you source them and how you harvest them, and why is it so important in a composition?
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um I did the aqua allegorias at that time, really putting into um work the principle of you know working with beautiful ingredients.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: And then uh, you know, again, another project came my way, and it was to lead a small fragrance house that wanted to develop their um fine fragrance division, fine fragrance meaning the perfume that you put on yourself.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: And so I did that for a few years, and by doing this, I was really entrenched in development work.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: I was working day in and day out with uh perfumers, which led to me after a few years being recruited by Estelle Lauder, and I became the global president for the um Division of Designer Fragrances.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I stayed in charge of the entire fragrance strategy and category for this beautiful group of brands for about 13, 14 years.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's what I did before creating my own brand.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: So my path has always been, if you will, a balance between business management and creativity and creation.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I and quite frankly, my passion is in creation.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I know how to manage a business, but if I didn't have the creative aspect of my work, I don't think I would be very happy.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, that makes sense.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: And wow, you know, I am blown away.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: That is quite the career and so many accomplishments.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you know, it it just blows my mind, honestly, because when it comes to fragrance, you know, like I said, Veronica, it's it's for me as a scientist or just as a consumer, it is the most mystical part of beauty, you know, it is it's something that for me, um, I find to be true genius, you know, when someone can create a fragrance, a scent that's going to not only, you know, resonate with you as an individual, but then so many people, you know.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, when the fragrances you mentioned, these are fragrances people know about.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: They they all can agree that it takes you to a magical place, you know.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: So you you've done something on such a such a high global level that I I have to ask you, you know, when it when it comes to your process of creativity and and really getting into the mood of, you know, I want to create something now.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_02: What are some of the things that, you know, you keep in mind and really kind of um your starting places, you know, I guess you could say.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and yes, I'm uh there's there's a few things that truly are the fundamental aspects of my work, but I I want to jump on what you said because that explains the way I work.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: You said fragrance is a most mystical um category in beauty.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: And you said as a scientist, as a consumer, I found it very um, you know, uh inspiring.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: It's very interesting because it is at the same time a science, but it is at the same time something purely, purely instinctive and emotional.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: And it is not words that you know that I pronounce in a vacuum, the sense of smell that is related and positioned in what we call the reptilian part of our brain.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: The reptilian part of our brain, you're a scientist, so you know, is the original brain of the human race.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, around the reptilian brain, then we develop the limbic and we develop the cortex, but at the beginning of humanity, we had what we call the reptilian brain, and this is where uh the sense of smell is embedded, which means basically scent is not rational, scent is about instinct and it's about emotion.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: So the instinct part of our sense of smell is common to the entire human race, it is about self-protection against danger.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_01: We smell things and we know what's going to be intuitively dangerous for us or not dangerous for us.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: We um we think of smell as a way to um seduce because we want to reproduce.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: This is instinct as a human being, there's a drive to reproduce the race.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: So seduction is clearly connected to smell.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: We want smell because smell gives us a sense of comfort and security.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's about again protecting us against danger.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we want smell because smell gives us confidence, it helps us feel stronger in ourselves.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: So this is purely instinctive, and this is common to everyone on earth.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: And then you have the other part which is emotional, because it's also very close to the limbic uh brain and the center of emotions, and basically, this is really about our personal journey, and it's very unique and very personal and very different from one another to another.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: And basically, our memories, our memory centers is closely located in the brain to the center of smell, and that's why smell is so uh connected to memories.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: You smell something and you're transported to a place, to uh the connection you have with a certain person, so memory is strongly connected with scent and vice versa.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so, scent in that sense is very mystical because it is not something you can explain.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: It's very hard to explain why you like a scent or you don't, but it is felt very deeply.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's a very strong um emotional connection for every individual, and it's personal, you know.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um my reaction to a scent will be very different from yours.