Interview by Lili Panagoulia. Issue 3 – Summer 2022!
M. Nbhan Lutfi is an intuitive Mechanical Engineer and perfumer. He graduated from the University of Aleppo in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
He also received the degree of Honorary Doctorate from her Highness Shikha Nawal Al – Sabah, President of the International Fedtarion of Arab Intellectuals, in recognition of his effective contribution to serving humanity and his pioneering role in spreading fine literature and the values of love and international peace.
He worked as a managing partner at MOHD Lutfi Perfumes L.L.C. His company established new name brands and products. He was invited to be a program presenter in one of the most prestigious Dubai Fashion Shows. Since then, he has honed his skills as an event host!
Issue 3 – Summer 2022
Your CV says that you’ re an engineer. Have you ever practiced as an engineer?
M.NL: Yes, I studied mechanical engineering and worked as a production manager in Shadule Manufacturing Company for 7 years. This company is one of the main manufacturers and suppliers of bathtubs and message systems in the local and GCC markets.
What made you leave engineering and become involved in perfumery, something so different? What was your motivation?
M.NL: I liked to work in my family business because perfumes are my blood. I like this job and I feel that fragrances are like the air I breathe.
Do you remember the first scent you created? What was your inspiration? What is the story behind some of your creations?
M.NL: It was in 2002. I added oud oil to French juice. The result was very good. The first name of this perfume was Live Woman and Live Man. The names of the new addition were Live Woman with Dehn Al Oud and Live Man with Dehn Al Oud. It was a beautiful idea. I had success in selling it.
Are there cheap and expensive scents? What does the price depend on?
M.NL: The price depends on quality. We use natural ingredients and make long-lasting perfume. Our packing crystal bottles have high quality and beautiful designs. All these aspects make prices different. If you look for a good thing, you need to pay more. But in the end, you get a beautiful and unique thing. Our main words: we are not alone in the market, but we do our work on a perfect day.
Which scent does a woman in Dubai prefer and which a European? Do they have a similar tastes?
M.NL: If you asked me this question five years or ten years from now, I would say women would prefer strong Middle Eastern Scents like Oud, frankincense, and fragrances of high oil concentration such as perfume. But today. UAE’s International Market incorporates hundreds of nationalities from Europe and the USA. Women from Europe and USA would prefer more light scents. According to their culture, a fragrance of high oil concentration is considered an annoying scent to the majority of European women. To finalize, to be successful, you have to expand yourself in the UAE market as per demand and you have to be diversified. You have to create light scents. strong scents, and exotic scents because we are dealing with an international market.
We have been taught to combine the notion of perfumery with luxury and beauty. When we think of perfume we think of fruits, flowers, plants, petals etc… The last product of a perfume company has smashed these prototypes and shocked us by launching a scent made of trash. The name clearly indicates its strange materials, have you ever tried to create anything similar? If not, would you ever attempt to made an expensive scent out of trash as a material? If so, how is this possible?
M.NL: I would not consider producing fragrances out of trash materials because according to all brands that I have created I was selective with my options of choosing the best ingredients possible such as the fragrance oil which I imported from exclusive European manufactories known for producing high- quality fragrance material (ingredients, oils But again, to answer your question, I would say people would make an exotic scent by thinking of the scent they have smelt out of trash. So, they wanted to create an esotic scent. As we know, some fragrances are classified as exotic classic, sweet, strong, etc.
I have read that in order to chose the appropriate scent for somebody you first need to take into consideration his personality, is this true? If so for the little that you know me, which of the scents in your collection would you recommend for me and why?
M.NL: Of course. We have to agree that we are individuals. Each individual is independent in his lifestyle, preferences, and options. Some people would prefer strong projection perfumes because they want to combine the strong scent with their personality to reflect confidence and to create a sort of complementary image. But to answer the question, As I have known you, I would recommend my perfume de Concorde to you. It is an amazing perfume when you smell it you realize that you live in a beautiful world and feel the glory.
Is anything new in the works at the moment? A new scent maybe?
M.NL: Currently, I have added two new fragrances to my collection, inspired by this year’s fashion. The first one is the Secret Code from the new tobacco direction and the second is the Cold Code which is made from the oriental direction. Speaking of tobacco, it is a scent with many lovers. So, when you visit stores and ask them for their best seller fragrances, most likely, it will be fragrances that carry tobacco or that have oriental direction. So as a perfumer, I always find a way to add my intuitive knowledge to fragrances and create scents out of people’s preferences, and scents that would carry a different idea.