I have paid attention to fragrances my whole life, and I smell scents every day. Part is just gut instinct. And part is ... I really don't know. But I know how much of the raw material should be in there, I know if there needs to be a more sophisticated balance. I can almost see it. If it's a spicy fragrance, I can tell if there's too much cinnamon.

— Frederic Malle on how he knows if a scent is developing on the right track, in Whiff of haute couture fragrance in the San Francisco Chronicle.