Fragrance consultant Ann Gottlieb, the most in-demand nose in the industry, is the force behind some of the world’s best-known scents. Her secret to success comes not just from olfactive talent, but the ability to translate the language of a fashion house or global brand into one that an essential oil house can understand. Here, why Ann is in such demand:


1. Her scents sell.


Ann’s repertoire spans prestige—she created Calvin Klein Obsession, J’Adore by Christian Dior and Daisy by Marc Jacobs—to mass, with scents for Axe deodorant, Dove body bar and Vaseline. She’s also taken on scents at specialty retailers, including Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works.




2. Ann is nimble.


As a result of market demands, fragrance development is now expected in mere months, as opposed to years. Gottlieb’s creative process, which meshes cultural behaviors, tastes and an olfactive understanding of global brands, allows her to deliver the goods by deadline.




3. A sixth sense for scent.


Gottlieb’s sense of smell has taken years to fine tune. Now, her knack for matching a fragrance with a target audience is practically second nature. “To some degree, refining your sense of smell is no different than building a muscle by lifting weights in a gym. You have a basic talent and then you improve it.”




4. She translates images into scent.


“Clients come to me with general concepts or images that they want turned into actual products. That’s where consultants like me come in. I have to know the company and the brand for which I am creating. If it’s a designer, I need to understand what he or she is about and represents.”




5. She learned from the best.


Ann took an unconventional route to beauty, starting out as an accountant, hating it, and then landing a sales role at Revlon. Ann moved on to Estée Lauder where she learned “the art, science and business of fragrance” directly from mentor Mrs. Estée Lauder. In 1983, Ann founded her own firm, Ann Gottlieb Associates.