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: You know, sometimes you will be totally indifferent to one scent, and for me, it will put me to tears, you know, and vice versa.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: So it's very, very interesting in that sense.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: And you your question was about my process.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: My process starts up there.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: There is a component of what I want to do that transcend culture, that transcend trends, that transcend um geographies.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: I want to go back to the pure instinct that leads us to connect to perfume.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm always trying to do things that will resonate very deeply with you as an individual.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: And um, and the second part of the process is I use an enormous amount of natural ingredients.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and my new line is completely 100% natural.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_01: Aroma that is launching soon is 100% natural.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_01: The perfume line is highly concentrated in naturals.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: Why?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: Because natural, you know, will connect you with nature.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing that nature does, or natural uh ingredients do is that they allow you to breathe a little freer, you know.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the synthetics, sometimes I use synthetics because I need to use synthetics, but some of those synthetics have a tendency to be very heavy, and to me, they're like a wall, you know, they prevent you from breathing freely or connecting with the rest of the world freely.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: I love naturals because naturals stay very luminous and very breezy, and so they surround you with an aura of light, uh, and they allow you to really uh feel completely comfortable and open.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: And the last thing that uh naturals do, which I adore, talking about the personal aspect of fragrance, the natural ingredients will evolve on your skin.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_01: A synthetic ingredients will stay exactly the same on every individual on earth.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: A natural ingredient will change because it will marry with your skin, and that skin chemistry is something I found mystical to take again the words that you were using.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: That is the mystical part of fragrance.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: This magic chemistry that exists between a fragrance, a perfume, and the person who wears it is what makes it magical.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: And the more natural you use, the more you're gonna have that transformation on skin because natural ingredients need your skin to bloom, need your skin to evolve, and it will evolve differently on everyone that wears them.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, I love how you explained that and really broke it down because you know, those are some of my biggest questions is that, you know, when you put on a fragrance that's truly something you love, you know, it really changes throughout the day in a way, you know, it opens up and it like a rose, it opens up and it blooms.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, for me, I I and going back to the science, I really want to actually go back to that because you are hitting the you know nail on the head with that.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_02: I have always been so intrigued by how um scent is so tied to our memory, it's so tied to you know how we recall things.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I think I read a paper, Veronique, it was a long time ago about how they were using fragrances or scents to help children learn things and retain them for a long period of time.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like so intrigued by that paper because I was like, this is brilliant, you know, it's absolutely brilliant to do that.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_02: So I I completely agree with everything you said.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, um going forward, I want to know more about this natural aspect because I didn't know that the natural fragrances are the ones that really uh interact with your body and the and the normal physiology out versus the synthetic.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I had no idea about that.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: So, what do you mean when you say synthetic?
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like, is it like um, you know, are there certain notes that are usually used as synthetic or is it it or can we make everything, you know, really synthetic versus natural?
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_02: I just clarify.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you you can do anything in a synthetic way.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we're science is so evolved today that you can reproduce pretty much everything, it will not give you the same sensation.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: You know, synthetic uh note that evoke rose will not smell like the real rose, you know, but it's it's close enough.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: There are synthetics, if you will, that you need uh in the palette of uh of a perfumers because those are ingredients you can't reproduce or you can't extract naturally.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like, for example, lily of the valet, which is a beautiful smell, it's very hard to do naturally.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: So you needed a synthetic to give you that scent.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: Or, for example, uh, you know, at the beginning of the perfume world, you know, people were using flowers, plants, trees, herbs, but citrus, but they were also using animal um extracts, right?
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: And we don't want to use natural animal extracts anymore, God forbid, right?
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, but those animal extracts really led to long-lastingness, sensuality on skin.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, so we reproduced um chemically, if you will, um those scents on the bench.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: And why not?
