With 23 years of experience in the fragrance business, Gottlieb began with a stint at Revlon. “Judging a product by the sense most difficult to rely on is what distinguishes the perfume industry from the rest of the world,” says Gottlieb, in India for the launch of the New Axe Revolution she’s put together. Amongst the various fragrances she has developed, the popular ones are Eternity, Escape, cKone, cKbe, Dior, Elizabeth Arden, Liz Claiborne, Clinque, Clarins and Oscar de la Renta.

With Estee Lauder as her mentor, she is touted as one of the most sought after perfumers of the world. Surprisingly, most of Gottlieb’s perfumes have been created for men. “I am a fragrancer and it is about being talented, not a man or a woman. It requires years of exercise and hard work to develop this art. It wasn’t easy,” she says.

Gottlieb has also created perfumes for celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez. While personally she likes sweet, vanilla, chocolate, gourmand notes, as they are very warm, CK One is the best universal perfume, she feels.

So what distinguishes a perfume that lasts for generations, like Chanel, from one that fades with time? A complicated and often intangible alchemy of science and market research. “Natural perfumes are difficult to work on. The crops aren’t consistent and the fragrance varies each time. Synthetic fragrances are stable and provide a consistent aroma each time. They are extremely popular and at times, better than the natural ones.” The climate, too, determines your choice of perfumes. “In colder climate, one uses heavier fragrances, but here, lighter and fresher fragrances like sandal and jasmine are preferred.”

India is still at a nascent stage when it comes to fragrances. “The Indian fragrance market still views perfumes as a luxury. However, one could look at Axe or Rexona or a Dove and an Old Spice which is a quality product at an affordable price.” She talks about her previous visits to India when there were no malls and perfumes were not sold over the counter. “In urban areas, most leading brands of perfume are sold over the counter at big stores now in the same manner as it is done internationally,” she says.