perfume books: 38 posts

Michael Edwards’s annual guide, Fragrances of the World 2007, has been released this month. According to Fragrances of the World, “the new guide sorts by family more than 5,000 selective, niche, masstige, mass, direct retail, limited edition and travel retail fragrances.” 2006 has seen the addition of 693 new fragrances (compared to 545 in 2005 and 205 in 1996). The new launches have been fueled by niche and celebrity fragrance releases, according to the data used in the 2007 guide. By way of example, there were 121 niche fragrances in 2006 (as compared to 87 in 2005 and 36 in 1996) and 37 celebrity launches (as compared to 26 in 2005 and 15 in 1996). This year’s Fragrances of the World guide is the 23rd edition, proving that it remains the most reliable and valuable resource for retailers. Michael Edwards’s classification system is used by Fragrance Foundation Directory, Sephora, Nordstrom as well as World Duty Free.

More information is available at Fragrances of the World website.

Although the end of 2006 is still 2 months away, I anticipate Thierry Mugler’s Le Parfum coffret being the highlight of this perfume year for me. Fragrance exerts its power when it inspires dreams, stretches reality and allows one a glimpse into a world of fantasy. Ultimately, it is the easiest way to add beauty to the everyday routine. In this regard, fragrance does not have to be narrowly defined as liquid in a bottle, but can also include the aromas experienced when making a cup of coffee in the morning, walking past a freshly mown lawn, biting into a hot pastry, or enjoying a glass of wine with friends.

Le Parfum coffret offers artistic interpretations of scenes from the bestseller by Patrick Süskind, “Perfume: The Story of A Murderer”, the story of genius perfumer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, who seeks to create the ultimate perfume amid the malodorous streets of France in the 18th century. However, Thierry Mugler’s coffret is even more than this—it is a reflection upon the history of perfumery, the essence of art in perfumery and the perfumer’s role. It offers a fascinating journey, the magic of which does not fade even after repeated exploration. …

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As the evenings are getting colder, the prospect of staying in becomes much more attractive, especially when one can look forward to curling up under a blanket with a great book and a steaming cup of tea. For someone who is interested in the inner workings of perfumery and the creative process behind fragrances, books written either about perfumers or by perfumers themselves provide an extraordinary glimpse into the complex world of scent. The latter are rare, because as master perfumer Guy Robert explains, “Real perfumers create perfumes. They have neither the time, nor the inclination nor the desire to tell all.” Thankfully, there are some notable exceptions. The selection of four books below is based on several criteria: first, they are books I personally love; second, while being accessible to a beginner, they offer a wealth information for an advanced fragrance lover; third, they are written by experts whose enthusiasm and passion for scent are almost palpable, which lends a special appeal to the finished work …

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The new book by the fragrance and flavor chemist and director of the natural-scents research unit for Givaudan, Roman Kaiser, promises to be fascinating. “Meaningful Scents around the World” is offering “a fragrant journey to some of the exciting places the author has visited in 30 years of olfactory research… In doing so, he leads us to such exotic places as Lower Amazonia, Papua New Guinea, India, and many rain-forest biotopes in his quest for new molecules and new scent concepts, showing us along the way how a scent like tatami can be linked to culture,” notes the editor’s review on Helvetica Chimica Acta. Please refer to the website to read more as well as to explore the index. “Meaningful Scents around the World” is slated for July 2006. Roman Kaiser, a scientist famous for his ‘headspace’ analytical technique, is also an author of “The Scent of Orchids“ as well as the numerous scientific publications.

Fragrances of the World series by Michael Edwards will soon contain the new 2006 edition, which is about to be released in January of 2006. The new edition of his well-known guidebook will include 4,500 fragrances categorized by family, with 499 new fragrances added to the listing. The information included in the guidebook comprises fragrance families, houses and gender specification of fragrances.

As Moodiereport notes, Florals family has seen an increase among female fragrances, while Fresh scents have experienced a decline. Masculine fragrances demonstrate a rise in Woody and a decline in Aromatic Fougères. Three out of every ten new launches tend to be masculine fragrances, according to Edwards.