Esneda Vela

Esneda went on to study Chemistry at University, with a focus on analytical work. During the final year, Esneda focused further on perfumery and aromas where she discovered GCMS and the analytical world of fragrance. Following this Esneda has the chance to study at Grasse Institute of Perfumery where she spent two years learning about raw materials and extraction methods.

On returning to Colombia in 2008, Esneda joined CPL Aromas in the marketing department, later moving to the sales department where she learnt about the business from the customer point of view. After 2 years in this role, Esneda became the technical manager and led compounding, quality control and the evaluation departments for 5 years before settling as a perfumer, where she has continued to learn every day for the past 7 years.

When it comes to perfumery Esneda enjoys discussing projects with customers to better understand what they are looking for and then translating that into a scent. Feeling proud and happy when she sees a product on a shelf that tells a story, brings back great memories of working on the fragrance.

Vetiver is Esneda’s favourite ingredient to use due to its smoky woody note, saying that with just a touch of the ingredient you can see an effect in a fragrance.

For Esneda sustainability is the present and the future “it is part of our commitment with the planet and CPL promotes it, not just in the fragrances we create but, in the culture, it is part of our DNA now.” With that in mind Esneda believes the future of fragrance will be customisation, transparency, and sustainability.

Outside of perfumery Esneda enjoys travelling and discovering new cultures, always trying new food and ignite her imagination on how she could recreate the scent in a fragrance.