A Day in the (Perfumer’s) Life: Margaux Le Paih Guerin
Margaux Le Paih Guerin – collaborator with artist and fragrance house founder Sarah Baker on A Vanilla Trilogy – has been described as being ‘born in a bottle’. Read on for Margaux’s inspirations, and the secrets of her working day
Margaux Le Paih Guerin’s mother ran an indie perfumery in Brittany – so, having grown up almost steeped in perfume, it seemed a natural step for Margaux to step into the world of perfumery, training at the École Supérieure du Parfum before becoming perfumer at Flair, the creative studio founded by perfumers Amélie Bourgeois and Anne-Sophie Behaghel.
In a close author-perfumer working relationship, Margaux has collaborated with artist and brand founder Sarah Baker on a trio of vanilla fragrances, based on Sarah’s cinematic narratives. Working together, Margaux has developed and refined three vanilla fragrances, imagined in the same location across different eras. These bold, unconventional takes began with Velvet Vendetta, a dark, almost ‘outlaw-style’ vanilla. Then came the nocturnal, boozy, espresso-martini-inflected Va Va Vanilla, while the new launch is Year XOXO, a more transparent and ozonic ‘anti-gourmand’ vanilla, built around soft musks, green apple and cashmere woods.
Bravely – and ground-breakingly – Sarah Baker asked the public to vote on different modifications for Year XOXO, at both the Esxence Milan trade show and ScentFest in San Francisco. (Modification 2 won.)
Margaux has described herself as drawn to ‘free creation’: fragrance that is as much an artistic proposition as a conventional perfume. She is particularly interested in working with visual artists, and in translating a client’s or brand’s conceptual world into scent, which makes her a natural fit for Sarah Baker’s filmic, character-led universe – always glamorous and accessible, but also deliberately high-drama and textural.
Year XOXO, the latest creation by Margaux Le Paih Guerin for Sarah Baker
When does your day start?
My day starts with a filter coffee. I usually don't eat breakfast during weekdays; I'm not hungry when I wake up. After my coffee and a shower, I like to take some time for my skincare routine – that's a very important moment for me. I like to take this time for myself, to wake up properly. Then I go to the office directly by bike; it's only 15 minutes away.
Where do you work?
I work in the center of Paris, in the 2nd arrondissement. It's a Haussmannian apartment with the lab in the central room. I work in a different room, most of the time on my computer, but also sometimes in another space for meetings. My clients usually come to the studio, but some of them also like us to come to them. The central location of the studio is very convenient for everyone.
How does your day break down?
My efficiency doesn't depend on the time of day, but more on the day itself. I'm more of a night butterfly; waking up isn't always easy for me, but I'm a good worker in the morning. For creativity, it's the same, I think it depends on cycles. After breaks, when I meet new people, after an event or traveling, I feel more inspired. Movies and exhibitions can also be a good inspiration to me. I really feel that spending time away from my computer helps me catch a new breath.
How many fragrances might you be working on at one time?
Approximately 60 at the same time, but not all at the same frequency. Some will be reworked twice a week, others once a month. It depends on the project, but mainly on the client.
How do you compose fragrances?
When I'm at work, I formulate on my computer. Then I send the formula to my assistant, and at the end of the day I have the sample on my desk. It's my favorite time of the day, when we all smell the perfumes together and discuss the results of this teamwork. When I travel, I have a note on my phone where I write down small accords I think about. I sort and comment on them, to work on them once I'm back at the office.
What kind of other inspirations do you look for during your day?
Travel is my main inspiration. The world is so diverse and so rich, it's magic to discover other landscapes, different foods and cultures. During my working days, Paris itself is an inspiration to me. We're a truly cosmopolitan city, and that's a real opportunity to discover food and drinks from different countries. I also like to discover new exhibitions; I find other artists so inspiring. That's the magic of it, to me; every art form can inspire another. I feel so grateful to work in Paris for that. I never get bored.
