"Knowledge is universal but opprotunity is not"

Here I share with you my passionate journey in the world of fragrances!!

IFF Singapore

                                          
 
So, here I go from Sri Lanka to France to Singapore. It has been an amazing experience for me so far in the world of fragrance. I cannot tell how much I miss the French culture after living and studying in France for a year! And on top of it all to be studying perfumery is nothing but a wonder. It was amazing to trip to Grasse (the birth place of French perfumery) during the end of May and we got to visit the Fragonard and Mollinard perfumeries, the facility of MANE, the creative centre of Expression Parfum and the adorable fields of May Roses, Jasmines and Tuberose!! If that’s not enough here’s a plus: we got to stay in Cannes!! The harbours full of luxury yachts, the red carpet, the beach and the setting were nothing but mind blowing! And now here I am in Singapore ready for my next adventure as a summer intern at IFF Singapore!!!

Heard of IFF? Well even though it’s hard to miss these big players in the flavour and fragrance industry I have to confess I myself didn’t know about IFF or any company of a similar role for that matter, until I was exposed to the know-hows of the industry (about 5 years ago) through the ‘magic book’ (that’s how I like to call it), “the Secret of Scent” by Luca Turin. Let me tread along the path of fragrance here, not forgetting the massive operations of these MNC’s flavour wings.

Now let’s see whether these names sounds familiar; Christian Dior, Lancome, Paco Rabanne, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Estee Lauder, Yves Saint Laurent etc. for the perfume/fashion brands to P & G, Unilever, Colgate Palmolive etc. for the consumer goods companies. Even though we know these brands, most of the fragrances behind most of these successful brands are created by significant individuals/teams called the perfumers of Flavour and Fragrance houses such as IFF. Some of the other big players in the industry are Givaudan, Firmenich, Symrise, Takasago and MANE.

I consider myself really lucky to be selected as a summer intern at IFF in Singapore in the department of fragrance. I am still in the process of learning the functions of the department and I have come to realize how important the concept of ‘fragrance’ is in one’s life. Here, the office smells so good and it is such a privilege to get to smell all the creations! With beautiful smells and beautiful smiles, happiness and success is all you can find here. But it still comes at the cost of loads of tiring hours of hard work!

I’m still just a week old here!! I have a feeling that the summer is going to fly by, but before that, need to make the best from my opportunity here and enjoy the food in Singapore!!

Ok, back to smelling now!

Melani Fernando wink
Posted by Melani Fernando on Jun 16, 2015 8:31 AM Europe/London

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