A Nose Job By Edward Grinnan
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 Sniffing out a master parfumer.
A nose is a nose is a nose, and by any other name smells as sweet. Unless, of course, you go by the esoteric moniker Aphelion and your nostrils are insured by the British mega-conglom Lloyd's of London for a heady $5 million-hardly something to sneeze at, you might well be tempted to snort.
Aphelion, a fortysomething English sort of guru/nasal alchemist dubbed The Nose, is a master parfumeur-one of the best in the business. His job: to concoct one-of-a-kind fragrances, generally for the rich and famous (in that order)-from Princess Di to Dear Abby to the Iate Pablo Picasso. Aphelion's personalized perfume can run buyers a pungent $80,000 per liter, a price his followers gladly pay through the, er, nose.
To concoct a client's ideal aroma, Aphelion whiffs him or her out in exhaustive detail-from astrological sign to color and music preferences to handwriting, favorite foods, even IQ. Then the person sleeps with a cloth wrapped around his or her arm, which The Nose lab-tests to obtain an "odor signature"-as unique as a fingerprint, he explains.
Among his customers, women outnumber men 50 to I, about a third are American, and most (small wonder) are adults. Still, Aphelion's nostrils flare with delight at the thought of creating a scent for a typical American teenage, girl. "They smell so nice anyway," he sighs, "and they're the most beautiful girls I've ever seen-I'm not sure I'd change a thing. I'd start with apple pie, peaches and cream, soft, citrus odors, bright, innocent smells. Mandarin and lemon, for instance . . . a lovely, explorative, and inquisitive scent is what I see for a SEVENTEEN girl."
Fruit salad, in other words, but a far cry from those smells Aphelion's super sniffer simply can't suffer. "Car exhaust and cigarette smoke are odious," he fumes. Still, he keeps his proboscis primed with breakfasts of raw garlic, fresh cheese, and a slice of apple followed by a sprig of parsley. Mmm.
Aphelion's currently working on a more affordable scent for the masses (called Image), and he sees a great future in aromatherapy-using odors to affect mood. "Lavender and vanilla are excellent for beating the blues," he says. And after all, The Nose knows.
Source: Seventeen Magazine
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