I have nothing against commercial products, perfume is the best invisible garment, and it’s fantastic if it works. But look at the department stores with perfume corners: how are you going to choose? There’s no respect. If we had more conscious human beings who look for a specific smell that fits their personality, we would have a completely different display of those kinds of products. I don’t like everyone walking down the street smelling like Chanel No.5.

— Sissel Tolaas, quoted in Meadham Kirchhoff vs Sissel Tolaas at Dazed Digital.

As soon as a smell comes along we are covering it up. Whether it comes from the body, the neighbourhood, we cover it up. We clean the floor with products that smell of granny smiths. We don’t have the chance to discover our own body smell. I think you should find out first, before you decide to cover it up. I think certain smells are there for a purpose, for the information they gave you.

— Sissel Tolaas talks to Tony Marcus; read more at the Aesop Register.

I give these companies access to my lab so they can get to know individual smells and see things in a different way. It’s a shame we’re obsessed with an industry where you really pay for the bottle and campaign rather than what is inside it. We could start with understanding what’s in the bottle first, demanding better quality and different smells. Who needs a new Lady Gaga perfume?

— Sissel Tolaas, quoted in Sissel Tolaas: The Smell Artist at Slow Travel Berlin. You can also read more at Alyssa's Sissel Tolaas, scent artist ~ out of the bottle.