Traditionally, the path to becoming a perfumer has been relatively narrow, as Ashley Santiago was lucky enough to learn early on. She began reading perfume blogs as a teen and in college, got a job at Ministry of Scent, a fragrance boutique in San Francisco. There, she met perfumers who encouraged her to get a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, often a prerequisite to pursue a master’s in perfumery.

Santiago took their advice and, after graduating from San Francisco State University in 2016, embarked on her master’s in France, home to the holy trinity of perfume schools: ISIPCA (where Santiago went), École Supérieure du Parfum et de la Cosmétique, and Grasse Institute of Perfumery. These institutions “feed” graduates into the world’s seven major fragrance houses — Givaudan, DSM-Firmenich, International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), Mane, Robertet, Takasago, and Symrise — which are responsible for creating the scent and flavor of virtually everything you consume, from cleaning supplies to energy drinks to luxury perfume.

— Read more in Next-Gen Noses: The Indie Perfumers Shaking Up Scent at High Snobiety.

Undeniably, their perfumes are made and sold in a manner far different from a fragrance you might pick out at a department store or at Sephora.

Ffern, which Mr. Mears started in 2016, is a subscription service. A space on the ledger, as it’s called, costs $129 per season and signifies that you want a bottle from the next batch. From then on, you’ll get a new scent four times a year, as the seasons change.

— Read more in Would You Buy a Perfume You Had Never Smelled? at The New York Times.