The Story Behind the Name
Chercheur is a French word meaning “explorer or researcher.” I named this site to explore the world of fragrance and discover, together with you, worlds I have yet to encounter. That is the idea behind Le Chercheur de Parfum (The Fragrance Explorer). In Japanese, the name is pronounced “Ru Sherushēru du Parufamu” and can be shortened affectionately to “Ru Sherushe,” a name I hope feels familiar and approachable.
The more we penetrate odours, the more they end up by possessing us.
Edmond Roudnitska
Why I Created This Site
In recent years, wearing perfume has gradually become more common in Japan. Niche brands from overseas have entered the market, new perfume retailers have opened, and new Japanese brands have launched in response to growing demand. Yet there are still too few websites that people can turn to when exploring perfumes and scents, or use as a reference when they have questions or encounter something unfamiliar. As a result, many perfume lovers find themselves discussing fragrance using information they cannot be sure is correct.
I also believe that relatively few websites anywhere in the world go so far as to explain how perfumers think about a particular ingredient or term, or how it is understood within the industry.
As social media has grown and made it easier to exchange information, the gap between what customers know and what sales staff know has also widened. This has brought into sharper focus both the challenges of selling perfume and the difficulty of finding a knowledgeable, helpful salesperson. In perfumery, good customer service alone is not enough. Sales staff also need the ability to describe a scent, the ability to tell the story behind it, and the ability to share accurate knowledge about fragrance. That is because perfume is an art that unfolds on the skin.
Does art need words? I will leave that question to each reader’s own beliefs. I created this site for people who love perfume and want to learn more, for sales staff looking to fill gaps in their company’s training, and for anyone hoping to discover new ways to enjoy fragrance.
The difference between a smell and a fragrance is that a fragrance conveys the intent of the perfumer who composed it.
Luca Turin
What Matters in These Articles
1. Evidence
This is a word that comes up repeatedly on this page. Many Japanese perfume websites have traditionally offered brief explanations of terms and perfumes by amateurs who have done a little studying. On this site, all content draws on a wide range of perfume literature and websites from outside Japan. Wherever possible, I quote perfumers in their own words. For the glossary, I bring together information from more than ten publications and websites, along with answers from experts. In the Q&A, I also draw on my own experience serving customers. This approach remains relatively uncommon worldwide, and the aim is to offer a dependable reference for perfume lovers and sales staff alike.
I also introduce the books and websites used as sources, so readers who want to explore further can keep following their curiosity.
2. Usability
In both Japan and the United States, fragrance enthusiasts’ websites and sites explaining perfume are often created to share the things their authors love. I find that this can make it difficult to locate the information you want or find an answer to a very specific question.
Here, I give priority to usability, or how easy the site is to use, over visual flair. I work continually to improve colors that feel easy on the eyes, search features and guidance on using them, and clear categories that make information easy to find. New features are introduced in News and How to Enjoy This Site. I want to run the site with readers’ ease of use and readability in mind, so if you have a request or suggestion, I would be grateful if you shared it here.
3. Sincerity
I try to explain not only the evidence behind what I write, but also the reasons for the choices I make. Mainly through the News section and notices throughout the site, I aim to provide as much information as possible about the affiliate programs I use, the people and organizations I work with, the websites I consult, and other sites I would like readers to discover. To make this clear here as well, I intend to use all revenue from this site to support its operation and the future of the perfume industry.
Accuracy and Sources
What I find fascinating is the journey, the trail, the endless questioning of myself I will embark upon to create it.
Jean-Claude Ellena
I run this site, but I have not graduated from a perfumery school, do not work for a fragrance company, and am neither a chemist nor a professional specialist. I am simply an amateur who spent just a year and a half selling perfume. Even so, I have researched each subject until I was satisfied with my understanding and brought that information together in my own words. Evidence-based articles created by a former salesperson drawing on modest experience and working through a vast amount of source material: that is what makes this site distinctive.
The articles draw on books about perfume and fragrance ingredients, official information from brands and fragrance companies, interviews, and material published by experts. I place importance on distinguishing information that can be checked against sources from my own experience, impressions, and interpretations, and on presenting it as reading that helps people enjoy perfume.
For quotations, the policy is to name the speaker or author and, wherever I can verify them, provide the book or publication title, year of publication, and a link to the original text. When presenting material in Japanese, I aim to distinguish existing Japanese translations, translations made for this site, and summaries. Not every sentence has a note, but as articles are updated, I will improve source references so readers can trace the evidence behind important statements and facts.
The aims of this site are to “broaden the horizons of people who love perfume” and to “share knowledge that perfume sales staff can use as a reference.” As Jean-Claude Ellena’s words suggest, another central aim is to explain how perfume comes into being as an art.
Finding accurate information as an outsider to a specialist field can be difficult, and I may have misunderstood some things. If you notice an error, I would sincerely appreciate your guidance. You can send advice here.
The books and websites I have consulted are also collected in Reference Websites and Bibliography. If you notice an error in an article or information that has changed, it would help if you used the Question Box to send the relevant article and supporting sources.