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm not saying that synthetics are wrong.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: What I'm saying is that if you have a palette of uh ingredients, you know, you can mix and match.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_01: My choice is to do as much natural as I can because I again I love what they do on skin.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: It probably will um not lead to the uh superpower of some fragrances because synthetics are really extremely powerful, but it leads to richness and it leads to faceted um uh evocation and it leads to really that connection to nature that I love.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, the so my perfumes are all around those beautiful natural ingredients, most of them coming from the Mediterranean because that's the spirit of the brand.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: But I, you know, I find ingredients where they need to be found.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_01: On the other end, you were touching on something that's very interesting when you talk about children and how scent can help them remember, or you know, then there's another aspect, if you will, of the natural ingredients that you know they have an olfactive beauty, clearly.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: But beyond the olfactive beauty, some of those ingredients are really good for you.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so the new line that I've created beyond my perfume line that we're launching now, which is called Aroma by Verony Gabai, is a line that I've uh created really at the crossroads between perfumery and aromatherapy to really go beyond the old fact beauty of natural ingredients into the benefit they procure.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: And then, only then, really, you can claim that uh fragrance can have a real well-being benefits for you.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: A normal fragrance will give you a sense of escape, will give you a sense of self-expression, it will be a pick-me-up.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: You will feel happy when you spray the fragrance.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's what fragrance does.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: But if you go beyond and you really work on natural ingredients in the way that I've tried to do with Aroma, then really not only do fragrances make you feel good, they will make you feel better.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really um my whole purpose in life, really, is using what I know to do, which is scent, to really do good for people and try to do it, you know, in respect of the environment as well.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: But helping kids learn, helping people feel more confident or more joyful or more relaxed or more at peace or more connected with their own self is really a way also to reduce the sources of.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Stress.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where well-being truly takes place.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my goodness.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_02: You are so in touch with, you know, just what it really means and how beauty can really change the world.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what I think I love the most about, you know, everything you've said here.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_02: Because I mean, and and let me just say, you know, for everyone listening, um, the the line that Veronique is is referring to, her brand new line, it's so gorgeous.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it is such a beautiful, delicate and subtle experience that you have that just opens up your senses.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: I really love it because I'm a huge yoga fan.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_02: So when I yoga, it's like, you know, you have to get into the moment.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_02: And yoga isn't just about the poses or the exercise or shit, it's about the mindfulness.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel like you've created this line to really put people into this moment of peace and now, you know, and it brings you there.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_02: Immediately it brings you there.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, um, for everyone listening, just keep that in mind um when you're checking out the brand, because it's very, very appealing for those of us who just need a moment in our day to relax, you know, it's you spritz it on and you just can sit there and feel your whole body just go, okay, it's time to relax, it's time to calm down.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_02: You know?
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so happy you experienced it, you know, because the the work um to develop that line was very special.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: It was different, it was difficult to some degree because the the condition in which we have developed this line was very were very precise and the boundaries were small because we wanted really to use the principle of aromatherapy, but make those fragrances absolutely beautiful to wear.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: So they're real fragrances, they're real perfume.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: But when you wear them, you will feel the benefits of aromatherapy.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, you were mentioning about this mindfulness.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: So when you use those ingredients, those natural ingredients at the level that we have done, you know, those natural ingredients have a vibration, they have a level of energy that corresponds to the level of energy that you have in your body.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: So our fragrances are connected to your chakras.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so you're doing yoga, so you know what I'm talking about.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so um, heart, body, and soul, which is which are the three fragrances within Aroma, they truly are connected to some of your chakras.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: And they really help you open up those chakras that they're connected with.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_01: And to go a little even beyond that to encourage people to have that moment for themselves, that moment of self-care that you're talking about.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: We created a guided meditation for each of them.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: So when you buy the product, there will be a QR code on the packaging that leads you to a guided meditation.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's a short meditation, it's eight minutes, but as you say, you smell this fragrance, you do the exercise, and it really helps you connect with yourself, connect with others, connect with the universe in a way that no other fragrance I think can do.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_02: I love that you've uh integrated the um the meditation aspect.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I could you not, I've been wanting to do like to connect with like some of these meditation apps myself, Ernek, because I think that when it comes to self-care, you really nailed it, you know, you have to you have to combine, you know, this these practices in your routine.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm a huge believer in everything you said, you know, you mentioned, for example, the energy of the ingredients.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: 100% agree with you.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: I think nature, plants, everything that we see around us has definitely a vibration associated with it.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_02: And those vibrations will resonate within us because we are also part of nature.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_02: We're all made up of the same thing.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, it's crazy to me now because especially now with you know NASA doing all this work with the Webb Telescope and they're seeing all these new galaxies.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_02: One thing that even those uh physicists are saying is everything is made up of the same elements.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_02: We're still seeing carbon, we're still seeing nitrogen, hydrogen.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_02: So it really makes you think, you know, what is the essence of matter and what what what do we need to understand when it comes to vibrational, you know, awareness and being at peace?
