The shores of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic West coast feature prominently in a new documentary about the master perfumer of Dior — but it’s not because their beauty and drama matches that of the finest scents.

It’s all to do with ambergris, the mysterious substance secreted by sperm whales (some might call it ‘whale vomit’) which is a key ingredient in high-end perfumes, transforming their constituent oils and making scents last longer.

But ambergris is not easily found, and that’s where the likes of Patrick Lillis come in. He tells The Irish Times how his beachcombing hobby blossomed into a business when he found that even tiny quantities of the waxy stuff fetch high prices.

To give an example, the largest piece Lillis has found to date weighted just over a kilo and sold for a whopping €15,000. Such is the price that perfumers like François Demachy at Dior — the subject of the new documentary Nose — are willing to put on the product, for which Lillis has developed a keen eye.

The Irish Times has much more on the story HERE.