Carlos Benaïm | Perfumer

Engineering curiosity, mentorship and a remarkable range of work

Carlos Benaïm discovered fragrance materials during an engineering-school placement in Grasse. Left waiting in a perfume laboratory, he began smelling the bottles arranged around him. What started as curiosity became a professional vocation.

At IFF, he learned from Ernest Shiftan, whose knowledge of perfume history and its creators left a lasting impression. He also admired Edmond Roudnitska’s clarity of composition. His subsequent career has included major fragrances such as Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds and shared creations including Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb.

Benaïm’s collaboration with Sana Jardin provides a more intimate view of his practice. In the house’s interview, he describes perfume as the outcome of a relationship between the creator, the commissioning brand and the public. That perspective helps explain the variety of his work: the craft remains personal, but each commission asks him to understand another world and the people who will encounter the finished scent.