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_02: And what does that really mean?
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it really ties in on such a high level, you know, it's it's a very, very important topic.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I agree with you.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: And it's uh, you know, I you know, you can you can um experience this at different level, and uh probably the people who are very connected spiritually will will find a way to appreciate those fragrances in a very special way.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh other people will experience them physiologically, other people will just be uh encouraged and inspired by the natural beauty of of the sense, but there's a physical aspect of it, there's a mental aspect of it, there's a spiritual aspect of it.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and the whole point is not to give any lesson to anyone, but just encourage people to take a minute for themselves.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_01: And as you are smelling, you know, truly smell.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_01: Spend the one minute when you spray to really experience what the scent is doing for you, and then go on of your day.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that's fine.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: But as you wear them, probably you will feel that that element of joy or that element of peace of mind or that element of relaxation that those fragrances provide, and you will not necessarily understand why.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: So that's where the meditation comes to play, because the meditation really helps you understand why those fragrances make you feel well.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: But um, but to me, it's like, you know, I am very interested in what you're saying.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's something that I'm fascinated by and truly um wanting to understand better.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what I do is at the end of the day, I just want people to feel good.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_01: I just want people to feel joy.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_01: I just want people to be able to open up and connect.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: And if I can do it through scent, then I have, you know, done something um positive and constructive, you know, for others.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_02: No, I I think that you've really created something magical.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I, you know, I I must tell you though, my favorites of the three um, the three fragrances in aroma are is heart because it is so beautiful.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my goodness.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_02: I am obsessed with it.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_02: Like it literally makes me feel like everything around me is just blooming and it's you know, it you know that uh feeling you have when it's the morning dew, right?
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_02: When you wake up and you see the morning, that's what that's what I feel every time.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_02: Every time I spray it on, I am transported to that place of just you know, that quiet peace in the very, very early more uh hours of the morning, and I just love it.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I think, you know, with the meditation aspect, it really just made me think of that.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I was uh contemplating about you know how it made me feel when I tried it.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I I actually want to um follow up with that and ask you about this idea that you know in the fragrance industry, I've noticed people kind of categorize fragrances.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_02: They say, okay, do you want a clean or fresh scent?
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_02: Do you want something that's more um, you know, rich or I I I don't I'm not sure of the exact terminology, but they'll say something like, or do you want something floral or do you want something you know more spicy?
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_02: So how do you I mean, what is that?
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_02: Is is that just like a general categorization, or how does that really work?
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um in terms of so so yes, that's the technical categorization of the olfactive family that we use in the fragrance world.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_01: So you have fresh, which basically what is fresh?
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you know, what is floral, what is woody.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna explain to you um in a minute.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: We have different ingredients that we're using, right?
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: So we have uh fruits like citruses, like orange and lemon and grapefruit.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: We have flowers like rose, jasmine, um, you know, uh Frisia, you name it.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um we have uh woods that we're using, cedar wood, uh, sandalwood, elemy.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_01: We have resins that we use, olibanum, labdanum that feels like amber.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_01: We have spices that we're using, right?
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh pepper or saffron or um cardamom.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so all of those ingredients have a scent, right?
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: Now, all of them will trigger a sensation.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_01: So, for example, if you use a lot of citruses in a fragrance, the fragrance will feel extremely fresh and bright and light.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you use a lot of floral, you will feel something very voluntuous, probably a bit um sensual, but not to a big degree.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_01: If you use a lot of woods or spice, then the fragrance will feel very warm, uh, almost dark either way, you know.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_01: And and so those are olfactive characteristics that correspond to personal preferences.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_01: Now, I don't like when people ask you, do you want citrus or do you want floral?
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: Because people are not supposed to be experts in perfume.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's as if you were asking to uh somebody uh that doesn't know anything about music, do you want to listen to a symphony or do you want to listen to a concerto?
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_01: Do you want to listen to it doesn't make sense.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_01: That's not how people connect to things if they are not experts.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: What I like to do is to try to understand people's preference and personality and um asking them questions about themselves, and then from the answers, understanding what would be the fragrance family that best corresponds to their personality.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_01: So on the fragrance line, my perfume line, and we're not talking about aroma, we're talking about my perfume line.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: I developed, again, you're a scientist, you will appreciate it, a personality test that is based on a science that exists that is called the correspondence between the senses, right?
