Every scent evokes an emotion. In Scent Stories, TZR asks tastemakers, celebrities, and industry insiders to share the stories behind the smells of their past and present.

For Romain Almairac, fragrance is in his blood. The son of renowned perfumer Michel Almairac, the French scent expert was essentially “born inside this atmosphere of creating things.” In adulthood, Romain worked in perfume sales at leading fragrance and flavor manufacturer Robertet Group for some 15 years, before switching gears and taking on the role of perfumer for the company in Spring 2024, which also came so naturally to him. But even the world that he understood so well has served up its share of challenges over the past year.

“You have to be always on track to create, and it’s stressful,” says Almairac to TZR. “But it’s what we like as well […] So we have to imagine and think about the new element, new things that maybe we can add to a fragrance. We never stop.” The perfumer’s latest achievement, the new Chloé Le Parfum, presents a sort of full circle moment, as his father masterminded the brand’s original Eau De Parfum some 17 years prior.

And while the new formula retains some of the original’s signature “rosy” essence, Almairac says his latest creation has some fresh edge to it. “We tried to do something more seductive, more sensual than the classic one, which is the EDP,” he says, explaining that original Eau De Parfum will always be a “starting point” of sorts. “For Le Parfum, we added some orange blossom to the iconic roses, and on the base note, we have more vanilla and tonka bean, as well.”

In this ever-expanding fragrance world, that seems to churn out a new trend or scent, Almairac explains that sourcing fresh inspiration can be one of the biggest issues when ideating something new that stands out from the crowd. “A lot of (inspiration) comes from the culinary world,” he explains. “I remember once, while at a famous restaurant in in Paris, there was chicken being cooked on the barbecue, done with hazelnut wood, and I said, ‘OK, let’s do something like that.’ So you get inspiration in your [everyday] life.”

One through-line when conceptualizing is ensuring the fragrance caters to everyone, not a specific gender or customer demographic. “For me, that’s too reductive,” says Almairac. “To say that [a perfume] is for a certain type of woman or a certain customer. This applies to age [demographic] as well. So, today, gourmet [scents] are typically thought to be for a younger audience, and classic [fragrances] are more for older ones. But you can do go another way.”

Ahead, Almairac breaks down the scents that embody various emotions and aspects of life.

The Scent Of Joy

We’ll go with all the hesperidic notes such as grapefruit, bergamot, or neroli. All the sparkling things.

The Scent Of Comfort

I would you say wood, a creamy wood — sandalwood, for example. Vanilla of course, and musk.

The Scent Of Nostalgia

As for nostalgia, it’s about a moment in your life as well, maybe people that you are missing or maybe moments in your life. Orange blossom, for me, is a nostalgic one. I used to go with my grandmother to buy cookies and pastries with orange blossom inside. So, for me, it’s like a good moment in my mind.

Also, I would say a smoky fireplace. I really like fireplaces in the morning, when you wake up [and smell the remains of the] fire from the night before.

The Scent Of Relaxation

“Maybe it’s flowers, like lavender is well-known for [relaxation]. Roses, as well. But yes, fresh flowers, the aromatic scents, and maybe musk again.