Louise Turner: British Perfumer Crafting Joyful Fragrances

Louise Turner's path to becoming one of Britain's most respected perfumers began in the countryside of Kent, where wildflowers like honeysuckle and lilac shaped her early olfactory memories. Born and raised in southern England, Turner initially pursued dentistry before a chance temporary job at Quest (now Givaudan) changed her life completely. This serendipitous moment in the mid-1990s revealed her natural talent for fragrance creation.

Turner officially joined Quest's fine fragrance team in Paris in 1996, studying raw materials and developing her craft without formal perfumery school training. Her intuitive approach and recognized talent led to her current position at Givaudan since 2000. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with major fashion houses including Carolina Herrera, Chloé, Dior, Tom Ford, and Mugler, as well as niche brands like Maison Martin Margiela and Jo Malone London.

Her signature style centers on joyful, luminous compositions that often feature white flowers like orange blossom, jasmine, and tuberose. Turner masterfully captures not just their scent but the texture of petals and the pleasure they evoke. Nature remains her primary inspiration, with English gardens and specific notes like Sambac Jasmine and ambrette seeds frequently appearing in her work. Her creative philosophy follows the motto "Less is more," seeking clarity and refinement in every composition.

Turner's portfolio includes some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed fragrances of recent decades. Her creation of Good Girl for Carolina Herrera in 2016 became a global bestseller, earning a "Breakout Star" award from The Fragrance Foundation in 2020. Tom Ford's Lost Cherry (2018) showcased her ability to create buzz-worthy, distinctive scents that capture public imagination.

Her work with niche brands demonstrates her artistic range and creative freedom. Lazy Sunday Morning for Maison Martin Margiela exemplifies her ability to translate abstract concepts into olfactory experiences, beginning with the color white and capturing its luminous, clean sensations. Her recent creations for Liquides Imaginaires, including Blanche Bête and Âme du Cœur, showcase her versatility across different fragrance families.

Turner's creative process draws from diverse sources including travel, art, colors, music, and cuisine, particularly Indian and Thai flavors. She views perfume as an invitation to reflect on beauty and express profound emotions. In February 2025, Turner was appointed house perfumer for the historic French house Caron, marking a new chapter where she will blend tradition with contemporary vision. Her first fragrance for Caron, anticipated in Autumn 2025, promises to honor the brand's rich heritage while pushing creative boundaries forward.