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's very hard for someone to express what they like and they don't like in fragrance because they're not experts.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_01: But it will be very easy for you to say, I like this color as opposed to that other color.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_01: I like orange instead of blue, or I like this type of food and not this type of food, or I like to listen to this kind of music and not this kind of music, or I like the experience of being in a forest as opposed to being on a beach.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_01: And according to your answers, we can fine-tune through that science what fragrance family would be the closest to your personality.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_01: Not a scent, but a fragrance family.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I kid you not, if you do the personality test on my website, you know, we offer outside of the uh, you know, 15 fragrances that I offer, we offer a curation of three to four fragrances to people.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_01: And it's much easier to try three fragrances than it is to try 15.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_01: And so this way we really curate the collection for people, and then um, you know, probably and most times people fall in love with one of the three.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_02: That makes sense.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, that's so cool that you created a quiz.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's really, really interesting.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's a really great place to start.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I I remember, you know, when I was first just completely just confused about where, you know, what to pick in college.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_02: I think I remember being in college and just being like, I want to find my favorite fragrance, but I didn't even know where to start.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_02: And I used to, you know, I wish somebody would just guide me through this.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_02: So this is a really great tool, you know, for all of you listening, especially if you're new to the fragrance world, you know, definitely take advantage of that because yeah, personality, it's a huge player in what we end up liking.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_02: So that makes a lot of sense to me.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_02: Now, you know, Veronique, I have a question about um, so you know how we hear about you had actually touched on this earlier, and we were talking about um when it comes to like human beings, you know, even when it comes to reproduction and our um, you know, our need, our drive towards that, there's sense associated with it.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_02: And that makes me think of pheromones.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_02: And I just want to know, just from a history standpoint, like how has that concept played into perfumery um over time, you know, in terms of people really understanding it and incorporating it into fragrances?
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I I have to be honest with you, Ecta, I I don't even understand it, and I don't even know if this is true or not.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_01: I think that each of our skin um has uh particulars.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: Each of our experiences are based on you know our DNA, it's based on our culture, it's based on our personal upbringing, personal experience, personal environment.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think that depending on the place you live, depending on the climate, depending on the humidity, your skin will react differently to different types of scents.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um emotionally, your personal experience is the biggest factor to you know create a connection with scent.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_01: I don't believe that there is one chemical that's gonna be the um you know the the connector, uh the filter of love, you know.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_01: I don't believe in that.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_01: I really don't.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think that if you exude confidence, you will attract people.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_01: If you exude joy, you will attract people, if you exude happiness, you will attract people.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_01: That I believe in.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_01: If you exude allure, you will attract people.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that what scent does is that if you wear the scent that makes you feel confident, that makes you feel joyful, that makes you feel a little seductive, then you will connect with people in the way you want to connect with people because you will exude that confidence, that joy or that allure.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this is more important than any fake formula or fake thing that you could put in something and suddenly it's a magical bullet.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_01: I don't believe in that.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_02: No, that makes sense.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_02: That makes complete sense.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I'm actually um very intrigued by what you said because I think that, you know, the joy aspect and all the emotions that are tied to this, that is really something that I think is at the heart of why I even wanted to start this Fragrance Friday series because I, you know, I'm a huge believer in the same way that you are.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_02: That, you know, if you find the right match for you, it's going to really elevate you, you know, it's gonna elevate your spirit, your vibration, your frequency, and you're gonna carry that forward in your day.
• 37:29
  unknown: Yeah.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_02: And that's that, you know, it's going to ignite that in other people.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_02: And that's so powerful, you know, that is such a powerful thing to be and to have in your day-to-day routine.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_02: And that's why I think for everyone listening, you know, when it comes to self-care, you should invest in a wonderful fragrance that you love because, you know, that is it, it's a part of just expressing just how you feel, right?
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_02: In another way.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_02: It's a it's it's a reminder constantly of just be happy, be joyful.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: And um, you know, I want to ask you though, one thing I want to ask you is, you know, for me, for example, I'll give you my my example.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_02: I love very citrusy, very fresh fragrances, like, you know, um very something that just reminds me of, I guess, rain or the ocean, you know?
