Foochia, 18 October 2026. Interviewed at Beautyworld Middle East, Dubai. The interview was published in Arabic; below are Mashael's answers in English.
How did your journey with fragrance begin, and when did you realise you wanted to establish a perfume house that reflected your own signature?
One of my earliest memories was watching my grandmother prepare her signature essential oils. The way she would blend ingredients fascinated me, as they matured they would evolve and gain different layers. I came to realise that I had an ability to understand and explore the facets of raw materials through my nose. A skill that I honed when I went on to study at the Perfume Academy in Grasse.
The vision for Maison Mirwad began almost 10 years before I launched in 2017. I always knew that I wanted it to be a fragrance house that was culturally connected to my Qatari heritage but also had a global vision which is why there is a duality of Middle Eastern traditions and European sensibility within each of my scents.
When you think back to your grandmother preparing fragrant oils, which scent instantly takes you back to those moments?
Whenever I smell Saffron and Arabian Jasmine I am immediately transported back to my grandmother’s house. Both ingredients feature in Texture Veloutée which always takes me back to my family as this fragrance was inspired by my father, his elegance and presence. It is a scent that pays tribute to home, family strength and kindness.
How did this connection to fragrance lead you to study perfumery in Grasse? And what did you discover about yourself there?
I was in Paris passing by Sephora when I saw a promotion for perfume training in Grasse. This was back in 2010 and something clicked, I realised I wanted to learn more about perfumery, scent had always been part of my life. The moment felt right and I undertook a very comprehensive education as I wanted to know every aspect.
This professional foundation also helped overcome some of the issues I faced as they provide a stronger level of understanding as a creator and business woman. Grasse taught me different things, it gave me the tools, the insight and the education into the art of perfumery. I was like a sponge absorbing the precision and heritage of European haute parfumerie while remaining indelibly connected to the rituals and traditions of my own culture. I use the lessons I learnt every day as they have given me the confidence to innovate and to experiment.
I believe you have to have your own DNA as a perfumer, my time at Grasse gave me the best training – it is after all the home of fragrance.
What detail from your life did you want to express in the first fragrance you launched?
Beach Rose was my first fragrance and it will always be connected to both my grandmother and mother as it was inspired by the traditional bridal perfume rituals they prepared for me. The layers of roses, soft spices and warm ambers carry the scent of a memory of my own bridal room on my wedding night. My mother and my grandmother prepared the perfumes for the room, to anoint my wedding dress, my hair and my skin. Those intimate moments became the soul of the fragrance.
To capture this time-honoured tradition I knew I would need a faceted scent that had the emotional and physical power to tell the story. Beach Rose evolves from its top notes of rose, jasmine and bergamot before unfolding through a heart of peach, geranium and white flowers with the final reveal being base notes of moss, the fluid warmth of amber, leather and patchouli. There are 365 ingredients that come together as a homage to our wedding ritual, they preserve a legacy whilst being styled for ease and modern living.
Oud, amber and rose are familiar ingredients in our region. How do you give them your own distinctive touch? And which combination surprised you while experimenting?
When you look at an ingredient, even the most classic ones, it is important to explore them and discover what they can do. I only ever use the highest quality raw materials, which is important if you want to develop their true potential.
With me creating a fragrance is very instinctive, I know how far I can challenge an ingredient, how I can use the same one as many other perfumers but I can make it be different. It is so important to think how the scent is going to evolve with the wearer and I think this is where Maison Mirwad has developed a signature. The fusion of Middle Eastern culture and traditional ingredients is fused with European innovation and styling, this can give a new freedom and modernity to well-known materials such as oud, rose and amber.
With Amber Spark I knew I wanted to blend cultural traditions and contemporary creativity, through a reinterpretation of one of our most classic ingredients used in the fragrance industry. I have always felt it is a raw material that has never been fully explored. What I hadn’t expected was Amber Spark’s element of surprise and how it transforms the expected identity of amber with an energy that creates a spark you feel.
What advice would you give women on choosing a variety of fragrances to suit different moods and occasions?
Never buy a fragrance based on the first sniff, a scent that captivates you in the first few minutes may feel different later in the day as the heart and dry down base notes emerge.
Think of scent as a language to communicate your individuality. It’s good to think of a perfume as an interchangeable wardrobe that becomes an extension of your identity, it is a sensory signature you want to convey as well as feel. The best fragrances are ones that evoke a feeling, memory or an emotion – to me a scent can instantly make you feel confident, comforted or uplifted.
Each of my fragrances is connected to a personal emotion and I often find that translates into the sense it gives the wearer. Amber Spark has an energy that invigorates, Filtre d’Amour a subtle assured power, while Oud Velours is about confidence and creativity. Each one is distinct but united by the transformative power of fragrance. Try to think of your fragrance as a finishing touch to guide you through the day.
Beyond creating fragrances, what challenge did you face when establishing the perfume house, and how did you overcome it?
When I started there were very few female founders, now there is a growing number across a range of industries. The biggest challenge came when I made the leap into retail as it was never regarded as a professional career and that those who worked in the sector could be artists.
I had to learn how to scale and run a business whilst also growing my collection. I am so proud to have established Maison Mirwad very successfully in Qatar but it is now expanding across the region and internationally – and I still get to fulfil my passion to create new scents.
Being an entrepreneur means you have to be very committed and determined. I am fortunate that as a character if I set my mind to something I don’t see challenges or listen to any negativity.
You are a mother of seven and run your own business. Tell us about a moment when balancing these two roles felt particularly challenging, and how you handled it.
One day my children came to my boutique because they were missing me, it was then that I realised I hadn’t actually seen them for two days. They now regularly come to the shop and spend time with me there, they love to be involved in that part of my life as well as our home time.
Which scent would you like your children to remember you by?
Beach Rose as it holds such a personal connection as well as being my founding fragrance.
Where do you find inspiration during your travels?
I love travelling as I love to explore a place and discover different cultures, both emotionally and physically. I often describe my scents as ‘rituals in a bottle’ and their cultural connectivity resonates far beyond the Middle East. Travel always introduces you to raw materials you might not have thought to use before.
What phrase do you live by?
“And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied”
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