Perfume Workshops and Olfactory Discovery: Sylvaine Delacourte’s Legacy at Guerlain

Ever since I discovered perfume during my studies, I have never ceased to share my knowledge. I began my career by creating the first perfume training courses given in France to beauty advisors, retailers, and journalists.

I was one of the pioneers in sharing perfume knowledge for a brand, which gave me the chance to meet Jean-Paul Guerlain and then to have the opportunity to touch upon perfume creation at Guerlain, as Director of Perfume Creation.

With L’Instant for Men and Women, Insolence, some of the Aqua Allegoria, the Guerlain exclusives: L’Art et la Matière, the Élixirs Charnels, etc., as well as the first Petite Robe Noire created with Delphine Jelk, totaling about 70 perfumes.

For more than 10 years, I have continued to share my passion for perfume through my Blog.

The “Scented Tales” Workshops for Adults

In 2005/2006, I developed and offered Perfume workshops to the public, lasting one day, reserved for adults: the Scented Tales. These included the discovery of raw materials, specific Guerlain raw materials, the Guerlinade, the facets, the great accords of perfumery, the creation of a perfume, Guerlain Perfumes, the origin of Perfume, the stories behind each Guerlain perfume, etc.

Note: It would be necessary to verify if these workshops are still current, given that I no longer work for Guerlain, since I created my own brand Delacourte Paris.

The workshops are all interactive and fun with many creations made by the participants. Recently, four themed half-days enriched the offer; these are taught by perfume experts that I trained:

• Wind of Freshness: Discovery of fresh notes in perfumery; it is not only citrus fruits that bring freshness to perfume. What is the difference between a classic, modern Eau de Cologne and fresh water (Eau Fraîche). Exercises: how to create a classic Eau de Cologne and how to personalize it. Olfactory and gustatory surprises punctuate each of the 4 workshops.
• Scent Bouquet (The Flowers): There are so many varieties of flowers in nature and so many flowery perfumes at Guerlain. How do you create a lily of the valley? A lilac? What are the natural flowers, like jasmine, rose, orange blossom, or reconstitutions? What nuances can dress up a floral perfume? And other surprises.
• Woods and Wonders: Natural woods, synthetic molecules, how to create a chypre? What is a Fougère accord? What is this mysterious wood called: oud wood? How to make a leather note? And other charismatic notes of perfumery.
• A Thousand and One Delicacies: It is not only vanilla that brings a gourmand note to perfume; what is the secret behind the treatment of vanilla at Guerlain? Discovery of other gourmand notes in Perfumery. How is an oriental perfume constructed? How to personalize an oriental and gourmand accord in an original way?

These workshops are offered by the Champs-Élysées boutique:
La Maison Guerlain
68 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 45 62 52 57
All these workshops can be privatized, for a birthday, for a group of friends, for a company, etc.

The “68” Perfume Workshops for Children

In 2013, La Maison Guerlain re-enchanted its mythical and founding address, 68 Champs-Élysées. The new Maison Guerlain offers Perfume Workshops to initiate young and old to the Art of Perfume according to Guerlain. From the age of 7, children can enjoy fun workshops on Wednesday afternoons.

• “Little Guerlains and Apprentice Perfumer”: A fun and multi-sensory way to discover perfume. Opening up to the wonderful world of perfume.
• “Little Guerlains and Project Manager”: Journey into the dream of one day being the conductor of the creation of a perfume, its bottle, its advertising.

Digital Perfume Consultations

You can have a free perfume consultation in all Guerlain boutiques, a digital consultation that I developed to help you find the perfume(s) of your life.

This consultation is done using a screen to choose photos and universes that correspond to your sensitivity; you will then smell 4 accords to select the olfactory accord corresponding to your olfactory heritage.

Then, thanks to questions that will be asked by the advisor, you will obtain a list of perfumes (only identified by numbers and not by the names of the perfumes), which will finally allow you to choose fragrances without being influenced, neither by the bottle nor by the name!

Then the advisors will have you blind test the perfumes you have selected, if possible on your skin, so that you have the “crush” so hoped for.

On my site Delacourte Paris, through Facebook and Instagram, my team and I will be delighted to answer your questions about perfumes, raw materials, or other advice.