Santiago Receives Nomination In The Category
“Perfumer Of The Year”

Iberchem is pleased to announce that its perfumer María Ángeles Santiago has been named a finalist at the 2021 Beautyworld Middle East Awards in the category “Perfumer of the Year”. This category rewards the work of a perfumer who has contributed to the launch of a new fragrance in the Middle East in the past two years.

María Ángeles Santiago is the company’s dedicated perfumer for the Middle East region. Fascinated by the richness and singularity of the perfumes typical of the area, she has devoted her whole career to this type of fragrance. Agarwood, sandalwood, leather, amber and resinoids are always a must in her compositions. Thanks to her passion, it did not take her long to develop her distinctive signature that sets her apart from other perfumers in the industry. Hundreds of product launches later, her style is still evolving and adapting to the new tastes of the market.

“Most European perfumers always add a western twist to their oriental creations. I don’t. There are so many nuances to discover and to perfect. After 19 years, I am still experimenting and discovering surprising combinations which make me rediscover this category of fragrances again and again. I will always remain faithful to the culture of ‘ambery’ perfumes and the best thing is that Iberchem has a strong presence in the Middle East,” explained Santiago.

“The upside of dedicating yourself to a specific type of fragrance is that it makes you an expert in the field, a master of the genre. It makes you delve into all the possible subtleties of the raw materials. There isn’t just one type of oud or one type of patchouli, and there is definitely more than one way to create a leathery accord. There are plenty, and each one has its own characteristics and personality. This is something I get to master better than the average perfumer because I work with these raw materials in almost every one of my creations,” added Santiago.

About the Beautyworld Middle East Awards

The Beautyworld Middle East Awards were launched in 2020 and reward companies, products and individuals for their excellence, outstanding performance, vision and achievements across the industry and in the Middle East region. In total, eight awards are handed out in categories such as natural product of the year, niche product of the year and innovation of the year. The winners will be unveiled at the award ceremony to take place on October 6 at the Ritz Carlton in Dubai.