Who: Francis Kurkdjian, multi tasking perfumer. Francis is the wonder-boy of perfume currently, not only is he busy opening stores all over the globe with his own brand Maison Francis Kurkdjian, he’s also the nose behind many a designer’s perfume (My Burberry being his latest hit). We grabbed him after the press launch of Baccarat Rouge 540, celebrating Baccarat’s 250th birthday.

Today I’m wearing nothing, I never wear perfume. Well no, let me re phrase that, I wear the fragrance I’m working on, so I constantly wear perfumes, but if I’m on my own and for my own pleasure, I don’t wear perfume. Not any more.

I use Nivea cream on myself everyday, the one in the traditional blue metal pot, because its scent goes away very quickly, They did a mens one but it was terrible, the smell lasted too long and was too much. But the old-fashioned looking blue tin – not the tube as it’s not the same texture- is good. I carry a small pot with me all the time and use it as an ‘all over’ cream.

I’ve just finished my newest fragrance, Baccarat Rouge 540 and maybe for the first time ever in my life as a perfumer, I’ve made a fragrance that truly blooms on skin.

To me its a scent that has its parallel with clothing in that it really lives when it is on skin. In the same way you look at a piece of clothing on the hangar and it doesn’t look anything until you put it on your skin, this perfume truly is like that.

Baccarat Rouge 540 is not available until mid January 2016, below are some suggestions to keep you going until then.