Wednesday, February 20, 2013

World's Best Book And Guides On Perfumes And Scents






In Perfume: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Finest Fragrances by Nigel Groom, not only will you get the history and story of perfume, but you will get information on the ingredients and the processes used to create them, as well as classification and categories of perfume, how to choose the right perfume, bottles, perfume designers, etc. For perfume connoisseurs 'The Perfume Companion' by Nigel Groom is the book to read. Nigel has lived and worked in South Arabia, which had previously been the centre of the incense trade; frankincense being a staple of ancient perfume. It is a book for amateurs and professionals alike. The book contains a highly regarded 'Perfume Directory', which is a résumé about 97 major perfume houses. Read about grand old French perfume houses such as Coty, Houbigant and D'Orsay; the perfumes of couture houses such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Givenchy and the big American names such as Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and Donna Karan. The book also describes the history of perfume, principal ingredients, classifications as well as the leading perfumers and perfume manufacturers of today. This is a great read from someone who is just getting their nose into the fragrance industry. 

Photo: Amazon.com
Thinking of becoming a collector? Capture the love of perfume the right way with Perfume Bottles: A Collector's Guide by Madeleine Marsh.  I found this little book very helpful with a wealth of information, on collecting all types of Perfume Bottles including non-commercials (scent bottles without perfume) as well as commercials (bottles sold with perfume). It covers the art of perfume bottle making & some history from ancient times thru todays avant-garde creations such as: Pomanders, Victorian Vinaigrettes, all types of materials that were used, some famous name commercial houses, novelties & minis just to name a few areas. Each area is covered with nice photo's of the period perfume bottle. The is also a nice chapter on collecting advice including what to collect, tips, care & cleaning. This would be a great book for those who want to start collecting perfume bottles or those who are already collectors. This book should be added to your Perfume or Vanity Items library.This book is jam-packed with information for those who are beginning their perfume bottle collections.  More a guide than a read, this book will tell you how to get started and will help you be on your way collecting perfume bottles based on designers, makers, and manufacturers. 

Photo: Amazon.com

Have a leg up in the industry? You'll love Perfume: The Art & Science of Scent by Cathy Newman. This book gave a fascinating history and overview of the use and creation of perfumes. It all seemed to have started when Romans wore perfume-soaked garments and shoes while Egyptians placed perfumed unguents in their hair to produce a slowly diffused scent that surrounded them. From Catherine de Medici in the 16th century to Coty to Coco Chanel, there has been a connection between fashion and fragrance. During this time, the perfume bottle has evolved from a simple container to sculpture, often giving identity to a scent. I learned that to be called "perfume", there must be an oil concentration of 22% or more. Eau de parfum has a 15-22% oil concentration while eau de toilette has 8-15% concentration of oil. Cologne has less than 5%. The average fragrance has 60-100 ingredients and complex ones can have 300. Estee Lauder's "Beautiful" has 700 ingredients, which is a record.....and its formula is 12 pages long! The perfumer must have a vast knowledge of raw materials and also of chemistry. There are only about 400 perfumers in the world and their training can take 10-15 years. One reason why perfume can be so expensive is the amount of an ingredient needed to yield what the perfumers use. For example, two tons of rose petals are needed to yield just one pound of rose oil! Petals must also be quickly picked as the amount of oil that they yield diminishes as the day goes on. So, do not complain about the prices, you get what you pay for,


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