Stéphane Bengana
A French perfumer whose work brings together French composition and extensive experience of Middle Eastern fragrance culture.
France
About Stéphane Bengana
A French perfumer from Clermont-Ferrand, known for bridging French and Middle Eastern perfumery. His work blends oriental notes with French structure, reflecting his deep immersion in Arabic fragrance culture.
Career
After earning a master's degree in chemistry, he studied perfumery at ISIPCA and began his career in Paris with Haarmann & Reimer. He then moved to Grasse to join Payan Bertrand, where he developed expertise in natural ingredients. Later, as Senior Perfumer at CPL Aromas in Dubai, he spent nine years, including three as Perfumery Director.
Creative Style & Philosophy
Bengana favors spices, oud, and amber, shaping them into refined French compositions. He describes a close affinity with Arabic perfumery, developed through years of living and working in the Middle East. This relationship informs the meeting of materials and compositional traditions in his work.
His move to Dubai followed fourteen years of work in France. Living in a different fragrance culture became a substantial part of his professional development, alongside the grounding in natural materials acquired in Grasse. He approaches Arabic perfumery as a field of lasting personal interest as well as technical knowledge.
Signature Works
- *Minuit et Demi* — a sensual gourmand woody with cardamom, coffee, and caramel.
- *Adamas* — co-created in 2012 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.