On November 23 at 18.30 in the creative space &ldquo;ArtAmbar&rdquo; (7-1 Alksnaya St.), with the support of Vytautas Mineral SPA, a lecture &ldquo;Perfume Matrix. Myths, facts and discoveries" will take place. During the meeting with perfumer and founder of the brand of conceptual perfumery REMARC Perfume Michel Or (UK/Israel) the maestro will share the secrets of his creative cuisine and talk about the history of creating fragrances and modern niche perfumes. L&rsquo;Officiel Baltic asked Michel a few questions.

Text: Simona Shulman

Michel, we can see in your social networks that you have a lot of hobbies - you stage plays, travel, create fragrances, and conduct make up master classes. How do you identify - as a perfumer, a director, a make up creator or a businessman?
Yes, indeed, I have many hobbies. But make up is my main passion. All the other hobbies are similar to its production: you put the ingredients together, mix them, and create something useful for people. It's like a witch throwing different herbs into a cauldron to make a magic potion. This principle works equally in perfumery, in cooking, and even in the theater.

Where were you born? What did you dream of becoming as a child? Did you already decide as a child to do what you do today?
I was born in Moscow, I wanted to be a doctor, a director, a cook, but most of all I wanted to be a wizard. And when I moved to Israel almost 35 years ago, all these childhood dreams came true. Now I live in London, my clients are interesting and talented people, and when they say with enthusiasm &ldquo;Michel, you are a magician!&rdquo;, I understand that my dream has come true.
Your fragrances are dedicated to the number 7, is it your lucky number? Tell us, how you came up with the idea of creating fragrances in which the number seven is encrypted?
My mother was good at fortune telling. I am not superstitious, but I believe in several of signs and coincidences. The number 7 is magical not only for me, but, in my opinion, for everyone, for example: 7 wonders of the world, measure 7 times - cut once, 7 days of the week... In many religions and beliefs, this number brings good luck. And I, as a chemist, rather believe in mathematics, in the universal matrix, where numbers, in particular seven, play a huge role.
In which city do you feel at home? Where do you prefer to live and work?
I love different places: I consider Tel Aviv my home, I love London, where my family lives, Germany, where my children live, I am in love with Klaipeda and spend a lot of time there... And every time I find different places in the world where I would love to live.
You often visit Lithuania, what is your connection with this country?
Lithuania is love at first sight. Many of my friends, including one friend who is a priest live in Lithuania. I bought an apartment in Klaipeda and am even learning Lithuanian. There is probably some kind of connection at the genetic level between me and the Baltic states. I am amazed by the Baltic beauty, fashion, traditions of self-care, love for good scents and wonderful oases for relaxation, such as the Vytautas Mineral SPA hotel in Bir&scaron;tonas.

Does one need to be a chemist to create fragrances? What knowledge is necessary for creating unique perfumes?
To create beautiful bouquets, you don&rsquo;t have to be a professional florist, and in perfumery, you don&rsquo;t have to be a chemist to create fragrances. You need to have good taste, an unusual approach and basic knowledge about the compatibility and incompatibility of ingredients, which can be easily obtained in courses, from special literature or the Internet.
Is it possible to train your nose to distinguish between different notes and components? Is it true that &ldquo;noses&rdquo; in the perfume industry have a unique sense of smell and are very protective of it?
To be honest, I don&rsquo;t know: for me, the uniqueness of understanding a fragrance lies in the fact that the combinations that I like as a perfumer are liked by those who buy my fragrances, or at least by the majority. I don't know if my nose is unique. It&rsquo;s not for me to judge, but for my dear customers.
What are your favorite perfume brands and can you name &ndash; besides your own, of course &ndash; your favorite fragrances?
Certainly! Among my absolute favorites is Thierry Mugler, I love all his scents. Also an absolute star in my opinion, is Tom Ford - bright and modern, and I am proud when people tell me that my scents are somehow reminiscent of his work. And of course Jo Malone is among my favorites as it is a brilliantly thought out concept. And my favorite scent today, as favorites are constantly changing, is Oud For Greatness from INITIO Parfums Priv&eacute;s, a niche French perfume brand founded in 2011 by Shelley Smith.

What in your opinion distinguishes niche fragrances from the rest?
A famous perfumer was once asked why there were pieces of real gold floating in his perfume. And he replied: you know, gold in my perfume is the cheapest ingredient. A niche fragrance is, first of all, unique ingredients, and it is due to these ingredients that the aroma becomes persistent, incredible, unique.
What is the scent of happiness? What smells do you associate with happiness, love, harmony?
I think these are different combinations for everyone. Perfume is emotions in a bottle, and happiness, love, peace, prosperity smell differently for everyone. I have many different emotions, that's why I create different perfumes. I love the smell of hay on a summer day. The aroma of spices in Chinese cuisine. The smell of diesel at a gas station. And, of course, the smell of lilac if I&rsquo;m in Europe, or jasmine if I&rsquo;m in Asia. The smell of milk and chocolate, a fresh baked bun in my house. The smell of hot red wine with cloves and cinnamon by the fireplace on a winter day... Here are a few scents of my personal happiness.
The cost of attending the lecture with the opportunity to taste and purchase perfumes is 30 EUR. Sign up for the lecture - in private messages on the ArtAmbar pages on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artambar.lv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090427222442" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>, as well as by email info.artambar@gmail.com.

Remarc Perfumes
<a href="https://www.remarcperfume.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarcperfume.com</a>
@<a href="https://www.instagram.com/remarc_bymichelor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarc_bymichelor</a>
Art Ambar
@<a href="https://www.instagram.com/artambar.lv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artambar.lv</a>
Vytautas Mineral SPA
@<a href="https://www.instagram.com/vytautasmineralspa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vytautasmineralspa</a>
<a href="https://www.vytautasmineralspa.lt/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vytautasmineralspa.lt</a>

Perfumer Michel Or: “Perfume is emotions in a bottle”

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