You’d think writing about perfume might come into the category of dancing about architecture, but some of the most spellbinding writing I’ve ever read is all about smell.
The descriptions are a whirl of carnality:
Tuberose signifies death, danger and pleasure. It’s slippery and ragged, glamorous and wild beyond measure, with not a skerrick of modesty. It’s the Francisco Goya of fragrance, like reading Charles Baudelaire or drinking aged sauternes
Sunday Times Style has some nice meditations on perfume – this one on men’s fragrances is well worth a read. Apparently the 1951 Eau D’Hermes smells of :
Refined cumin and subliminal flowers, but basically ragingly feral and leathery: the divine stink of shameless and corrupt wealth.
Luca Turin is one of the best writers on scent, and we have his book The Secret of Scent as well as a biography about his genius The emperor of scent : a story of perfume, obsession, and the last mystery of the senses. The author of Luca’s biography Chandler Burr has also written an exploration of the perfume industry from the inside The perfect scent : a year inside the perfume industry in Paris and New York in which he follows the development of Sarah Jessica Parker’s fragrance by Coty and the parallel development of a perfume for a luxury goods house.
Michael Edwards is another big name in the business, his book is the one you often see lurking by the perfume counter at department stores. The Perfume Connection website features his fragrance advice so you can find all about your favourite scent and what family it belongs to, possibly linking you with others you might like. I’m a fan of orientals (Shalimar) and soft florals (Chanel no. 5, L’interdit).
Other essentials for scents:
- Basenotes – perfume reviews and news
- Wikipedia’s article on Perfume
- Nigel Groom has also written some essential guides for perfume lovers
- There are more books on perfumes to savour and our databases link to information about perfume and the perfumes industry.
