Irina Burlakova
Irina Burlakova was born in Riga, Latvia, where a childhood fascination with chemistry sparked a lifelong love of scent. She earned a chemistry degree in Paris before enrolling at ISIPCA in Versailles, the world’s most rigorous perfumery academy. A subsequent apprenticeship at Givaudan’s internal perfumery school sharpened her technical skill and introduced her to the discipline of raw‑material sourcing. After completing her training, Irina joined MANE, where she contributed to several niche releases and honed a reputation for precision. In 2022 she accepted a consulting role at LUZI, a Swiss brand dedicated to 100 % natural, certifiable fragrances. Within a year she led the creation of LUZI’s first fully natural line, translating her scientific background into scents that feel both pure and expressive. Today she balances laboratory rigor with an instinctive sense of composition, positioning herself as a bridge between art and chemistry in contemporary perfumery.
The hits
Notable creations
The signature
How Irina composes
Irina’s technique centers on building structures from single‑note extracts before weaving them into layered accords. She often begins with a dominant natural heart—jasmine, rose, or a green leaf—then frames it with supporting woods, ambery resins, or subtle musk to add depth. Her palette leans toward floral‑musky, amber‑oriental, and green‑woody families, reflecting the projects listed in her recent portfolio. She prefers cold‑press and CO₂ extraction methods, ensuring the integrity of each molecule. By emphasizing contrast—bright top notes against grounding bases—she creates scents that evolve gracefully on the skin.
Philosophy
What drives Irina
Irina believes that scent should echo the movements that surround us—dance, architecture, visual art. She listens to raw ingredients as if they were musical notes, seeking contrast that creates tension and release. Natural materials guide her decisions; she favors ingredients that can be traced back to their botanical origins and that meet strict certification standards. For her, a fragrance is a dialogue between the nose and the environment, a moment where chemistry meets emotion. This mindset drives her pursuit of scents that feel honest, tactile, and rooted in place.
The houses