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_02: So it really makes me happy.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you know, I've noticed that it will wear very differently on everybody's skin.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_02: And also the shelf life is different for different perfume brands.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_02: So I want to get your opinion about that.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what is it in a formulation of a good perfume formulation that makes it last, you know, in terms of skin and also overtime in the bottle?
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so overtime on the bottle, really, to be honest with you, a what we call an alcoholic solution, which is basically the formula of any eau de toilette or any eau de parfum, can last a very long time in the bottle if you care for it in a way that you don't put it in close to a heat source or the light source.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_01: So don't put it by a window, don't put it by a radiator.
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, fragrance doesn't like heat and doesn't like light.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but if it is in a cool place or in a dark place, fragrance can last a very, very long time.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um the then each of the fragrances we talked about the citrus, the floral, the woods, the resins, the spice.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_01: Each of this scent is basically a molecule, right?
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's a molecule.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_01: And you have molecules that are more volatile than others.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_01: What does it mean?
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_01: It means that you will uh the the molecule will will develop the scent at different times.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_01: Let's say a citrus, you will smell a citrus immediately.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, it doesn't take a long time to exude the scent.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_01: A molecule of wood or resin or spice might be something you need maybe 20 minutes, a half hour to smell.
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so when you create a fragrance, um if the fragrance is highly composed around citruses or freshnotes, you will smell it immediately, but you will not smell it after an hour or two because all of those molecules have already lived their lives, okay?
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_01: If a fragrance was composed only with woods and resin, it would take a half hour for you to start smelling it.
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_01: So basically, when you compose a fragrance, you want to make sure that you create a scent that is composed with different types of material that will be smelled at different times.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_01: So you have a continuous experience with the scent.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_01: But the scent will evolve olfactively because you will smell first the very fresh notes, then you'll go into the floral, then you'll go into the woods and resins.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_01: So the scent evolved.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_01: And the work of a perfumer, if a perfumer is talented, is make sure that you have this continuous experience with the scent, but the scent doesn't transform itself in such a way that you don't recognize it.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um so that's what we do.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_01: Now, if you like very fresh scent, you probably will have fragrances that might last a little less long than you know, people that love only very woody scent, okay, because fresh notes, you know, are exploding very quickly and then disappear.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but for you, with what you said, for example, in my line, I would recommend you use or you try au du jour, I would recommend you try Verdesir.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_01: Those are very fresh, very bright, a lot of those fresh notes, those watery notes, those citrus notes that you love.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: But I always put in combination woody note that allows you to feel it all day long, as opposed to you know disappearing immediately.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not surprised that you gravitated around heart because heart is really about citruses and a bit of woods.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm not surprised.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's so cool.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_02: I love how it's like a you know, it is like a personality test, you know.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just so intrigued, Veronique.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_02: You're so you're just you know, you're like an encyclopedia for fragrance.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I do.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_01: I don't do much more but this I do.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_02: Wonderful.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm I'm so excited.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_02: I, you know, your whole line is just gorgeous.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, the aesthetic of it, you know, even for me, it fragrance is also about, you know, just when you look at it on your vanity, you look at your favorite perfume, you know, that is also a part of it, you know, and you've just encapsulated all of these beautiful, you know, uh different pieces, these moving parts into your line.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I, you know, for everyone listening, I mean, if you are really looking for quality and something that is going to remind you every day of just, you know, something wonderful, something that your memory evokes that's joy and beautiful, then yeah, you need to go check out Veronique's line.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_02: This is absolutely a must.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_02: I am going to link everything in the part for this episode, but wow, what an honor, Veronique.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, no.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, you know, I just want to say something, Ossiaka, because, you know, for me, all I wanted to do for the longest time was to bring beauty.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but beauty that enchants the senses and lifts up the soul, you know, and the senses is really the quality that you describe so generously.
