About Miriam
Miriam studied architecture and interiors at the University of Oregon. With degree and portfolio in hand, she moved to New York City to work with classical design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Although always a creative designer, her lifelong love of scent inspired an adventurous career-change to pursue her passion for perfumery.
That proved to be an auspicious decision, as it led her to meet and be mentored by one of the fragrance industry’s leading noses, Ann Gottlieb.
Under her mentorship, Miriam received the fragrance apprentice-training traditionally reserved for times past. Initially with Gryphon Development, Miriam was introduced not only to perfumery, but to product development from inception to launch. From there, she went on to renown fragrance house International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) in NYC as a professional fragrance evaluator, where she collaborated with master perfumers on some of the most successful fragrances in the world. Over the course of her career, while holding positions in fragrance evaluation, product development, marketing, and sales, she celebrated olfactive success with brands that include Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Gap, Banana Republic, The Body Shop, Neutrogena, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, John Paul Mitchell Haircare, as well as celebrity and niche perfumery clients. Miriam created and taught “The Art & Poetry of Perfumery’, a specialty master-class in olfactive evaluation and perfumery blending.
After the initial launch of 40notes, her curiosity of natural materials led her to delve further into the origin of these magnificent ingredients. In 2012, Miriam joined Robertet Inc, the 160 year-old, French fragrance house and raw materials supplier of natural perfumery ingredients sourced from around the world.
In explaining her interest, “each note tells an entire story; is a perfume creation itself ”.
Miriam, Santa Barbara, CA c.1963
"In 2012, I began a nearly 4-year ‘deep dive’ into the world of natural botanical ingredients when I began working with the 160-year old French fragrance house and raw materials supplier Robertet, Inc.
It was as if I had been looking through a telescope all my life, and was suddenly given a microscope! I became aware of everything that affects the journey of an essence before it ever reaches the perfumers' studio.
My curiosity grew as I began to appreciate crop calendars, harvest seasons, extraction methods, yield, market demand, even geo-political events and climate change... and their effect on these precious natural resources.
My passion was ignited and it is now my honor to create with Mother Natures' Formulae."
In addition to the 40notes Signature Collection, Miriam is focusing on natural botanical essences, has developed the one-of-a-kind Soul Essence Sessions, continues to be the Nose-Behind-the-Brand for several beauty & fragrance companies and her custom creations are now wait-listed by appointment.
Miriam currently lives with her husband in Portland, Oregon. Their cat Siri is named after the mystical “dog-star” Sirius, presumably the inspiration to ancient cultures from Egypt to Polynesia. Siri continues to inspire whereever she wanders.
About 40notes
40notes was born, like it’s creator Miriam, in Santa Barbara, California. The inspiration for the company came in 2002, amidst aromatic breezes in a Mediterranean climate full of color and light, after leaving her 12-year adventure in NYC.
For eight years, Miriam followed her passions for beauty, whimsy, travel, adventure and above all, her love of smelling and passion for the art of perfumery, to realize her vision. The journey of 40notes weaves together her gifted sense of smell, experiences from a career in the fragrance industry in New York City, training in architecture, design and music, and influences from travel destinations that include Bali, China, Paris, Buenos Aires, Greece, Egypt, Nepal, Zimbabwe and South Africa. While developing the collection, Miriam studied precious ingredients, experimented with blending, sought out rare materials, all the while holding close a treasured quote by the poet Rumi as inspiration:
” Let the beauty we love be what we do ”
With this quote constantly by her side, she continues to explore the magical realms of botanical essences that touch her soul and those of her clients.
