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5 Questions With: Isabel Parraga, Perfumer

What is your greatest source of inspiration?

I am very receptive in general to everything that surrounds me. But there are certain moments or activities that inspire me more, such as walking in the countryside or by the beach …and my kitchen! I love cooking so the smell of spices and aromatic herbs are for me direct sources of inspiration that amplify my creativity.

 

Why did you choose to be a perfumer?

I didn’t really choose to be a perfumer. It came naturally after cumulating years of experience in the labs, working with raw materials and learning from master perfumers such as Antonio Palomino or Luz Vaquero.  After noticing the ability I had in understanding how to compose a fragrance, they [Iberchem] offered me the opportunity to become a perfumer.

 

Which fragrance do you wish you had created?

I love fresh and citrusy fragrances which is why I would say “Nenuco” by the brand Douglas. It is such an iconic smell. Even though it is a baby fragrance, I like to use it during summertime. I’ve loved it since I was a child. Despite its relatively simple composition, for me, there isn’t any other fragrance on the market that surpasses it in terms of freshness.

 

A famous person you would like to create a fragrance for

[Laughs] That’s something I have never thought of. Maybe Cleopatra? Apparently, she liked to wear creams and perfumes, using her smell as a weapon of power and seduction. It would have been quite a challenge but well, I love challenges!

 

How would you describe to someone the smell inside your house?

There are so many smells inside my house: citruses, musk, cedar, caramel, vanilla… Altogether, for some reason, I would say it smells like childhood. I could somehow connect all these smells with my children.