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A mockup of a perfume organ (lacks a weighing scale). The organ is traditionally where a perfumer works on the composition of various perfumes, however the weighing and blending of perfume samples are now mainly done by technicians in larger flavour and fragrance companies.

A perfumer is a term used for an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a Nose (French: le nez) due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions. The perfumer is effectively an artist who is trained in depth on the concepts of fragrance aesthetics and who is capable of conveying abstract concepts and moods with fragrance compositions. At the most rudimentary level, a perfumer must have a keen knowledge of a large variety of fragrance ingredients and their smells, and be able to distinguish each of the fragrance ingredients whether alone or in combination with other fragrances. As well, they must know how each ingredient reveals itself through time with other ingredients. The job of the perfumer is very similar to that of flavourists, who compose smells and flavourants for many commercial food products.

Training[link]

Most past perfumers did not undergo professional training in the art and many learned their craft as apprentices under another perfumer in their employment as a perfume technician (in charge of blending formulas) or chemist. A direct entrance into the profession is rare and those who do typically enter it through family contacts. Such apprenticeships last around 3 years.

Until recently, professional schools open to the public for training perfumers did not exist. In 1970 ISIPCA became the world's only school in perfumery. The candidates must endure a demanding entrance examination and must have taken university-level courses in organic chemistry.

Givaudan, International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) and Symrise have perfumery schools as part of their companies, but students must be employees of the company and must be recommended by their superiors for acceptance into the school.

Courses for perfumery are also offered by PerfumersWorld and the University of Plymouth (UK) offers a BA (Bachelor of Arts) course in Business & Perfumery.

Employment[link]

Most perfumers are employed by several large fragrance corporations in the world including Mane, Firmenich, IFF, Givaudan, Takasago, and Symrise. Some perfumers work exclusively for a perfume house or in their own company, but these cases are not as common.

The perfumer typically begins a perfume project with a brief by the perfumer's employer or an outside customer. The customers to the perfumer or their employers, are typically fashion houses or large corporations of various industries. Each brief will contain the specifications for the desired perfume, and will describe in often poetic or abstract terms what the perfume should smell like or what feelings it should evoke in those who smell it, along with a maximum per litre price of the perfume oil concentrate. This allowance, along with the intended application of the perfume, will determine what aromatic ingredients will be used in the perfume composition.

The perfumer will then go through the process of blending multiple perfume mixtures and will attempt to capture the desired feelings specified in the brief. After presenting the perfume mixtures to the customers, the perfumer may "win" the brief with their approval. They proceed to work with the customer, often with the direction provided by a panel or artistic director, which guides and edits the modifications on the composition of the perfume. This process typically spans several months to several years, going over many iterations and may involve cultural and public surveys to tailor a perfume to a particular market. The perfume composition will then be either used to enhance another product as a functional fragrance (shampoos, make-up, detergents, car interiors, etc.) or marketed and sold directly to the public as a fine fragrance.

Alternatively, the perfumer may simply be inspired to create a perfume and produce something that later becomes marketable or wins a brief. This is more common in smaller or independent perfume houses.^[1]

List of notable perfumers[link]

See also[link]

• Aromachologist

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Perfume

• The British Society of Perfumers The British Society of Perfumers

Mahmood Ali

Syed Mahmood Ali (1928–2008) Urdu:سید محم�?د علی was a Pakistani radio, television and stage artist. Mahmood Ali was born in Hyderabad, India in 1928. He was best known for his role of Maulvi Sahib in PTV’s production of Taleem-i-Balighan.

Mahmood Ali began his career with the All India Radio in 1945. He migrated to Pakistan after partition, arriving in Lahore in 1947. He soon moved to Karachi and joined Radio Pakistan, where he was employed as a copyist. He became a part of Radio Pakistan during independence, where he was associated with numerous plays. His show Hamid Mian Key Haan, was very popular. He was worked for Radio Pakistan, more than fifty years.

Ali started his acting career from Khawaja Moinuddin's Theater. He was performed in various stage plays, but it was his roles that left an indelible impression on viewers. Aside from Taleem-i-Balighan (which was latterly telecast from PTV), in which he acted with other veterans such as Qazi Wajid and the late Subhani ba Yunus, Mahmood Ali performed many memorable roles. Other notable plays of Ali include Mirza Ghalib Bunder Road Pe, Karwan-e-Kashmir and Lal Qilla Se Lalu Khait Tak.

In 1965, Ali was joined Pakistan television. His first television play was Rastay. Ali's noted television plays are Khuda Ki Basti, "Zair, Zabar, Paish", Laila Majnoon, Shahzori, Aanch, Ana, and Dast Ashana.

Though his film career did not enjoy similar popularity, he is remembered for playing the villain opposite Nadeem in Khushnaseeb of the 1980s. He was work in more than twenty five films.

Syed Mahmood Ali died on July 11, 2008 due to cardiac arrest. He was 80. He was buried at Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard in Karachi.

Awards[link]

He was awarded the highest civil award of Pakistan, the Pride of Performance in 1985.

External links[link]

• Mahmood Ali at the Internet Movie Database
• Artist Mahmood Ali is no more - DAWN.com
• Actor Mehmood Ali passes away - The News