Reading ideas for perfumistas - a few great books
If you are reading this, you must be into perfumes, don't even try to deny it! Probably you are wondering how you could gather more knowledge on how the perfume world works, or how perfumes are made. Or you have already read a lot and wonder what to pick up next.
Since I have seen many people asking for guidance on what reading is available and worth it, here are a few books that I would recommend. The list is not long for a start, this is a very short selection only, with the intention of being an appetizer instead of scaring you away. Nobody likes neverending reading lists :)
Fragrantica: the number 1 online perfume resource.
Every fraghead knows fragrantica, but I will instert this amazing web site here as it cannot be missed for perfume related articles, knowledge, reviews, a detailed introduction of notes, finding perfumes with specific notes, perfumes by perfumeurs, and so on. A unique wealth of data and knowledge.
https://www.fragrantica.com
Luca Turin: The Secret of Scent (2006)
Writing about the history and the workings of the olfactory sense. Scientific yet entertaining.
Luca Turin-Tania Sanchez: Perfumes - The A-Z Guide (2008). Mostly an extremely entertaining review of the biggest perfumes. Laugh out loud reviews and opinions sharp as a knife.
Chandler Burr: The Emperor of Scent (2012) on Luca Turin's olfactive theory and based on his personality, told by Chandler Burr, perfume writer, former perfume critic for the New York Times.
Chandler Burr: The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York (2008).
Chandler Burr followed the process of the birth of 2 perfumes, shadowing Jean-Claude Ellena creating Un Jardin sur le Nil and the team behind the first perfume for Sarah Jessica Parker.
Sylvie Girard-Lagorce: 100 parfums de légende (2000) (and its translations) - an introduction to some of the classic perfumes up to 2000, introducing niche houses as well as designer houses. Full of anecdotes and bits of perfume history.
Two books by Jean-Claude Ellena, the parfumeur for Hermès:
Perfume: the Alchemy of Scent (2011) - a short but exciting book that gives you hints of topics - such as the fragrance industry, or the regulatory background behind perfumes, - and makes you want to read more.
The Diary of a Nose: a Year in the Life of a Parfumeur (2012).
An actual diary and thought Ellena noted for himself - if you wish to read the thoughts of a parfumeur without being a mind-reader.
Roja Dove: The Essence of Perfume (2014), a book by the great British fragrance historian and perfume creator that takes us back to the beginnings and offers plenty of histories. Roja Dove, who was Professeur de Parfums at Guerlain, is a go-to source for perfume writing.
Charles S Sell (editor): The Chemistry of Fragrances - from Perfumer to Customer (2015)
For those who wish to deep dive into the science behind the notes. Needs a solid background in chemistry, so this is not just an appetizer - this is the hot yoga of fragheads.
Have you loved any of these books? What are your favourite books or web sites, about the art of perfume, that I have not mentioned?
