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Jérôme Epinette Probably Made Your Favorite Gourmand—Here's What He's Spritzing

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Published on May 22, 2026 10:48AM

Courtesy / Byrdie

Fragrance Wardrobe

Your perfume isn’t just how you smell—it’s how you feel when you get dressed in the morning, for a night out, for a boardroom meeting. It's just as much of an accessory to how you present yourself to the world as your clothing (and let's not forget its close ties to memory and emotion). With that in mind, we’re launching Fragrance Wardrobe, a new scent series in collaboration with The Fragrance Foundation that highlights the rotating perfume “wardrobes” of our favorite tastemakers through key points in their life. Get to know them better via the scents they choose to wear.

Take a good look at your perfume collection: Do you know the nose behind each scent? If you own any perfumes from Byredo, Sol de Janeiro, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Noyz, or even Zara, chances are they were created by Jérôme Epinette.

Epinette has become one of the most sought-after perfumers in the industry for his category-bending creations. Amouage recently tapped him to craft Love Hibiscus, the luxury house’s first gourmand. The scent blurs the line of what you think a gourmand should smell like by blending rich, silky caramel with tart, luminous hibiscus. “I wanted to create something different for Amouage,” Epinette tells Byrdie. “My vision was something that is more decadent, gourmand, and addictive, even in the floral category, while still keeping the Amouage DNA with incense, papyrus, and woody notes.”

Although Epinette has crafted hundreds of olfactive masterpieces, he wants every one of his creations to evoke feelings of happiness from the first sniff. “There’s so much energy and emotion in fragrance,” he says. Ahead, he shares the meaningful moments that led him to pursue a career in the fragrance industry, where he draws inspiration from, and the scents that shaped his life.

The First Fragrance He Ever Wore

“Fun fact: My mom owned perfume stores. I basically had access to every scent imaginable. My earliest memories are of smelling hundreds of fragrances in the store. When I wore perfume, it was always gourmand. I’d wear something vanilla and sugary because it made me comfortable and happy.”

The Scents That Inspired Him to Become a Perfumer

“My mom would alternate between Guerlain Jicky and Dior Poison—big, spicy, woody fragrances. They’re powerful. Even when she worked in the perfume store, those two were her signature scents. My dad wore Guerlain Habit Rouge, and I remember smelling that from the time I was five years old.

My mom was so passionate about fragrance. She helped me realize the power behind fragrance and the emotions they can evoke. I’d watch her selling perfumes in the store and was amazed by how, with just a spray, people would say ‘oh, this reminds me of so-and-so,’ and they’d smile. I found it very interesting to see how peoples’ moods could change just by smelling something on a blotter. That’s when I realized I wanted to become a perfumer, because there is so much power and emotion behind scent.”

His Favorite Types of Perfumes to Create

“I'm obsessed with gourmands. It has been my signature since I started working in this industry. The addictiveness that gourmand notes can bring is really what makes me feel happy about a fragrance. It's what makes people come back to that fragrance. But, of course, I like to be a little disruptive by combining scent categories.”

The Fragrances He's Most Proud Of

“First, Byredo Bal d’Afrique. This is a very woody, addictive fragrance that’s a little citrusy and luminous. This one started a niche trend almost 20 years ago. It had a slow start, but people started to realize how comforting and cocooning it feels.

10 years later, I created Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62—the Bum Bum Cream. This scent pushed the addictive factor. It’s gourmand yet sophisticated, and I think it defined a new era not only for the gourmand category, but also body mists. The third is Amouage Love Hibiscus because it’s extremely gourmand, but done with the Amouage DNA. The quality, along with the ingredients—the incense, papyrus, and amber—make this perfume unique. All three are good, but they’re all special in their own ways.”

On the Inspiration Behind Love Hibiscus

“We had this idea of using uncommon flowers, and there was nothing on the market highlighting hibiscus. Over the years I've focused on roses and jasmine, and how to make them different. But there are flowers that are under-the-radar, like hibiscus. The hibiscus flower has a specific scent that smells a little like rhubarb, tea, and plum, so we used that as inspiration. We also wanted to pay homage to Oman. At the Amouage offices there’s a huge hibiscus bush, and when it blooms it’s a very vivid color that’s intense and rich. There’s a lot of texture in the flower.

We layered hibiscus with this creamy, enveloping, and addictive background, but with a little juiciness, too. Pink pepper gives it some luminosity, and you also get a touch of fruitiness from passionfruit. It’s lively, fun, and very complex. There's a lot of color in the fragrance.”

The Last Thing That Inspired Him to Create a Fragrance

“Everything is a source of inspiration for me. I’m working on something with cardamom and milky/lactonic notes because I was eating Indian food. I always go back to what I prefer most, which are those gourmand ingredients.”

The Fragrance That Brings Him Comfort

“The natural scent I made for myself—it’s musky, citrusy, and floral. It’s quiet, not overly strong, and just for me.”

The Note That Makes Him Feel Powerful

“Papyrus: It’s a woody, earthy nut similar to vetiver, almost like a cross between vetiver and patchouli. To me it’s dark, rich, and smoky.”

The Perfume He Loves to Gift

“Mugler Angel. I was obsessed with this when it debuted 30 years ago. I thought it was amazing, and I gifted it to many girlfriends.”

The Scent That Helps Him Relax

“The home fragrance I created for myself. It’s in the woody category, but it’s not just one ingredient. It creates an environment where I feel safe, and it makes me relax as soon as I open the door.”

The Perfume He Associates With This Time in His Life

“I feel confident about the future. I just had a baby, so I’m very optimistic. When I think of positivity, citruses—like bergamot and lemon—come to mind. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue is beautiful, energetic, positive, and luminous. Smelling it will remind me of this time.”