A major contributor to the perfume industry with over one billion US dollars worth in perfumes sold annually, Ann Gottlieb has exceptional creative marketing skills that rate her among the top perfumers worldwide. The secret behind her great success hides in her flair for trade that helps her create masterpiece perfumes appealing to almost anyone regardless of their age, location or market preferences.

Ann Gottlieb’s career started at Revlon, but it was her next position in Estée Lauder that shaped her as a perfumer. There is where she became genuinely interested in perfumes and just knew it was her vocation to be a perfumer. Here’s what she recalls from this period, “I was working at [Estée] Lauder and didn’t have any knowledge that I had a terrific sense of smell. I met Estée Lauder and she became a mentor to me. The way that she worked is that she would give fragrances out to everybody to smell and get their opinion. She would ask me, and continued to ask me more and more; I guess I answered her in a way that was helpful to her and honest. So, she brought me into her development world and it was there that I learned that I had something special.”

With a great mentor like Mrs. Estée Lauder herself teaching her the art, science, and business of fragrance it is no wonder than in less than 7 years she was already well-prepared for a promising career in the perfume industry. After her Estée Lauder work experience, she became the head of product development for Elizabeth Arden and Warner Cosmetics (Ralph Lauren Fragrances). A few other job positions followed, including work on several fragrances for Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret and Axe body spray collections.

In 1983, she felt confident enough in her professional skills in the perfume industry that she made a major turn in her career and established her own company, Ann Gottlieb Associates.

With 25 years of experience, she is today one of the most wanted perfume strategists, offering her clients inspiring strategies for the development of bestselling brand-driven fragrances.

Her deep understanding of global brands together with her insight into different cultural behaviors and tastes and her natural olfactive talent are a proven recipe for success. Her work at Ann Gottlieb Associates is a complex mix of talent, motivational instructions, a collaboration between designers and perfume houses, and marketing expertise.

A typical workday starts rather early for Ann Gottlieb – she wakes up at 5:15 every morning as she believes her nose is most sensitive in the early hours of the day. It is not uncommon for her to wear a scent overnight to test its longevity and she makes her judgments the next morning. When she is planning on meeting with friends, she often wears a perfume she has been working on as she avails of the feedback she gets from what scent she is wearing, but, when meeting with a potential client or a fellow perfumer, she prefers to wear fragrances that have already been launched on the market.

“[…] My average day consists of going to the [oil] houses, working on different projects, then presenting them or having different prep meetings with the clients. I do a lot of walking around to see what’s happening in the stores. It’s very helpful to know what is on promotion and how it’s being promoted. […] So, meeting with a celebrity or designer is often part of the day.”

Her professionalism has guided her through her career, attracting some of the most prestigious perfume brands. She has created extremely successful perfumes for AXE, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Dior, Carolina Herrera, Elizabeth Arden, and Caress among others.

A true recognition of both her talent as a perfumer and her professionalism as a sales and marketing expert in the perfume industry are the numerous prizes she has received:

• CEW Achiever Award (2002) – awarded for her contribution to the fragrance industry by Cosmetic Executive Women.
• Living Legend Award (2004) – awarded for her innovative contribution to the fragrance industry by The American Society of Perfumers.
• Circle of Champions Award (2006) – awarded for her notable and unique impact on the fragrance industry by The Fragrance Foundation.

A leading global fragrance consultant, Ann Gottlieb is well aware of the steps that lead to the development of a successful fragrance. Here’s her secret, “The concept is the first one, because — especially for me, someone who is very strategic in the way I smell — I need to know, roughly, what this concept is about: Whether it’s going to be about the rain forest, and fresh and green and lush or whether it’s going to be about some sexy and wonderful “getting-the-girl” issue. All of those kinds of things are vital to me when I start. I also need to know what is in the portfolio already, plus what’s going on in the fine fragrance market.”

Considering herself “an artist with a business nostril”, she firmly believes in keeping in mind what sells when creating a fragrance. Here’s how she explains it, “Creating a fragrance that is captivating, memorable and absolutely unique is a big part of the challenge. The goal, however, is nothing less than delivering a scent that is a total translation of a company, brand or individual.”

Some of Ann Gottlieb’s perfumes you will find in our online shop:

Calvin Klein Downtown EDP for women

Calvin Klein Eternity Now EDP for women

Calvin Klein Euphoria EDT for men

Calvin Klein Euphoria EDP for women

Calvin Klein Reveal Men EDT for men

Calvin Klein CK Be EDT for men and women

Carolina Herrera 212 EDT for men

Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue EDP for women

Marc Jacobs Dot EDP for women

Marc Jacobs Daisy EDT for women

Marc Jacobs Honey EDP for women

Marc Jacobs Lola EDP for women

Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! EDP for women

Some other famous perfumes she has worked on include:

Calvin Klein Obsession
Calvin Klein Secret Obsession for Women
Colors de Benetton Men
Carolina Herrera 212 Silver Edition
Sarah Jessica Parker Covet
Elizabeth Arden –Arden Beauty Proactive, Forever Elizabeth
Christian Dior J’Adore

Do you have a favorite perfume, created by Ann Gottlieb?