Meet Florent di Marino, the perfumer behind CLOUDS IN HEAVEN

Tell us about your journey to becoming a perfumer? 

"Having lived in different parts of France, I was exposed to a diversity of smells when growing up. I vividly remember the forest smells, the autumn leaves and the fresh smell of fruits when going on bike rides with my three brothers in the mountains bordering Switzerland. I particularly remember the smell of a pine tree forest, during fall, which smelled of a cacophony of camphor, pine needles, moss and dry leaves.

One of my most vivid and memorable ‘scent memories’, is the smell that comes to me whenever I enter my grandmother’s house. ‘She always has a wonderful flower bouquet on a console table, which, together with her own perfume, hair lacquer and powder foundation, smells like a wonderful mix’. Every time that I visit my grandmother, it’s like ‘traveling back in time’.

I discovered the perfumery industry by chance when I was a chemistry student in the South of France. Working on the synthesis of an aroma chemical, the lab was suddenly filled with the smell of freshly cut grass. Not knowing where it came from, I checked all the surroundings and expected to find a gardener cutting the grass outside. When I realized the powerful green smell came from my own experiment, it felt like pure magic—I was overcome with excitement and curiosity. This event triggered my exploration into the fragrance world, and a perfumer-to-be was born."

Florent joined the ISIPCA perfumery school in Versailles where he received an internship with IFF in Neuilly. His career started in Beauty Care under the training of Anne Sophie Chapuis. He then moved to the world of Fine Fragrances where Anne Flipo was his mentor. In 2017, he got an opportunity to join the creative team in Singapore to complete his perfumery training.

Main creations

Fine Fragrance

  • XS pure for Paco Rabanne (Anne Flipo/Bruno Jovanovich/Caroline Dumur) 2016
  • Tubereuse Hédonie for Rogers & Gallet (Anne Flipo) 2016
  • Basil & Neroli shower gel and body lotion for Jo Malone 2016
  • Because it’s you for Emporio Armani (Anne Flipo) 2017
  • Narcisse Noir for L’Artisan Parfumeur (Anne Flipo) 2017
  • Champs de Fleurs for L’Artisan Parfumeur (Anne Flipo) 2017

Did the aim of creating a “food” inspiration perfume pose any challenge?

The challenge to mix fragrance with food inspiration is always an interesting one, we had to find the perfect balance between the food element triggering the emotional part and the floral structure. The result is an addictive duality between the white floral and the pandan, it’s a surprising combination!

How did you create the fragrance with gender inclusivity?

Some ingredients might signal gender connotation, but during the creation of the fragrance Clouds in heaven I tried to always keep the balance between the floral elements and the pandan elements in order to keep a genderless impression. Our creative intention was to create an enveloping and cocooning fragrance, no matter the gender.

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