Julie Pluchet: French Perfumer Crafting Quiet Luxury

Julie Pluchet's path to becoming a Senior Perfumer began in the French countryside, where her deep connection to nature first sparked her passion for scent. This early exposure to natural landscapes continues to influence her work today, providing endless inspiration for her creations. Her journey into perfumery was solidified during her teenage years after watching the film "Fanfan," where Sophie Marceau portrayed a trainee perfumer, making Pluchet realize that perfumery could be a viable career path.

After graduating with a Master of Chemistry in 2003, Pluchet started her career as a chemist at Mane in Grasse, the heart of French perfumery. Her dedication to the craft led her to the prestigious Grasse Institute of Perfumery, where she trained under notable perfumers Max Gavarry and Isabelle Burdel. A pivotal mentorship with Raymond Carlavan at Fragrance Resources encouraged her creativity and pushed her to use her imagination freely.

In 2014, Pluchet joined CPL Aromas as a Senior Perfumer, where she has enjoyed creative freedom and direct customer contact. Her work spans fine fragrances, household, and personal care products. Recently, she has expanded her expertise by spending time in Dubai, immersing herself in Middle Eastern perfumery traditions, which adds another dimension to her already diverse skill set.

Pluchet describes her style as "quiet luxury," focusing on harmonious and refined compositions that blend classic, almost nostalgic structures with modern approaches. Her countryside upbringing draws her naturally to woody and rooty notes, with cedarwood being a favored ingredient for its powdery, natural character. She frequently incorporates cardamom, saffron, and pink pepper, often paired with woody notes to create her signature balanced yet boundary-pushing compositions.

Her notable creations include 150: Timeless, a complex citrus-aromatic fragrance featuring 187 ingredients that showcases her ability to balance fresh lime and bitter orange with classic lavender and warm spices. The Jump Up and Kiss Me Ecstatic demonstrates her mastery of white florals, centering around sultry tuberose with supporting notes of ylang-ylang and jasmine. Meanwhile, Jump Up and Kiss Me Hedonistic showcases her skill with gourmand and fruity notes, featuring prominent black cherry balanced with leather and amber.

Pluchet's work for prestigious brands like Clive Christian, Penhaligon's, and Molton Brown has earned her numerous awards and recognition. Her commitment to sustainability and innovation, including her use of headspace technology to capture natural scents, positions her as a forward-thinking perfumer who respects tradition while embracing the future of fragrance creation.