Vanilla Sky

Karen Alfonso speaks to master perfumers ahead of the launch of YSL's Libre Vanille Couture

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YSL's Libre fragrances have topped bestseller lists forever and it's easy to see why. Each of them is sexy, alluring, and sensual. Ahead of the launch of Libre Vanille Couture, the line's most captivating fragrance yet, we asked famed 'noses' Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaim what it took to create this perfume.

Edited excerpts from an interview

How did you get into the world of perfume?

Anne Flipo (AF): I grew up in northern France, surrounded by the scents of my family's garden and my father's sugar factory. My first olfactive shock was as a teenager, smelling orange blossom in a friend’s garden. It's been my favourite flower ever since. I didn’t come from a perfumer’s family, but my artistic and scientific sensibilities led me to ISIPCA, the French school for perfumery. My journey was natural, guided by intuition and a love for beautiful things.