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Natalie Lorson is a star of modern perfumery, who began her career in the 1980s and has created over 400 fragrances. She became the author of Line 618 for the Omani niche perfume house Amouage and on this occasion met in Copenhagen with Ukrainian Vogue beauty editor Alyona Ponomarenko.
Natalie Lorson is one of the key figures in the modern perfume industry. She has created hundreds of fragrances and is famous for her work for YSL, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, as well as niche compositions for Le Labo (Another 13, Poivre 23, Cuir 28) and Amouage (Secret Garden, Tuberose Love, Lilac Love).
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Born in Grasse to a chemist at the Roure perfume house, Nathalie Lorson was immersed in the world of fragrances from an early age. After school, she enrolled at the prestigious Roure Bertrand Dupont (RBD) perfumery school, which later became part of Givaudan. “I grew up in the south of France, on the outskirts of Grasse,” Nathalie recalls. “In February, we would go to the mimosa fields. It's one of my most vivid memories: an incredible scent that filled everything around us.”
She doesn't like aromatic notes (lavender, rosemary), but she's fantastically skilled at working with complex gourmands. “In perfumery, it's the same principle as in cooking: you take ingredients, mix them, look for balance and texture.”
Natalie is inspired by nature, museums, dinners, travel, new raw materials, and is a skilled cook. Lorson does not use AI in her work: she says it is useful for technical tasks (crystallization, stability), but not for creativity: “AI works with what already exists. And true creativity is always something new.”
For the Omani niche perfume house Amouage, Lorson created the fragrance Line 618. Natalie spoke to Ukrainian Vogue about the creative process, challenges, modern perception of fragrances, and her own relationship with perfumes.
On how the perception of ingredients has changed over the last 10 years
People are visually overloaded and want stronger impressions, and they have also become better at understanding notes. It's like olives: you don't like them as a child, then you love them. So both the tastes and the concentration of perfumes change.
So perfumers work with ingredients in a completely different way than they did 10 years ago. Some ingredients that we used in minimal doses before are now used much more actively. It's all the influence of the “niche” and the Middle East. For example, before I wouldn't have used as much leather as I do today. And I wouldn't have been so generous with incense. Today, in Line 618, incense is not a nuance, but the main character, and the leather adds tactility to it.
About gourmet flavors
Perfumes should be enjoyable, just like food. But “addictiveness” is not only about gourmandism: leather and musk are also very addictive. So, 618 Amouage is far from giving the impression of a dessert – rather a new type of gourmand fragrance, where the milky effect gives a feeling of roundness and comfort.
Perfumes should give pleasant emotions: people today really need something life-affirming.
About the “golden ratio” in perfumes
618 is an abbreviation for the number 1.618, known as the golden ratio — a harmonious proportion that is often found in art, design, and nature (seashells, fern spirals) and is perceived as perfectly balanced to the eye. In the context of fragrance, this number works as a metaphor: the composition is built so that each note flows into the next, creating a holistic and harmonious experience.
I tried to convey this idea in the structure of the fragrance: to reveal it gradually, over time. First, incense and pepper. Then, a creamy, fruity part: plum, cocoa. Then, powdery flowers. And then, leather, dark wood, amber. This is a structure that you discover layer by layer, like the passage of time.
About stability and train
For me, perfume is first and foremost about myself. I wear a fragrance to make me feel good. And the “milky” effect gives softness, comfort, a sense of security. And the incense adds spirituality. Together, it creates a calm, balanced state.
618 Amouage lasts incredibly long on the skin. For me, it's like protective armor, like a sweater that's comfortable to wear. But at the same time, it's a fragrance with character: a person enters a room and is noticed. However, it's not about distance – on the contrary, the fragrance is friendly, open, created for interaction.