“‘After breaks, when I meet new people, after an event or traveling, I feel more inspired. ‘”
Do you break for lunch?
Food is my religion; I will never eat at my desk. Beyond the pleasure of eating properly, I need this break to be efficient in the afternoon.
What will the afternoon be spent on?
I usually work for four or five hours after lunch. Every day is different; sometimes I'm formulating all day, sometimes it's just meetings and calls with clients. But most of the time it's a mix. I usually leave the office at 6.30pm. I try to spend some evenings at home to chill and relax, but I'm very bad at that. I usually go to the gym or for a run, or meet friends for a drink or dinner. But when I leave the office, I try to avoid any perfume subject or work. It's how I take a step back from the projects, to keep a clear vision.
Do you need to be in a specific mood, to create?
I really need to be in my bubble. I can't be disturbed when I'm formulating, otherwise I'm five times slower and I know my creations will be less interesting. Even music with lyrics can disturb me (I start singing in my head; it doesn't help!)
“’When I leave the office, I try to avoid any perfume subject or work. It’s how I take a step back from the projects, to keep a clear vision.’”
How long does it take from concept to finished fragrance, in general?
It's the impossible question. Every new client asks me this, but there's no rule, and that's the truth. Some developments take two weeks, it's a one-shot, others take more than three years.
Do you listen to music when you work?
I prefer earplugs over music most of the time. And when I do want to listen to music, I prefer jazz or techno (I know, I have diverse tastes!) No lyrics; it's better for my concentration.
Is a moodboard helpful to you?
I love having moodboards for inspiration. They give a lot of information on what the client is expecting, and on their universe/tastes.
How many materials do you have at your fingertips, to work with? And how many tend to be in your regular palette?
I have approximately 700 materials at my fingertips. I'd say I frequently use around 250.
How much of your time is spent on your own work – creating new accords, working with new materials?
Creating new accords and smelling new raw materials is part of my job; every perfume I create has a new accord in it, I hope.
Please tell us about your working relationship with Sarah Baker. How did you collaborate on Year XOXO?
It's really interesting arriving at the last step of this vanilla work. We'd already created two vanilla fragrances: Velvet Vendetta, inspired by a place in Nevada many years ago, and Va Va Vanilla, the vanilla of today, in that exact same place. We had to imagine the future of vanilla in this place, and it was challenging! But Sarah had great ideas; she made me a moodboard with creative ideas and I loved them. I tried different things before we landed on the final version. I think this chapter was the most challenging for us, because imagining the future is always harder and more demanding.
What was the vision for this new fragrance?
The future of vanilla. I wanted to create a vanilla that had never existed before, something futuristic. I imagined an apple-y, clean, spicy, transparent vanilla. It's almost a vanilla in the air, as if the air itself smelled of vanilla in the future.
What is it about vanilla that you love?
I love vanilla because it's universal. We find vanilla aromas in breast milk; it's something everybody has in common. And that's why it's so addictive. It's rich, and you can work vanilla in a thousand different ways.
“‘I love vanilla because it’s universal. We find vanilla aromas in breast milk; it’s something everybody has in common’”
How did you feel about the modifications for Year XOXO being voted on by the public – and are you able to share the differences with the ones that didn’t ‘win’?
I'd say the first version was closer to the one we chose. It was less complex, without the apple note, without cashmere wood, without the trace of spices. The other one was even more different: we were way more into a dark vanilla. But I prefer imagining the future in a bright way rather than a dark one, so I'm happy with the chosen version.
What is the one fragrance you wish you had created?
Balmain Vent Vert.
Sarah Baker fragrances are available at sarahbakerperfumes.com
Velvet Vendetta/£155 for 50ml extrait de parfum – buy here
Va Va Vanilla/£155 for 50ml extrait de parfum – buy here
Year XOXO/£155 for 50ml extrait de parfum – buy here
A Vanilla Trilogy/£275 for 3 × 30ml – buy here