Bérénice Watteau
A perfumer shaped by art, scientific training and travel, with a particular interest in sensory contrasts.
About Bérénice Watteau
Bérénice Watteau is a French perfumer who was born in northern France and grew up in Paris in an artistic family. She recalls wanting to become a perfumer from the age of seven. Art, travel and direct experiences of nature all form part of the background to her work.
Career
Watteau studied chemistry at Pierre and Marie Curie University before studying at ISIPCA, where she graduated in 2014. She subsequently studied marketing at ESSEC. In 2018 she worked as a junior perfumer at Puig in Barcelona, then joined Firmenich in 2019. Her mentors have included Amandine Clerc-Marie, Clément Gavarry and Martin Koh. Her education therefore brought together the study of materials, practical composition and an understanding of how fragrances reach their audiences.
Creative Style & Philosophy
Travel has been important to Watteau since her teenage years, including journeys to Ethiopia, India and Myanmar. After moving to New York, surfing on Long Island became another way to experience the natural world. She is interested in contrasts within a material: Ambrox, for example, can suggest a mineral quality while also conveying warmth. Maison Matine also associates her creative outlook with surrealism, an affinity that sits alongside these concrete sensory experiences.
Signature Works
- *Arashi No Umi* — Maison Matine, 2023. A composition of fruit, flowers and musk.
- *Tu Te Calmes* — Maison Matine, 2023. Neroli and cardamom lead towards woods and musk.
