Dubai-based perfumer Yusuf Bhai brings custom fragrance studio to Chennai
Yusuf Bhai, the Dubai-based perfumer and founder of Yusuf Bhai Fragrances, is set to launch his evocative scent studio in the city. Yusuf transforms personal stories into olfactory experiences. From recreating a loved one’s scent to blending jasmine with lipstick notes, his creations are deeply individual. We talk to the perfumer about his fragrance preferences and more.
From oud to mallipoo: Fragrance tastes in Dubai vs Chennai
What inspired you to bring the fragrances to this particular city?
Chennai is a very old city. I remember my dad used to say, ‘I’m going to Madras.’ That’s how I first came to know about Madras. Before we even knew about Hyderabad or the Gulf, we knew Madras and Singapore. That’s how respected Madras was. It’s a city of culture, where every nook and corner has its own colour, its own smell. So I’d say Madras is one of the best cities. After all, if you look at what the first language of the world is—it’s Tamil. I’d even say Tamil has carried India all over the globe. So yes, I’d call it one of the best cities.
Do you see the fragrance preferences in Chennai differing from those in Dubai?
Everywhere, it’s different. Fragrance is connected to the culture of a place, and because of that, it changes from city to city. In Dubai, people prefer fragrances like oud. In our city, people might prefer jasmine—that is, mallipoo—which is part of every occasion here, even during the first night. It’s an emotion. People here also like sandalwood, mallipoo, chembaruthi, and such, because they’re tied to our culture.
In Dubai, from the moment a baby is born, when the parents kiss the child, the only scent they know is oud—made from agarwood. You know how expensive gold is, but if you take a kilogram of oud wood and gold, oud is costlier. That’s the fragrance they grow up with. So that’s how it works.
What can Chennaiites expect from you that they won’t find elsewhere?
We blend it with love. You know why? Because it’s customised. If you come and ask for a fragrance that combines mallipoo or jasmine with a touch of strawberry or coffee, we’ll create that perfume just for you. And in doing so, we help you feel more confident in yourself—in a way no other brand can.
You began as a photographer in Qatar. How did that visual medium influence your journey into fragrance-making?
Yes, it did. My elder brother was running a wholesale business of branded perfumes in Dubai. During that time, I was inspired by him to start making perfumes, so I joined a factory and learned the process. Big brands like Chanel and Christian Dior were selling perfumes for Rs 20,000 or Rs 30,000. So I thought why can’t we make perfumes that are both high in quality and affordable? Something that’s big on heart, rather than big on brand. That way of thinking came from my background as a photographer.
Can you describe your creative process when someone shares a memory with you?
There are many. Some people bring clothes, some ask for the fragrance of a family member. Once, in Canada, a 65-year-old woman brought me her late husband’s shirt. They had been married for 40–45 years. She told me, ‘I’ve always slept next to him, with his smell. Without that smell, I can’t sleep.’ She wanted me to recreate his fragrance. Now that—that is an emotion, a feeling. That’s how memories come back, through perfume. If perfumes were only about making jasmine or sandalwood scents, anyone could do it. But bringing back someone’s memories—that’s difficult. That’s a gift from God.
What’s the most unusual or unexpected scent request you’ve ever received?
In Dubai, once a girlfriend brought her boyfriend and asked me to make him smell bad—so other girls would stay away. She wanted a perfume with the stench of pigeons! Some have even asked for the scent of a mosque, like from Mecca, recreated from a cloth. That’s rare. Once, someone asked for the smell of a mortuary, the smell of blood. People challenge us with such requests—coffee scent, chai scent, all kinds. And we can’t say no either, because on social media, people say, “This guy can create any smell for you.” So they come with those expectations.
A lot of people also ask for the smell of soil, manvaasanai. What’s really in the smell of soil? But people love it because it’s rare. Besides that, many request fragrances like jasmine, wood, dollar currency notes, lipstick, and such. Lately, it’s mostly the lipstick smell that people want—I guess you know why (laughs).
How are they priced?
You can’t really put a price on matters of the heart. Typically, pricing is based on dirhams per drop, with additional costs for the bottle, depending on whether fancy or crystal, and labour. In Dubai, the starting price was 25 dirhams for 12 ml. Since prices vary depending on these factors, I can’t fix a starting price for Chennai. For instance, 12 ml of sandal fragrance costs around Rs 3,000–Rs 4,000, while oud fragrance can go up to 5,000 dirhams (about Rs 1,20,000). Pure rose might be around Rs 20,000, whereas jasmine or pineapple are more affordable as they’re widely available. All these will be available at our Chennai store.
At G 2, Gee Gee Emerald Towers, 3, 312 Valluvar Kottam High Road, Nungambakkam.
—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com
@ManuVipin
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