The Art of Fragrance Masterclass by Thierry Wasser

I stumbled upon an ad about this event on Instagram since I follow both the Facebook and Instagram of Guerlain. I read that the first 350 attendees would be receiving a 2ml of Tobacco Honey, one of the new L'Art et la Matière perfume which is the primary reason why I signed up for this event (even though I haven't received it yet...). To be completely honest, I smelled it somewhere during the first few weeks following its release at Holt Renfrew Ogilvy but never got around to writing a review about it on Parfumo. Nonetheless, the scent is stuck in my mind and I was hoping to get a sample so I could test it at home before (maybe) going for the bottle. At the same time, I was also curious to hear about a perfumer's point of view and Thierry Wasser, being the master perfumer that he is, I was sure I was going to gain cool insights into Guerlain's world of parfumerie.

Guerlain Master Perfumer since 2008 and inheriting from 200 years of Guerlain creation, Thierry Wasser has composed, with Delphine Jelk, Guerlain Perfumer and Creation Director, many of the olfactory masterpieces belonging to the L’Art & La Matière collection, notably its latest addition: Tobacco Honey.

Guerlain website

The masterclass happened on the platform Zoom and was hosted by Marie-Andrée Duchesne. Even though I loved her enthusiastic and positive upbeat attitude, it gave off a bit of fan-girl vibes. I do understand that Mr. Wasser is a renowned perfumer, but I felt a certain structure was missing from the masterclass. Ms. Duchesne would try to steer Mr. Wasser in a certain direction with her questions, but as soon as he'd open his mouth, she'd bounce right back on what he said by adding another layer of questions, not letting the man talk. I think Mr. Wasser was also slightly annoyed by this as he mentioned her talking too much twice during the stream.

Ms. Duchesne's chattering did take a good chunk of time out of the masterclass, but when Mr. Wasser was allowed to speak, I do have to say I truly enjoyed the masterclass. Thierry Wasser is a man with charisma. His deep but low rumbling voice kept me enthralled and wanting to hear more about his connaissance on perfumes. He spoke a bit about Guerlain's L'Art et la Matière and their new sub-collection, les Extraits. He also spoke about the four generations of perfumers that came before him like Jacques Guerlain and his impact on the Guerlain house.

What struck me the most is when he talked about the raw ingredients that make up different fragrances. Mr. Wasser talked about tobacco and honey, the two raw ingredients that are the stars of Tobacco Honey. He also mentioned jasmine, talking about the two most used varieties (jasmine sambac and jasmine grandiflorum). Participants gained a bit more insight into roses (centifolia and damascena), vanilla and tonka bean. Mr. Wasser also spoke about bergamot, a fruit that has played a large part in Guerlain's perfume and also the star of one of the new Extrait: Bergamote Fantastico Extrait 11. A floral citrus without the tartness of citron, we learned that bergamot is mainly grown and harvested in the south of Italy, in a region called Calabria, by the same supplier Guerlain has had for three generations. Besides that, Mr. Wasser also spoke, with a lot of respect and admiration, about the suppliers and the people who work at harvesting and gathering the raw materials needed for perfumery.

As time flew by way too fast, there was only time for two questions from those attending the masterclass. Someone asked about finding their own signature scent and Mr. Wasser's words really resonated with me. I don't have a signature scent and don't plan on having one since I'm too fickle and enjoy discovering other perfumer's work, but it finally dawned on me why I appreciate fragrances so much. Just like visual art (paintings, sculptures, etc. which I love discovering at museums), fragrances are the olfactive facet of art, also representing moods and emotions through notes and accords. It might seem obvious to most people, but to me, it clicked when Wasser answered the question.

Stop thinking, just smell. People intellectualize the world of fragrances, but once again, when you wear a fragrance it's only about you. Best way to choose a fragrance is by taking the time. You choose images, words, and moods that help narrow down to something you might like. Stop thinking and start feeling more.

Thierry Wasser

The other question was about the next biggest trend in perfumery. Mr. Wasser gave a cryptic answer, that essentially boiled down to the fact that perfumes are like words: some resonate with many while others don't. Even though Guerlain is the editor of many of those perfumes, sometimes there are scents that universally appeal to people and others unfortunately flop. It depends on many things and can not always be guessed correctly.

The Masterclass concluded with a last few wise words from Mr. Wasser about the power of fragrances, beauty and self-esteem. We were also told that the first six attendees who ordered an Extrait would receive a signed Christmas card by Thierry Wasser's hand and we also received a secret code to get a perfume travel atomizer with the purchase of a full-size of Art et la Matière perfume. Even though FOMO did hit me, I'm still waiting until I visit Holt Renfrew in a few weeks before going for a bottle from this exclusive line. They are a bit pricey and even though I do recognize the savoir-faire that has been put into the making of these perfumes, I want to be sure of my choice of fragrances. Tobacco Honey is pretty high on my list, but I'm also curious about the newest release: Fève Gourmande. I'm also hoping Bergamote Fantastico Extrait 11 will also be there so I can sniff it. I might take the time to sniff Tonka Sarrapia Extrait 75 and "Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21" which are the two other Extrait perfumes that interest me the most.

Anyways, I hope my breakdown of this masterclass has inspired you to attend future masterclasses featuring perfumers. I hope one day I can see Mr. Wasser in a longer conference where I'll be able to hear him speak more about fragrances and their meanings to him. As always, don't forget to like, subscribe and comment. Do you have any Guerlain perfumes in your collection? Any l'Art et la Matière on your wishlist? What about the Extraits?