Learning Unique Fragrances from a "Perfume Magician"

While the primary purpose of this trip was to inspect the production site of the nail aroma oil "uka Nail Oil," our guide, Gilles Berthoumieux, also arranged time for a "fragrance study" in between.

We were taken to a lush, green estate. The resident, according to Gilles, was a "perfume magician."

He seemed to be quite famous, with Gilles himself having been advised by others to "definitely meet him once." Expecting a major figure, we were instead greeted by a peculiar, playful old man...



Upon inviting us into his laboratory, he immediately began explaining about fragrances, as if demanding our attention. Yet, much like his appearance, his stories seemed rather dubious (laughs). For instance, regarding an object he retrieved from the refrigerator, he said:

"This is a wildcat. A love potion can be extracted from wildcats living in the Himalayas, and I happened to find one run over by a car last week. As a scientist, I felt I had to study it, so I brought it back."

Hmm, it looked like fake fur, no matter how you looked at it (laughs). But he ignored our skeptical glances and calmly stated, "Of course, once my research is complete, I will return it to the earth."

In any case, the laboratory was overflowing with various items. Seaweed, insects, and more. Every time he picked something up, he would offer it to us, saying, "Try smelling this."



Leaving the mysterious laboratory, we moved to the herb garden in the backyard. Here, the impression of the old man changed completely. His knowledge was astounding. He meticulously explained about numerous plants and their scents, one by one.

We never truly discovered his identity, but he was undoubtedly a fragrance specialist. It was a unique and valuable experience, learning about scents in such an unconventional way.

The Final Touch: Entrusting the Work to Those Who Take Pride in Their Craft

Finally, it was time to tour the factory.

First, we visited Gilles' company, "Sirius." In the laboratory, female staff members were blending essential oils according to Gilles' instructions. This is, in fact, where our nail aroma oil, "uka Nail Oil," was born. Having seen the lavender fields the previous day, we were reminded of the process: oils extracted from these thriving plants are blended here to create our signature scent.



Next, we were guided to a partner factory that finishes the blended oils into products. While Gilles' company has an adjacent factory, it cannot handle all production due to scale limitations. Therefore, they collaborate with partner factories, adjusting to production volume and product type to ensure stable quality and supply.

There were two potential locations for the nail aroma oil production. One was a factory actively engaged in work-sharing, employing individuals with disabilities on its production lines. They had ingeniously adapted tools, such as dispensers that release a fixed amount of oil with a lever press, ensuring that anyone could work accurately. We were deeply impressed.

Above all, the smiles of the workers and their dedicated efforts were truly memorable. It would be a joy to have our product made by such people. When Gilles asked, "Shall we consider making your oil here, Kiho? What do you think?" I immediately replied, "Absolutely!"



Although the process is entirely manual, making it slightly more expensive, the production volume is not excessively large, so it's not an issue. I would personally prefer to work with them, but their capacity is limited to what they can handle. If production volume increases, this factory might not be suitable.

Therefore, we were then shown to a slightly larger factory. Even being larger, it was only marginally so compared to the previous one, and it maintained the same intimate, approachable atmosphere where you could see the staff's faces.




Here, while the filling process relies on machinery, the labeling is done by hand. As soon as we entered the workshop, one of the staff members proudly showed off a finished product, saying, "Pretty good, huh? My label-applying technique."

I found it truly wonderful. Everyone works at their own pace, in a very relaxed environment, yet each person approaches their task with pride and confidence in their work. This is the kind of dedication that supports true craftsmanship.

The Sentiments of Many People Captured in 5ml of Oil

The greatest takeaway from this visit was not only seeing each step of the process—where the plants are grown, how they are blended, and how they move through the factory—but also understanding the many people involved in bringing the product to completion. My feelings of care and confidence towards the nail aroma oil "uka Nail Oil" have deepened considerably.



This journey to Toulouse, where I realized that the 5ml of "uka Nail Oil" is born from the culmination of many people's aspirations, has renewed my resolve. We must convey not only the charm of the product but also the warmth of human touch.


The nail aroma oil "uka Nail Oil" is set to launch on October 1st. It's our masterpiece. Please look forward to it!


Gilles Berthoumieux
Representative of Sirius, a company dealing in essential oils and other products from around the world, and a Tropical Agronomy Agricultural Scientist. He is passionate about natural therapies and advocates for care using natural materials (such as essential oils) for everyone from children to the elderly. He continuously travels to over 100 countries in search of high-quality, novel ingredients and has a reputation for handling fine oils. His advanced techniques and superior quality have led him to receive numerous product development requests from major French brands.