ISABELLE DOYEN

" The smells that move me most include that of the  
bright fuchsia  
pink lipstick "
As a professor at ISIPCA, Isabelle Doyen has trained lots of perfumers, including Francis Kurkdjian and Mathilde Laurent. An independent perfume designer, she worked with Annick Goutal from the age of 26 and never left her side. It was at this time that she met her daughter, Camille, who is “like a niece” to her. Isabelle describes herself as an “enthusiastic sponge”, drawing her inspiration from her love of reading, painting exhibitions, and offbeat tastes for a conductor, dancer, pianist and two lyrical singers whose performances she assiduously follows. Her creations include L'Antimatière and Turtle Vetiver for Les Nez, Nuit de Bakélite by Naomi Goodsir, and Ce Soir ou Jamais designed together with Annick Goutal.

emotion

“The smells that move me most include that of the bright fuchsia pink lipstick with notes of rose and iris my mother wore in the 60s, which for me embodied luxury and sophistication. And that of my pillow when I went to visit my grandmother on the Atlantic coast in the holidays. It contained bran and made a noise when I lay my head on it. It had a damp smell, like a mouse smell to me, I liked it so much I’d bite it until there were holes. I was only 3. Looking back, all my most important memories are olfactory.”
A professor at ISIPCA for many years, Isabelle Doyen has trained many perfumers such as Francis Kurkdjian and Mathilde Laurent. As an independent fragrance designer, she collaborated with Annick Goutal at the age of 26 and has never left her side. That's how she met her daughter Camille, who had become "as close as a niece". She describes herself as a "sponge animated by enthusiasm", and her inspiration comes from her passions for reading, painting exhibitions and her offbeat taste for a conductor, a dancer, a pianist or two opera singers whose performances she assiduously watches. She is the author of L'Antimatière and Turtle Vetiver for Les Nez, Nuit de Bakélite by Naomi Goodsir and Ce Soir ou Jamais, à quatre mains with Annick Goutal. 

EMOTION “The smells that move me most include that of the bright fuchsia pink lipstick with notes of rose and iris my mother wore in the 60s, which for me embodied luxury and sophistication. And that of my pillow when I went to visit my grandmother on the Atlantic coast in the holidays. It contained bran and made a noise when I lay my head on it. It had a damp smell, like a mouse smell to me, I liked it so much I’d bite it until there were holes. I was only 3. Looking back, all my most important memories are olfactory.”  

SOUND “Music by Bob Marley and Alpha Blondy always reminds me of the sun, it makes me happy, it makes me want to dance. Essence of expressed lime, especially Tahiti lime with its stronger accents, has the same effect on me. The simple action of uncorking a bottle will bring a smile to my lips.”  

INTIMATE “The raw materials I can relate to most are galbanum, which marked my first olfactory experience at school, incredibly concrete, abstract, bursting with energy, it knocked me for six, a revelation. Also iris, which is phenomenal too, the roughness of a root yet as sophisticated as a leather glove. I carry the same contradictions in me as these ingredients; I have a classic and well-behaved side and another crazier, more rock ‘n roll side, which I don’t turn my back on, quite the opposite. I might seem very calm, but inside I’m abuzz. And you’ll find this effervescence in my fragrances too. 

LITERATURE “My first meeting with Rimbaud dates back to my primary school days, with Le Dormeur du Val. I remember wondering why the poet described this man with his feet in gladioli, which are flowers with no smell. What a strange thought! My fascination for the poet has never left me. I have him to thank for my excessive love of the fragrance of linden blossom. Also mind-blowing was the description of a brothel in Les Similitudes, in Huysmans’ Croquis parisiens. His ability to evoke the perfumes worn by the prostitutes is vertiginous. And the room carrying the scent of iris... I got through all of Proust in about 5 days!” 

DESTINATION "I am marked by Polynesia, where I lived from 5 to 10, then from 13 to 15 years. Tiare and frangipani, my everyday flowers of the time, are anchored in my olfactory memory. I only went back there once, with Camille". 

IDOLS "I would suggest to flamenco dancer Israël Galvan to compose a perfume for him, because I'm a fan of what he is and I don't miss any of his shows. To Gérard Manset too, but precisely because it's not the kind of perfume he wears. I still don't know what I could create for either of them". 

PERFUME LEGEND “Guerlain’s Mitsouko fascinates me, not only because it was my mother’s perfume, but also because it’s an icon of abstraction. Its chypre is the epitome of absolute mystery.” 

SENTIMENTAL FRAGRANCE “For me, the scent of joy would have to be carvone, the main component of spearmint. It reminds me of the Hollywood mint in the chewing gum of the same name and their famous Fraîcheur de vivre (freshness of life) slogan, which for youngsters in the 1970s symbolised a thirst for freedom and made me dream. The fragrance of love would have to be celery, which for me evokes the scalps of children. I love it, and also the more carnal Evernyl with its mysterious animal accents.”  

CREATION RITUAL “When composing, I use only a pencil and a blank piece of paper, plus lots of different notebooks, all at the same time. I need to be able to rip out their pages to collate them in a binder. I’m a perfectionist and do lots of testing, so I’ll sometimes change my notebook midstream, for me it’s a way of creating another blank page, regaining my momentum.” 

