Prestige issue 291, July-Aug-Sept. 2018
By creating the gift perfume «Nehmé & Sharon» to the guests invited to her wedding, Sharon Tamer Khawli created an unprecedented gift in Lebanon. Mixing the fresh and light scents of Occident to the heavier notes of Orient, the fragrance seduced the guests, all ages and cultures mingled. With the enormous success encountered, Sharon realized the same essence at the birth of her son Elias. The orders flow. With a BS in Business Administration from AUB and another BA in law from the Lebanese university, Sharon is at the head of the «Chemical Division» at Tamer Frères, agents of the Swiss Maison Firmenich, first worldwide creator of fragrances. Today, for the birth of Alexander, Sharon created a new customized perfume. A combination of scents? A passion for a field? «Now I want to create olfactory emotions and memories for each occasion», confirms Sharon to Prestige.
Sharon Tamer Khawli. © Archives Sharon Tamer Khawli.
«A personalized fragrance creates emotions, memories»
You offered on the occasion of your wedding a personalized perfume… I created this perfume, but my mother Dr Joumana Tamer gave me the idea. I created its olfactory description, based on a new oriental trend with musk, amber and oud. These notes were previously exclusive to the orient, today they are prized by Orientals and Occidentals. The challenge was enormous. I wanted to create a perfume at the same time light and oriental, also unisex, to the taste of all guests, a scent able to gather and please all Lebanon as well as foreigners present to the wedding, all ages and cultures combined. A fragrance that attracts by its freshness, but at the same time that remains for a long time.
Which essences did you choose? In the pyramid of notes, there are the first notes, light and volatiles, such as bergamot, lemon and little grain, to begin with. Then, neroli and orange flowers, the middle notes, for the sensation of freshness. Then the heavy notes, such as musk, amber, oud and cedar wood, that perfume the person. These heavy notes are suitable for Orientals because they remain for twelve hours.
How did you come to the world of fragrances? I preside, since 2012, the Chemical Division at Tamer Frères. We are agents of the Swiss Maison Firmenich, first house worldwide in terms of fragrances. We create in partnership with Firmenich customized scents for all the Lebanese industries of soap, cosmetics, this last branch was my preferred. We also provide consultancy for the customers through «technical support» and a study of the product. Having followed a training in 2012 at Firmenich in Geneva, I learned to elaborate a perfume, to develop it. Nowadays I create with my sister Joan, perfumes full of emotions and memories for individuals, companies with the last one elaborated especially for an event organized by the Fouad and May Makhzoumi Foundation.
The perfume Nehmé & Sharon in some words… It’s «the most beautiful perfume». It touched the heart of over 1500 persons that used it. A long bottle of 100 ml, that has style like the bride. The success encountered by the perfume stimulated me to repeat the experience at the birth of my son Elias. Only the packaging changed. With this fragrance too, the success encountered pushed me to innovate, for the birth of my second son Alexander, in the shape and in the composition.
Why? I wanted to create a stronger perfume, more oriental but unisex. A luminous perfume, radiant, like the colors of the sun, with first notes such as saffron, magnolia and bergamot. In the middle, leather, incense and myrrh. Amber, cashmere and musk as heavy notes.
What is the actual trend in terms of scents? They are more and more oriental. Amber, musk and oud diluted by lighter notes.
What are the keys of success of a perfume? An olfactory nose. The choice of the scents to be used. A good perfumer must master the selection to make the right dosage before mixing the ingredients. The packaging also is a factor of success. The bottle, the cap are important details such as the scent to seduce the customers. Interview Conducted by Mireille Bouabjian
