Pegasus, Apprentice Perfumer Arielle Le Beau

Pegasus 

(An Austria-inspired scent.)

There stood a white horse in a cobblestone square in Vienna. Majestic and divine, a grace portrayed with Bergamot, Pink Pepper, and Chamomile. The sky was gray, the air was sweet with Hay and Apricot, and the gothic architecture of St. Stephan’s Cathedral loomed overhead, painting base notes of Elderflower, Labdanum, and Ancient Resins. 

• Top: Italian Bergamot, Pink Peppercorn, Dried Apricot;  
• Middle: Chamomile Tea, Rose Petal, Violet Leaf; 
• Bottom: Elderflower, Australian Sandalwood, Labdanum.

Arielle Le Beau

How did you find out about the fragrance industry?

Having a dad that works at Estee Lauder, fragrance and cosmetics have been a part of my life since I was a kid. I grew up loving the industry. I started my career as a Cosmetic Chemist but was always more intrigued by fragrance, so I decided to follow my passion! 

What made you want to be a perfumer? 

It was when I worked in evaluation at IFF that I realized Perfumery is where I truly belonged. Creating a fragrance was so fascinating to me- in a way to evoke emotions, bring back memories, calm or excite someone… I enjoyed learning raw materials and how to formulate with them, I love the combination of science and art which is something I missed when I was an evaluator.  

What are some of your favorite and least favorite scents? 

There are so many that I love, it’s hard to choose favorites - but to name a few: salty ocean air, honeysuckles, petrichor, earth, fresh baked cookies, suede, and violet candy… really anything nostalgic. Least favorite would probably be anything too sticky sweet or over-ripe fruit.  

What are the hardest obstacles you have found when working in perfumery?

When I’m asked to convert a musky synthetic fragrance to natural, and the customer has very high expectations!

Educating customers on the difference between synthetic and natural, and how our raw material palette shrinks from 3,000 to 300, there are certain musky or watery notes that we just can’t do naturally.

Also, the ever-changing world of regulatory is an obstacle in itself!

- - -

Mentor: Christian Buccellato

Christian is the Vice President and perfumer of Custom Essence. He is a perfumer with over 25 years of experience in understanding and meeting the fragrance needs of our customers. In addition to perfumery, Chris is responsible for directing sales strategy and overseeing sample production. Chris has a BS from Penn State University in Marketing and Business.