Marine Mercé grew up in Rambouillet, a charming community near Paris. She remembers her very first forays into the forest, in search of the town’s emblematic lily of the valley. She experienced her first olfactory thrills in contact with this “silent” flower, as it is known in perfumery - “not so silent when it’s in a bouquet at the family kitchen”, she tells us. Thriving between the tranquility of the countryside and the hustle and bustle of the city, Marine grew up in an eclectic world, which instilled a taste for contrasts in her: sometimes whimsical, dreaming of a life of spectacle and magic, and sometimes in communion with the authentic nature of the countryside and its scent of hay. In college, captivated by the mesmerizing scent of a teacher, she began to explore perfumery in search of that unique fragrance. She became convinced that “a person’s scent gives them their aura,’ – and her vocation was born.

Passionate about the performing arts, Marine is an instinctive artist who loves to experiment. Singing, acting and dancing allow her to express her emotions. She even became a magician with her mother, for a time, taking pleasure in bringing a moment of illusion and lightness to her audience. This practice shares a sense of mystery and intangibility with perfumery, motivating Marine to seek out its secrets. Her mantra, to establish a deep connection with invisible emotions: “Perfume is a companion, in our greatness as in our failures."

Her educational background is marked by determination and resilience. After completing a DUT in Chemistry, she enrolled at ISIPCA in 2012. Resolute in her professional goals, she began training as a perfumer in small companies, notably in the Netherlands, before joining the fine fragrance perfumery school at dsm-firmenich in 2019. First training in London with Master Perfumer Martin Koh, she then moved to New York to discover American perfumery, alongside Gabriela Chelariu, before continuing her apprenticeship in Paris under the mentorship of Marie Salamagne and Bruno Jovanovic.

Guided by her childlike soul, Marine infuses her quest for wonder and the experiences of her personal life into her creations. The birth of her daughter, “her greatest achievement”, she confides, profoundly transformed her. It is when she is in her arms that she finds comfort and her source of inspiration.

Always on the lookout for new discoveries, she sharpens her imagination through everything that surrounds her, from her travels to the little pleasures of everyday life.