Julie Massé

Grasse is a town in Provence considered to have been the world capital of perfumery since the sixteenth century. This reputation owes simply to the fact that it is surrounded by numerous fields of flowers and that it is the birthplace of many famous perfumers. It was in this place that Julie Masse was born, and perfumery could only be her destiny.

The main milestones of Julie Masse's career

Although Julie Masse was born in the Grasse region, she began her life in Japan, a country in which she lived until the age of five. She then returned to the family home, whose garden was filled with may roses, orange blossom and tuberose. Julie Masse has always been very sensitive to scents. She developed an early fascination with these flowers that evolve with the seasons. Likewise, her father was a perfumer, and she still remembers the blotters he used to prepare. She then had the desire to follow in his footsteps and become a perfumer. To do so, she joined one of the most prestigious perfumery schools in the world: ISIPCA in Versailles. She graduated from it and then began her career as a perfumer in the quality control department at Fragrances Ressources. She demonstrated extreme rigor and became a junior perfumer under the guidance of her mentor, the nose Pierre Bourdon. Then, wishing to advance her own career, she left this company to join the Fine Fragrance department at Mane, where she worked alongside Christine Nagel. To this day, Julie Masse remains a perfumer there. She has held a perfumer position there since 2010.

Julie Masse's creative approach

Like many perfumers, Julie Masse draws her ideas from her numerous travels. In fact, with every new journey, she makes a point of bringing back an olfactory memory. For example, when she traveled to Sri Lanka, she brought back the intense, sun-kissed scent of a frangipani flower. However, she does not use her nose only when traveling. This organ serves her absolutely every day and allows her to constantly discover new scents. Every moment can thus become an opportunity to find inspiration for a future creation. Likewise, she also draws her creativity from her memories. Having spent her childhood in Japan, she uses scents to return home. A dry, natural woody essence thus instinctively evokes for her the scent of a tatami mat. Finally, Julie Masse has also made her skin her primary working tool. She always admits to wearing the fragrances she is currently working on. This allows her to see how they develop but also to get feedback from those around her.

Creative at heart, Julie Masse is someone who generally works by feeling. She has a tendency to fully trust her instinct, she says. It rarely deceives her. She follows her intuition, and it rewards her well in return.