Meet Anne-Sophie Behaghel - Remarkable nose

“I make perfumes and I love it”

The story of a wonderful encounter between noses and a very creative driving force.

It all started with a meeting, a conversation, a few ideas, and then the story with the Flair studio began. Their goal? To stay an independent lab, with creativity and boldness as their watchwords (always with optimism).

Anne-Sophie Behaghel is the co-founder of @flair.paris and the nose behind several Versatile creations:

• The sparkling Culot Thé 🍑
• The mouthwatering Bonne Poire 🍐
• The neo-neroli Sea, Sud & Sun ☀️

Stories of Flair: partner in crime no. 2

Hi, nice to meet you, I'm…?

Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Anne-Sophie Behaghel, partner perfumer at Flair. I make perfumes and I love it. I'm cheerful by nature, and boldness is still one of my strengths. I really enjoy Coralie's projects because I find they bring out our artistic souls.

Perfumer: a calling?

At the risk of sounding like a cliché: yes. Smell is the sense that guided me most, ever since I was a little girl. Growing up in Paris, a city of sweltering streets and packed public transportation, I was a curious child who watched everything. That's how I realized very early on that I wanted to become a nose. Amélie (my partner in crime) soon joined me in my training.

Your favorite color?

Blue, no hesitation (like in my photo, as it happens).

A comforting smell?

Clean smells, musk, soft and sensual scents.

Shall we talk perfume?

Your favorite accord?

Hemp and, of course, musk.

Hemp can be used in perfumery for its essential oil, often as a base note to add depth and warmth.

Musk was originally an animal ingredient, taken from the gland of the musk deer, a small animal native to Asia. Today, the musks used in perfumery are synthetic and recreate its sensual scent. We tell you all about it in our article on musky notes.

Your perfect pairing?

Amélie Bourgeois and me, because she's my ideal partner in crime! No, just kidding: I'd say musk (no hesitation) and, why not, orange blossom.

Where do you find inspiration?

Most often, in people: their smiles, the way they move, the way they look at others, the way they live. I like to give free rein to the sensations and emotions a smell stirs up, to explore inexplicable olfactory territories and shape them into unique fragrances that will, I hope, captivate the noses of whoever smells them. I could have said travel, nature or the sea, but that's all a bit washed-up, isn't it?

Your ideal perfume?

As you may have noticed: any perfume, as long as it's at least 50% musks.

Olfactory profile, foodie profile

Your favorite raw material?

Pink pepper (as a CO₂ extract), also known as pink peppercorns.

A raw material you can't stand?

You'll probably be disappointed… honey (in all its forms, by the way).

Your food guilty pleasure?

Any time of day: saucisson! (I have to stop myself from buying it.)

Your drink of choice?

Good old red wine (from 8 a.m. onward).

Anne-Sophie Behaghel x Versatile Paris

What do you think of the Versatile briefs?

They're easy and, at the same time, not easy. Let me explain: the briefs speak to me, but the art director (Coralie) knows her ideas so well that she takes you exactly where she wants to go (it sometimes takes us a while to catch up with her). It's fascinating: the boss becomes our driving force.

What do you think of your Versatile creation?

Culot Thé was a challenging one: a tea, yes, but fruity, apricot-like, with notes of ginger, wasabi, garlic… It was so much fun, with real research behind it. I relied on my gut much less than usual, but it turned out great, as you can see!

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Last question (the best one)

In your opinion, what's going to change in perfumery?

Perfumery is always evolving, a bit like fashion: the classics come back with a twist. But I agree with my sidekick Amélie: there's a glimmer of something new, something we haven't seen since we became perfumers, like naturalness in fruit notes.

“Versatile projects bring out our artistic souls” Anne-Sophie Behaghel

Also check out our interviews with Amélie Bourgeois, co-founder of Flair, and Camille Chemardin, junior perfumer. And to learn more about the perfumer's profession, (re)read our must-read article!

Photos: Versatile Paris