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.
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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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