Cinquième Sens: Olfactory Education in France and Japan

Our sense of smell is at the heart of our lives, and its role goes far beyond creating perfumes.
Isabelle Ferrand (2020; translated from French)

What do we feel when we smell a perfume, and how do we put it into words? We may think of the name of a flower, damp wood, fruit peel, or a memory of a particular day. Cinquième Sens makes those sensations the starting point for learning. Smell repeatedly, remember the differences, and communicate through a shared vocabulary. Its teaching connects knowledge of fragrance with both personal perception and professional practice.

Founded in Paris in 1976 by perfumer Monique Schlienger, the company has developed creation and education side by side. Today it offers professional training, learning for beginners, perfume-making experiences, and creative and evaluation services for businesses. Rather than a single university program, it is an organization for perfumery and olfactory education, with different entry points to suit each learner’s purpose.

Essential Information
Monique Schlienger and the Passing On of Knowledge
Training the Nose and Putting Scent into Words
Studying in France: Main Training Options
Learning with the Partner in Japan
1. Yukiko Koizumi and the Current Japanese Operation
2. Live Courses with Scent Materials at Hand
An Aside: Why Ferrand Chose Chanel N°5
Key Milestones
References

Essential Information

Name: Cinquième Sens, French for “fifth sense,” referring to smell
Founded: 1976, Paris, France
Founder: Monique Schlienger
Teaching and creative bases: Paris and Grasse, with partners active in other countries
Current leadership: Isabelle Ferrand and Marc Jourdan-Gassin, who joined in early 2026
Official website: Cinquième Sens
Partner in Japan: Cinquième Sens Japon. Led by Yukiko Koizumi and operated by Scentscape Design Studio Co., Ltd.

Monique Schlienger and the Passing On of Knowledge

Learning from Jean Carles, Then Becoming Independent

Monique Schlienger studied under Jean Carles, who helped establish perfumery education in Grasse. Comparing raw materials, organizing their characteristics, and understanding how they work together: her firsthand experience of Carles’s teaching method became the foundation for teaching others.

After working as a perfumer at Robertet, Schlienger became independent in 1976 and founded Cinquième Sens. It was not originally a school devoted exclusively to education. It began as an independent perfume creation company, alongside which she developed a training activity.

Schlienger also taught at ISIP, later ISIPCA. In 1976 she was invited to take over from the retiring Nicolas Mamounas, opening up her experience as a perfumer to people who wanted to understand raw materials or communicate about fragrance. Ferrand describes this learning as learning the full vocabulary of what we smell.

To learn the full vocabulary of what we smell.
Isabelle Ferrand (2024, on the origins of Cinquième Sens; translated from French)

Schlienger brought both her training under Jean Carles and her teaching experience at ISIPCA into learning within an independent company. Cinquième Sens went on to develop its own teaching materials and methods tailored to learners’ goals.

An Encounter at an Entrance Examination: Isabelle Ferrand

Ferrand grew up among the smells of the countryside: wheat, woodland undergrowth, and scents that changed with the seasons. She wanted to work in perfumery from childhood, although her father understood this to mean working in a perfume shop. What she herself wanted was to create fragrances.

After her baccalaureate, she studied for a BTS in biochemistry and sat the ISIP entrance examination, but was not accepted. One of the jury members she met there was Schlienger, who later contacted her and suggested that she train at Cinquième Sens. After internships at IFF and Nina Ricci, she became an assistant at the company.

The company’s history dates their meeting to 1984, while Ferrand herself says she joined in 1985. They worked together for many years, and in 2004 Ferrand took over management. Together with her team, she developed teaching materials and methods around four areas of work: training, creation, events, and consulting.

In early 2026, Jourdan-Gassin, formerly a vice president in fine fragrance at dsm-firmenich, joined the company. Ferrand mainly oversees olfactory teaching expertise and educational materials, while Jourdan-Gassin focuses on international expansion and the partner network. In their account in September that year, the worldwide network comprised 17 partners and locations. They share an educational approach while operating in their respective regions.

For Creators and Those Who Communicate Fragrance

Those who have studied at Cinquième Sens include not only perfumers but also people who develop brands and communicate about fragrance. Aliénor Massenet, Sylvaine Delacourte, and Kilian Hennessy are among those who went on to their own careers. Learning adapted to individual goals has led to different kinds of work in creation, planning, and describing fragrance.

Miya Shinma also studied under Schlienger, beginning in 1997. In 2003 she launched Cinquième Sens Japon’s educational activities in Japan. Her subsequent work at her own school is introduced in our article on Ateliers Arômes & Parfums Paris. Her experience of studying directly with Schlienger also led to teaching fragrance in Japan.

Training the Nose and Putting Scent into Words

Connecting Comparison and Memory with a Shared Vocabulary

Learning begins with more than memorizing the names of raw materials. Learners smell an odor, choose words for its characteristics, and compare it with others. They identify its persistence, strength, and qualities reminiscent of flowers, wood, or fruit, so that they can recognize it the next time. Associations with images, sounds, and memories help them build their own olfactory record.

