“Most of my memories are strongly shaped by smells,” says Mackenzie Reilly, who became captivated by the fragrance world around age 17. “That’s when I discovered the stories being told by niche perfumers, who have very distinct concepts behind each scent, and began to see perfume making as an art form.” Now a junior perfumer at New York’s International Flavors & Fragrances, Reilly routinely thinks about aromas in terms of a specific field of creative expression—architecture—as she builds a new bouquet. Here, she discusses her path to perfume, and the parallels she sees between physical structures and scent.