What kind of fragrance does a perfumer make for herself? When someone has smelled through the full range of olfactory materials and has the skill to compose something personal, what is it? In the case of Mandy Aftel of Aftelier Perfumes, it’s a dense, sophisticated floral oriental built on real ambergris, a perfume she calls “the most extravagant in my collection.” Fittingly, she named it Parfum Privé.
A few years ago I saw Aftel speak in New York City. Her casual, down-to-earth appearance set her apart from many of the high-heeled, artfully coiffed perfume industry women I’d soon meet at the Fifi semi-finalists’ awards breakfast. She was friendly but not pandering, and smart but not pretentious. My impression was she had nothing to prove, but was happy to share her love of natural perfumery if you were interested enough to listen.
Aftel said her route to becoming a perfumer wasn’t straightforward…