They then look for the characteristics of raw materials in finished perfumes and explain fragrance families and nuances. Here, a facet means an aspect of a perfume, such as its floral, woody, or powdery character. Teaching tools such as compass cards and pyramids help visualize a composition that can be difficult to grasp through words alone.

Language is not used only for selling. It can communicate requirements to a developer, explain differences between materials, or check the quality of a finished product. In quality assessment training, for example, learners study the triangle test, identifying the different sample among three. Sensation is turned into a judgment that can be shared with others.

The Olfactorium: Learning That Stays at Hand

One of the teaching tools supporting this education is the Olfactorium. It is a small, portable version of the perfumer’s organ, the shelves that hold raw materials. The current introductory set contains scent solutions in 48 small bottles, together with blotters and a user guide. Blotters are paper strips used to apply and smell a fragrance.

The contents vary by course. Some sets teach individual raw materials, others olfactory notes blended from several ingredients, and others the analysis of finished perfumes. A Paris creation workshop using 19 facets and an introductory course studying 48 materials use the same named teaching tool in different ways.

Because learners can smell the same materials at home, online teaching can connect the teacher’s explanation with an actual odor. When distance learning expanded in 2020, the company did not simply replace lessons with video: it sent materials to participants and maintained interaction. Smelling them again after a lesson also provides time to develop memory and vocabulary.

Students learn about both natural materials and synthetic aroma materials. The official Japanese information describes a partnership with Albert Vieille for natural-material teaching kits, but this does not mean that every scent studied consists exclusively of natural ingredients. Learning to identify materials and creating by combining prepared blends serve different purposes.

Children’s Sense of Smell and a Place to Keep Creating

In 2015, Ferrand and perfumer Laetitia Corre launched Emanezsens. Noting how little attention textbooks gave to the sense of smell, they developed ways for children and young people to play and learn through odors. The company history identifies the intended age range as 0–25. This is an activity to develop sensory awareness, separate from professional training programs.

In 2018, the company also introduced coworking facilities with shared smelling rooms and weighing equipment. This provides a link between classroom learning and the opportunity to continue experimenting and creating afterward. Such work reflects its origins as both an educational organization and a creative company.

Studying in France: Main Training Options

The information below was checked against official course pages and schedules on October 12, 2026. Professional training, creative programs, and public workshops differ in purpose and in what participants receive on completion. Fees are shown in euros as listed on each page; conditions for the following year have not been inferred from past prices.

An Introduction to Perfumery and the Language of Smell

Initiation à la parfumerie et au langage des odeurs (Introduction, Level 1) is a 14-hour course covering the basics for people interested in perfume. It explores smell, raw materials, perfume composition, classification, and olfactory vocabulary, using a kit of 48 materials. French is the standard language; English sessions are available by inquiry. The official description excludes people with anosmia. The listed fee is €1,580 excluding tax, or €1,896 including tax. Advertised sessions include Paris on October 20–21 and Grasse on November 12–13, 2026.

Applications for professional training begin with provisional registration online or by another available method, after which the school checks the learner’s objectives and eligibility. Registration is confirmed by signing a training agreement and paying a 30% deposit. Olfactory exercises, quizzes, and other activities check learning during the course, and an attestation de formation (training attendance certificate) is issued. This is not a university degree program.

A Week of Training in Paris in English

Fragrance School Paris – 1 Week is an in-person course of 31 hours and 30 minutes, taught in English, progressing from the basics of perfumery to formulating simple accords. An accord is a cohesive scent formed by combining several fragrance materials. The course includes studying 96 materials, weighing in the laboratory, and formulation exercises, with two teaching kits included.

It is intended for international participants who want to learn the fundamentals of perfumery, and requires English proficiency and the ability to use the sense of smell. A session is listed for January 11–15, 2027, at €2,610 excluding tax, or €3,132 including tax. Assessment includes exercises and practical work, and a training attendance certificate is issued. Its scope differs from in-house training for company recruits or a long university program.

From Raw Material Analysis to Formulation and Creation

The first part of Designer Olfactif, “De la matière au parfum,” is a 168-hour program covering raw material analysis, olfactory memory and description, and quality assessment. The current listed fee is €7,760 excluding tax, or €9,312 including tax. The second part, “De la formulation à la création,” lasts 224 hours and costs €10,050 excluding tax, or €12,060 including tax. Completion of the first part is required. Students move on to selecting materials in response to client requirements, refining trials, and creating with attention to cost and regulation.

French is the standard language, with English available by arrangement. Some sessions combine in-person and distance learning. In Grasse in 2027, the first part is advertised for January 11–April 1 and the second for April 2–June 30. The first part includes blind analysis of materials and finished products and presentations to professionals; the second includes laboratory formulation exercises and presenting a creation responding to a brief to a jury. The second part’s description explicitly states that a training attendance certificate is issued. The training develops creative skills through teaching and practical assessment; it does not award a university degree or guarantee employment.

