Foundations — Course 01

Intro to fragrance.

A foundation in fragrance families, raw materials, smelling technique, and evaluation.

Format

Live online, small group

Sessions

Six · 8 hrs of instruction

Tuition

$1,505 · olfactorium included

See dates & enroll ↓

Learn to smell, properly — how the nose works, what goes into a fragrance, how it’s developed, and how to evaluate it.

The foundation course: fragrance families, raw materials, the development process from brief to bottle, and guided smelling with the Olfactorium — forty-eight vials, produced by Cinquième Sens in Paris, yours to keep. Taught by Kathryn, Tami, and Kara, who have decades of experience spanning every facet of the fragrance industry.

By the end, you’ll be able to —

Identify the major fragrance families

Smell like a professional — blotter technique, structured evaluation

Understand raw materials and where they come from

Evaluate a fragrance submission with confidence

The modules

Sharpen your smelling skills and get personal instruction from fragrance experts Kathryn, Tami, and Kara of Serendipitee NYC — the official U.S. licensee of Cinquième Sens. Learn the language, technical skills, and insider knowledge that will help you take the next step in your fragrance career — or just deepen your understanding for those who simply love perfume!

The course is broken apart into 5 learning modules (module 4 is taught broken into two sessions), and can be taken virtually over zoom or on-demand at your own pace.

perfume history and the sense of smell

Session 1 of 6 · 1 hr

perfume history and the sense of smell

Session 1 of 6 · 1 hr

perfumers and their palette

Session 2 of 6 · 1 hr

perfumers and their palette

Session 2 of 6 · 1 hr

the fragrance development process

Session 3 of 6 · 1.5 hrs

the fragrance development process

Session 3 of 6 · 1.5 hrs

perfume facets, smelling and language

Sessions 4–5 of 6 · 1.5 hrs each

perfume facets, smelling and language

Sessions 4–5 of 6 · 1.5 hrs each

smelling workshop

Session 6 of 6 · 1.5 hrs

smelling workshop

Session 6 of 6 · 1.5 hrs

The Olfactorium

Forty-eight vials. Seventeen facets. One portable perfumer’s palette.

Every student receives the Olfactorium — our smelling kit of forty-eight fragrance vials, organized around the seventeen facets of perfumery. Produced by Cinquième Sens in Paris and shipped to you from the atelier, it’s the working instrument for Modules Four and Five — and it’s yours to keep, a reference library for your nose long after the course ends.