FAVOURITE WAKES “I could wear all the Voyages Imaginaires fragrances at different times. Tea & Rock ‘N’ Roll sprayed liberally throughout the day, La Couleur de la Nuit in the evening, and Le Grand Jeu on special occasions, just to see what effect it has. I can’t wait to smell it on a man.” 

SOUND

“Music by Bob Marley and Alpha Blondy always reminds me of the sun, it makes me happy, it makes me want to dance. Essence of expressed lime, especially Tahiti lime with its stronger accents, has the same effect on me. The simple action of uncorking a bottle will bring a smile to my lips.”

intimate

“The raw materials I can relate to most are galbanum, which marked my first olfactory experience at school, incredibly concrete, abstract, bursting with energy, it knocked me for six, a revelation. Also iris, which is phenomenal too, the roughness of a root yet as sophisticated as a leather glove. I carry the same contradictions in me as these ingredients; I have a classic and well-behaved side and another crazier, more rock ‘n roll side, which I don’t turn my back on, quite the opposite. I might seem very calm, but inside I’m abuzz. And you’ll find this effervescence in my fragrances too. 

INTIMATE

“The raw materials I can relate to most are galbanum, which marked my first olfactory experience at school, incredibly concrete, abstract, bursting with energy, it knocked me for six, a revelation. Also iris, which is phenomenal too, the roughness of a root yet as sophisticated as a leather glove. I carry the same contradictions in me as these ingredients; I have a classic and well-behaved side and another crazier, more rock ‘n roll side, which I don’t turn my back on, quite the opposite. I might seem very calm, but inside I’m abuzz. And you’ll find this effervescence in my fragrances too.

LITERATURE

“My first meeting with Rimbaud dates back to my primary school days, with Le Dormeur du Val. I remember wondering why the poet described this man with his feet in gladioli, which are flowers with no smell. What a strange thought! My fascination for the poet has never left me. I have him to thank for my excessive love of the fragrance of linden blossom. Also mind-blowing was the description of a brothel in Les Similitudes, in Huysmans’ Croquis parisiens. His ability to evoke the perfumes worn by the prostitutes is vertiginous. And the room carrying the scent of iris... I got through all of Proust in about 5 days!”

destination

“Polynesia, where I lived from the age of 5 to 10, then 13 to 15, has left its mark on me. I saw tiare and frangipani flowers every day, they’re anchored in my olfactory memory. I’ve returned just once, with Camille.” 

DESTINATION

“Polynesia, where I lived from the age of 5 to 10, then 13 to 15, has left its mark on me. I saw tiare and frangipani flowers every day, they’re anchored in my olfactory memory. I’ve returned just once, with Camille.”

IDOLS

“I’d like to compose a perfume for the flamenco dancer Israel Galvan, because I’m a fan of what he stands for, I don’t miss a single show. And for Gérard Manset too, but precisely because he’s not the kind of man to wear one. I’m still not sure what I’d create for either of them.”

MYTHICAL FIGURES IN PERFUMERY

“Guerlain’s Mitsouko fascinates me, not only because it was my mother’s perfume, but also because it’s an icon of abstraction. Its chypre is the epitome of absolute mystery.” 

PERFUME LEGEND

“Guerlain’s Mitsouko fascinates me, not only because it was my mother’s perfume, but also because it’s an icon of abstraction. Its chypre is the epitome of absolute mystery.”

SENTIMENTAL FRAGRANCE

“For me, the scent of joy would have to be carvone, the main component of spearmint. It reminds me of the Hollywood mint in the chewing gum of the same name and their famous Fraîcheur de vivre (freshness of life) slogan, which for youngsters in the 1970s symbolised a thirst for freedom and made me dream. The fragrance of love would have to be celery, which for me evokes the scalps of children. I love it, and also the more carnal Evernyl with its mysterious animal accents.”

creation ritual

“When composing, I use only a pencil and a blank piece of paper, plus lots of different notebooks, all at the same time. I need to be able to rip out their pages to collate them in a binder. I’m a perfectionist and do lots of testing, so I’ll sometimes change my notebook midstream, for me it’s a way of creating another blank page, regaining my momentum.” 

favourite wakes

“I could wear all the Voyages Imaginaires fragrances at different times. Tea & Rock ‘N’ Roll sprayed liberally throughout the day, La Couleur de la Nuit in the evening, and Le Grand Jeu on special occasions, just to see what effect it has. I can’t wait to smell it on a man.”

preferred wakes

I could carry all the compositions from Imaginary Journeys at different times. Tea & Rock 'n roll, to spray me easily during the day, The Color of the Night, more at night and The Big Game once in a while, just to see what it feels like. I can't wait to feel it on a man".

EMOTION

“The smells that move me most include that of the bright fuchsia pink lipstick with notes of rose and iris my mother wore in the 60s, which for me embodied luxury and sophistication. And that of my pillow when I went to visit my grandmother on the Atlantic coast in the holidays. It contained bran and made a noise when I lay my head on it. It had a damp smell, like a mouse smell to me, I liked it so much I’d bite it until there were holes. I was only 3. Looking back, all my most important memories are olfactory.”

FAVOURITE WAKES

I could carry all the compositions from Imaginary Journeys at different times. Tea & Rock 'n roll, to spray me easily during the day, The Color of the Night, more at night and The Big Game once in a while, just to see what it feels like. I can't wait to feel it on a man".
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