Workplace Olfactory Skills Training Linked to RS7618

Expertise sensorielle et langage olfactif dans la filière parfum-cosmétique is a 49-hour course for people whose work involves describing and classifying raw materials and perfumes and assessing quality. Intended participants include manufacturing and quality staff, product planners, marketers, salespeople, and trainers. French is the standard language, with English available by arrangement. The listed fee is €4,740 excluding tax, or €5,688 including tax. Dates are arranged with the school to suit objectives and availability.

The associated RS7618 is a certification of specific skills registered in France’s Répertoire spécifique on June 26, 2026, with LE CINQUIEME SENS as the certifying body. Registration expires on June 26, 2028. It is intended for practitioners involved in perfume formulation, quality control, describing fragrance characteristics, and distribution, rather than creative perfumers. It certifies the ability to describe raw-material odors with appropriate vocabulary, develop olfactory memory, assess quality through triangle tests, and classify perfumes and explain them to different audiences. Following continuing vocational training, external perfumers and olfactory specialists assess individual written and oral tasks and verify acquisition of all the skills. This is a skills certification, distinct from an attendance certificate, and does not award a university degree or a perfumer’s license.

A First Experience of Making Perfume

Atelier Création Parfum is a three-hour workshop in which participants make a perfume using 19 pre-blended facets and take home 30 ml of their creation. The current sales page lists a price of €150–280 including tax, depending on options such as adding teaching materials. The language and dates should be checked when booking. Separate from professional training assessment or RS certification, it offers an introduction to the pleasure of combining scents.

Learning with the Partner in Japan

Yukiko Koizumi and the Current Japanese Operation

The current Japanese partner is Cinquième Sens Japon. Its representative, Yukiko Koizumi, worked at Shiseido before moving into fragrance development and marketing at Firmenich, where she led the Asia-Pacific team proposing fragrance concepts based on sociocultural changes. Since becoming independent, she has also worked on connecting fragrance with spaces, plants, and everyday life.

Koizumi became the Japanese representative in 2020. The current operating company dates the school’s establishment to 2021. It is identified as a partner by both the French and Japanese organizations and is the organizer of the courses now offered. Applications for current courses should follow its instructions.

Live Courses with Scent Materials at Hand

In Japan, Basic A–D courses cover olfaction and materials, perfume composition and vocabulary, perfume culture, and practical formulation. Each can be taken independently; there is no requirement to complete them all in a fixed order. Beginners, perfume enthusiasts, and people who work with fragrance in sales or development can choose according to their goals.

Basic A: “The Sense of Smell / The Fragrance Palette”: Six 90-minute online sessions from October 28 to December 2, 2026. Participants smell 48 scents while learning about materials, olfaction, and how scented products are developed. The fee is ¥112,000 including tax, teaching materials, and shipping. The listed deadline is October 14 at 11:59 p.m.
Basic D: “Practical Perfumery”: Four two-hour online sessions from November 19 to December 10, 2026. Participants study 18 facets and create sample formulas and an original scent. The fee is ¥112,400 including tax, formulation materials, and shipping. The listed deadline is November 5 at 11:59 p.m.

These are the sessions checked on October 12, 2026, described on the official Japanese pages as live Zoom courses. Details of the teaching language should be confirmed with the organizer. Materials arrive after registration, and participants smell them during class. Course A supplies small samples for study, while D uses an Olfactorium for formulation. A minimum of three participants is required.

The Perfumery Navigator, Advisor, and Specialist qualifications described by the Japanese organization are private certifications issued by the Japan Perfumery Association (JPA). After completing the required courses, Navigator status is obtained by application, while Advisor and Specialist status require examinations. Taking a single course does not automatically confer certification. These qualifications are also separate from France’s RS7618 and university degrees.

An Aside: Why Ferrand Chose Chanel N°5

Asked in 2026 which perfume represented the company, Ferrand chose Chanel N°5. It was the fragrance her mother wore, and for Ferrand, who regards Schlienger as a maternal figure in her professional life, it also connects with the history of the company.

Ferrand compared the N°5 bottle, which has gradually changed over time, with Cinquième Sens, which continues to be the same company while evolving. This reveals the memories of those who pass learning on, something less visible in raw-material analysis or formal training structures.

Key Milestones

1976: Robertet perfumer Monique Schlienger becomes independent and establishes the company in Paris.
1983: The professional training activity is registered.
1984–1985: Schlienger and Ferrand meet, and Ferrand joins the company.
2003: Miya Shinma launches Cinquième Sens Japon’s educational activities in Japan.
2004: Ferrand takes over management.
2008: International expansion develops around an Italian partnership and a move into New York.
2015: Emanezsens begins olfactory education for children and young people.
2016: Ferrand and Claire Lonvaud establish the Grasse location.
2018: Shared weighing facilities and an olfactory learning space open.
2020: Distance training expands. In Japan, Yukiko Koizumi becomes the Japanese representative.
2021: The current Cinquième Sens Japon is established.
2026: Jourdan-Gassin joins, and the company celebrates its 50th anniversary. RS7618 is registered on June 26.

Cinquième Sens: Its Founder, Olfactory Education, and Studying in France and Japan