A native Parisian, Grégoire Balleydier has always had an urban city soul. Yet, the call of the great outdoors often knocks at his door. As a child, he spent his summers in Northern Provence, the idyllic home of Jean Giono, one of his favorite French authors, where the sun, olive groves, and fragrant wild marquis stirred his early fascination with scent. At the age of 15, during an internship at a fragrance house, Grégoire’s path became clear: he would become a perfumer.

In 2011, he began his journey, starting with studying Chemistry at the University of Versailles, and in 2013, entering the École Supérieure du Parfum (ESP). After earning his master’s degree in 2018, Grégoire spent a year at Argeville, near Grasse, working as a junior technical perfumer. This passionate individual then joined the dsm-firmenich team in Paris, where he started his training as a Perfumer, under the mentorship of Master Perfumer Nathalie Lorson.

Two years later, he moved to London to further refine his skills with another Master Perfumer, Martin Koh. His journey then led him to New York, where Grégoire further immersed himself in the demanding profession of perfumery, alongside Principal Perfumer Frank Voelkl.

A keen observer and highly imaginative, Grégoire is also an avid photography enthusiast. Through the lens, he captures fleeting moments, translating his creativity into images, which he cultivates as much by capturing stolen moments with his digital camera as by visiting the most beautiful photo exhibitions in Paris.

In 2017, his journey took a significative turn when he embarked on an internship for several months in Chennai, India – a true garden of perfumes. There, he discovered fields of jasmine and tuberose, experiencing an unforgettable “olfactory shock”. Later, in Madagascar, he explored some of the finest raw materials, such as pepper, ylang-ylang, and vanilla. “Being there changed everything. Now, when I sit at my office and blend these ingredients into a formula, I immediately think of the farmers who grow these extraordinary materials,” he reflects.

Today, Grégoire continues his journey in Paris, working as a fine fragrance perfumer at dsm-firmenich, a field that offers endless possibilities for creativity and exploration, allowing him to keep expanding his olfactory horizons