A Life in Perfumery
Born in Paris in 1959, the daughter of a meteorologist father and a midwife mother, Isabelle spent her childhood in Tahiti. Her home was surrounded by hills, and at night it was said to be enveloped in the fragrance of wild flowers such as tiare, ylang-ylang, and frangipani.
Two questions from her childhood strongly influenced her later ambition to become a perfumer. One was why pears contain the scent of roses, while the scent of roses also has a pear-like flavor.The other concerned Rimbaud’s poem “The Sleeper of the Valley,” which she learned at around the age of eight (Japanese translation: Kunio Monji).
There is a hollow in the green fields, where a river sings,
Wildly draping silver rags over the grass.
There is a little valley where light bubbles,
And from the proud mountain the sun shines.A young soldier, mouth open, bareheaded,
Neck nestled in the lush, cold watercress,
Is sleeping. Lying in the grass, beneath the clouds,
Pale upon a green bed flooded with light.Feet among the gladioli, the soldier sleeps,
Smiling like a sick child, taking a nap:
Nature, rock this soldier warmly; the soldier is cold.The scent of flowers does not stir the soldier’s nose:
Arthur Rimbaud
One hand upon a quiet chest, the soldier sleeps in the sunlight.
There are two red holes in the right side.
Why had Rimbaud chosen gladioli, flowers that were neither pretty nor fragrant? Isabelle could not understand the reason, and this seems to have been a major catalyst for her interest in scent.
Isabelle studied biology in Orsay for two years from the age of 17, but by 20 she was becoming a little bored with the subject. Just then, a friend’s father sent her a brochure for After graduating in 1982, she began working as an independent perfumer alongside Monique Schlienger, the perfumer who founded the perfumery school Cinquième Sens.
She is such an ardent admirer of Jorge Luis Borges that she calls him her mentor.
In 1985, she met Annick Goutal and began creating perfumes with her. Their meeting came about when Annick, planning to open a shop in Italy, was looking for a place to compose fragrances. On arriving at Isabelle’s studio, the first thing she said was, “I want to create a vetiver perfume. Could you help me?” She then told Isabelle, “I have an idea that has been lying dormant for a long time: I want to create a rose that smells like a pear.” This was precisely the scent Isabelle had wanted to create since childhood. After ten years of work, it became Ce Soir ou Jamais.
Around this time, she was also teaching olfactory training classes at ISIPCA. Among the well-known graduates of her classes are Francis Kurkdjian and Mathilde Laurent.
In 1993, she and Annick established an independent perfume creation company, Aromatique Majeur, to establish the Annick Goutal brand.
After Annick died in 1999, Isabelle encouraged Annick’s daughter Camille Goutal, and together they supported the company. To this day, Isabelle continues to guide Annick Goutal in a role that goes beyond that of an in-house perfumer.
In 2020, she and Camille introduced Voyages Imaginarires, a brand separate from Goutal Paris. It is a 100% natural perfume brand that uses only natural fragrance materials and alcohol made from organic wheat.
I do not find perfume reviews interesting, because I believe perfume is highly subjective and cannot be criticized in the same way as a book or a film. On what basis could anyone claim to know why a perfumer did something that way? So although I am sensitive to direct, face-to-face criticism, it can sometimes be useful.
Isabelle Doyen
Perfume Creations
I like the work of Annick Menardo. Her work is very professional, accomplished, and creative. In a different genre, I also like the work of Olivia Giacobetti. Her fragrances have an aspect reminiscent of ikebana.
Isabelle Doyen
| Year | Brand | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–2018 | Annick Goutal | Eau du Sud, Grand Amour, Petite Cherie, Ce Soir ou Jamais, Eau de Fier, La Violette, Le Muguet, Le Chevrefeuille, Quel Amour, Des Lys, Duel, Les Nuits d’ Hadrien, Le Jasmin, Vanille Exquise, Mandragore, Songes, Ambre Fetiche, Encens Flamboyant, Myrrhe Ardente, Musc Nomade, Mandragore Pourpre, Un Matin d’Orage, Ninfeo Mio, Rose Splendide, Le Mimosa, Mon Parfum Chéri, Nuit Étoilée, Eau de Monsieur, Vent de Folie, 1001 Ouds, Ambre Sauvage, L’Ile au Thé, Vanille Charnelle, Chat Perché |
| 2014 | Bonton | Eau de Toilette |
| Unknown | Le Prince Jardinier | L’Eau du Prince Jardinier |
| 2006–2017 | LesNEZ | L’Antimatiere, Let Me Play The Lion…, The Unicorn Spell, Turtle Vetiver Exercise No. 1, Turtle Vetiver Front, Turtle Vetiver Back |
| 2017 | Naomi Goodsir | Nuit de Bakélite |
| 2020 | Voyages Imaginaires | Azahar, L’échappée Sauvage, La Couleur de la Nuit, Le Grand Jeu, Tea&Rock’n Roll |
