I began my perfumery training with a company in Holland which is now part of Givaudan (one of the top perfumery companies), after studying Chemistry at Oxford University. Becoming a classically-trained perfumer involves a basic training which takes at least three years.

In this time I learned to recognise over 2,000 ingredients – committing them to memory and being ‘blind tested’ every day. It takes up to five years to become a moderately competent perfumer, and up to 10 to become a capable perfumer.

— UK-based perfumer Ruth Mastenbroek, in My Odd Job: As a perfumer I want to translate emotions into smells at Metro.