Monday 21 August 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - AZZI GLASSER


Azzi Glasser was born in North London and is no stranger to the perfume industry. She started her career with CPL Aromas in 1991 and very quickly became a sought after perfume designer. A FiFi Award Winner for her Agent Provocateur fragrance, Azzi went on to found The Perfumer’s Story in 2015 and currently has thirteen fragrances in her collection. With such an enviable career already, it was time to discover her own perfume memories as I asked her “Stephan’s Six”.

What is the first smell that you can remember?
My first memory of smell was the intense aroma of the rain on the earth. From playing in the monsoon in India as a child to the continuous rain we have here in England, it is not only my first memory but also a scent that takes me straight back to my emotions of happiness, joy and freedom. I was since asked to create the "Smell of Britain" for the British Government’s “Great Britain Campaign”, so I had the perfect chance to create my love of Rain on Earth.

What was the first perfume you remember your mum or dad wearing?
My mother always wore Je Reviens by Worth. I remember watching her getting dressed for parties back in the Seventies and was mesmerised by the way she carefully placed her false eyelashes on, added her fur coat and, the finishing touch, her sublime perfume. She would then kiss me good night, leaving this expensive feminine trail behind. I always remember thinking, one day I might be able to own my own bottle of perfume just like my mothers. My father on the other hand owned a wardrobe of fragrances, Old Spice, Brut, Musc de Cartier, Guerlain’s Vetiver. He also wore Agua Brava by Antonio Puig that he kept in the bathroom, so I would secretly sniff it daily. I still have a bottle and it reminds me of when I used to hug him.

What was the perfume of your twenties?
My perfume love in my twenties was Magie Noire by LancĂ´me. When I was younger I had the desire to feel older and this particular scent gave me that sophistication and warmth of security, which made me feel quite special. I remember particularly how men noticed it a lot, and I enjoyed the power and control I seemed to receive when I wore it. Funnily enough Magie Noire never worked on me again.

What was your biggest perfume mistake?
One memory I do have is when I was creating a perfume for my collection based on iris. It is one of my favourite flowery aromas but I was quite bored of the way it had been used, as most of the market fragrances smell so powdery and old-fashioned. So I used iris absolute oil in the heart of my new formulation and mistakenly added ten times the amount of a fig accord, as I wanted to make it more modern and edgy. The mistake ended up being a great result and gave me the discovery I was not expecting. I named it Twisted Iris, and it has since been celebrated as one of our best selling perfumes.

You can only choose one perfume?
Sequoia Wood by The Perfumer’s Story. It was my first bespoke perfume and I wore it for many years before deciding to launch it as part of my brand, due to receiving so many positive comments whilst wearing it, and I still do. It is the only perfume that suits me; it personifies my character and style, and makes me feel confident and unique. I can’t leave the house without it.

What perfume should I try?
I think you should try a perfume that suits your character and style. To me perfume is not divided as male or female as such, but to be worn with confidence and love. Perfume is like a love affair, when you find the right one you become loyal to it. I would suggest for you to try my perfume C, as this smells different on everyone. It is based on three molecular accords, woody, incense and animalistic. The reaction to each individual’s DNA has a magnetic impact on the presence it gives to you and to others around you.

For more information on Azzi Glasser and her company, The Perfumer’s Story, you can visit the website at theperfumersstory.com

[Image of Azzi Glasser © Chuck Noble]

2 comments:

  1. I love her scents :) the first time I experienced them I was hooked !! I could feel the artistic mind behind them and I knew had to work with them for my magazine . 'Ditch' was the most intresting for me ...as how can a smell be so much like a feeling !! :)

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    1. Hello Simon, I'm glad you enjoy them and I'll have to try "Ditch" myself. Thanks for reading. Best, Stephan

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