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I thank you for the appreciation you have for the brand.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_01: I think the element of lifting up the soul is like trying to do things that are good for you.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: And also good for the planet and good for our communities.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_01: And everything that I've worked on, you know, my perfume line is not 100% sustainable.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_01: I will never lie about it.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_01: But it is 100% socially responsible.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_01: My bottles are refillable so that you don't throw them away.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_01: You can use them for a long time.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_01: And so you have a beautiful object that is supposed to live with you for a very long time.
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_01: And in Aroma, we went very far in terms of sustainability because it is about well-being.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_01: Really, I didn't want that well-being to ever be at the expense of anyone else or the planet.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_01: So Aroma is entirely natural, but it's also entirely clean, entirely biodegradable, entirely sustainable.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_01: And to me, it's important to give a chance to people to express their personality, take a moment for self-care, take a moment for themselves, express who they are to the world, and at the same time knowing that they are not impacting negatively the world, or in the cases of Aroma, impacting positively the world.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 45:09
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I love that.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_02: I love that so much.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, I think that really goes hand in hand, Veronique, with everything that we've talked about here, which is just, you know, beauty.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_02: It's true for me, you know, and I and I love that.
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think, you know, I mean, I can't think of a better person to, you know, really lead this movement forward of fragrance, you know.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_02: But lately I've been noticing, you know, in the media and editorial, people are talking about fragrances more, which makes me so happy to see that.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's really been it's been there.
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I don't know, it's I don't know what's going on, but I love it.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's we have to start thinking about these things because, like both of us talked about, you know, it's self-care.
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_02: You know, this is if I really believe if you can make yourself happy, you're gonna make the world happy.
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_02: You can't expect to change the world if you don't change your own attitude.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_02: And I think fragrance is one of those categories of beauty that is just something, in my mind, non-negotiable.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you have to invest in what makes you feel joyful and and beautiful and just whatever it is that ignites you, you know.
• 46:12
  SPEAKER_02: So um, again, thank you so much, Veronique.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_02: This has been so fun.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I would love to have you do.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_02: I would love for you to come back anytime.
• 46:20
  SPEAKER_02: We could even do it.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_02: Well, everyone listening, um, if you have not already, I really urge you check out the brand.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I will, like I said, tag everything in the episode.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_02: We're also gonna have an episode summary that goes with this, which will have all the links that are um mentioned here.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_02: So make sure that you guys check that.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm gonna be promoting constantly.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_02: So reminding all of you to go.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much, Ekta.
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_01: This is so lovely.
• 46:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I uh, you know, and and to the people that um are listening to us, thank you so much for being here.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_01: And if ever you have any additional question, I'm sure that Ekta is uh, you know, is equipped to answer, but if you have specific questions and you want to ask, please do.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_01: And we're always very happy to um, you know, give more information.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_01: But um, this was such a good moment, and you know, I love the fact, Ekta, that you come from science because there's there's a lot to be said about that, and it's a very interesting thing with fragrance, and you've said it yourself.
• 47:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's you know, it is magical and it is mystical to a certain degree.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_02: It truly is, it's it's truly a work of science, you know, it is, and I I agree with you.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_02: If you guys have any questions, please leave them in the comments.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_02: I will make sure to pass them to Veronique's team and get you the answers that you guys have, uh, you know, that you're longing for.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_02: So um, again, you know, check out check out all the assets that go with this.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_02: And Veronique, I will be bugging you a lot to come back.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_02: So just stay tuned for my time, Ecta.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 47:59
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I live for so much.
• 48:04
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Ecta.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_02: Hey guys, so I hope you love that episode.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_02: Please make sure to hit subscribe if you're tuning in to us on any podcast platform.
• 48:14
  SPEAKER_02: We are available on so many different platforms.
• 48:17
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• 48:20
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• 48:23
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• 48:32
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• 48:39
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• 48:42
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• 48:47
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• 48:48
  SPEAKER_02: So if you're a reader and you love Medium blogs, check us out on Medium.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_02: We publish some really great articles on there that do deeper dives than just what's available on the podcast.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_02: And it's really a great place for all of you science geeks out there that want to learn a little bit more.
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_02: We go above and beyond with our research and making sure we're bringing you information that you usually probably won't hear about in other outlets.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_02: So check us out, leave us a comment, leave us a review, and we'll be back next time with another episode.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.