These books will help you, if you do not become a perfume expert, then certainly begin to decently understand fragrances and collect a collection of worthy perfumes.
“Perfume. The history of fragrances of the twentieth century ", Lizzie Ostrom, publishing house" Eksmo"
The long-awaited novelty of perfume critic Lizzie Ostrom wants to be memorized right in the process of reading. It’s not boring to memorize, like a school textbook, “because it’s necessary” or for fear of getting a B in a subject, but it’s just what is easy, playfully memorizing for your own pleasure (and, on occasion, to show off your erudition in the circle of perfumers). After all, in less than fifty pages, Lizzie managed to give out dozens of interesting facts, iconic names and brands, absolutely fantastic details from the history of perfumery of the twentieth century. For example, we learn that especially exalted wearers took perfume inside; aromas sprinkled on cigarettes; in the mid-1910s, actresses in one of the advanced theaters were literally poured over with perfume for three (!) minutes.
For convenience, the author divides the text into ten chapters with titles like The Roaring Twenties, The Swinging Sixties, The Selfish Eighties. Each chapter is devoted to one decade of perfumery, and the narration is preceded by a short but capacious historical and cultural sociological excursion, followed by descriptions of ten perfumes - symbols of this period. The author not only lists perfume notes and evaluates the compositions, but gives a complete dossier on the fragrance, recalling in which literary works he was mentioned, in which theatrical performances he appeared, what documentary evidence was left about him by his contemporaries. And this is very important because many of the fragrances that Lizzie Ostrom mentioned no longer exist. Some are not even among the collectors.
“A 1912 New York Times report spoke of fashionable Parisian ladies seeking 'new sensations.' They now use stimulating subcutaneous injections of rose oil and perfume notes of violets and cherry blossoms. One actress was the first to try new entertainment. She stated that for forty-eight hours after injecting a perfume known as 'freshly cut grass', her skin remained saturated with the scent. " The journalist did not add a warning: "Do not try this at home," - it is hoped that only the possessed were injecting the scent."
“Top 100 Fragrances. How to choose and wear perfume ", Luca Turin, Tanya Sanchez, publishing house" Mann, Ivanov and Ferber"
This edition can be safely assigned the status of the bible of modern perfumery. After all, Luca Turin and Tanya Sanchez were the first who, authoritatively and competently, but at the same time, in a simple and accessible language, explained to the less knowledgeable public which 100 fragrances can be considered a standard. And yes, the main selection criterion was the personal preferences of the authors, as well as - which is important - the relative safety of the formula, which, as you know, can vary greatly over the years depending on the prohibitions of the IFRA organization (you can read more about it in the foreword by Tanya Sanchez) and other factors.
So, the glossy pages of the book contain atmospheric descriptions of hundreds of iconic fragrances, including both the well-known Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise, Davidoff Cool Water, Mugler Angel, and the niche compositions Le Labo Patchouli 24, S-Perfume S-Ex, Histoires, only familiar to fans. de Parfums 1740. And it's great that the style of the Turin-Sanchez couple is wit coupled with irony and no restraint in their assessments. Otherwise, it could have turned out tedious politically correct reading, which is already abundant everywhere.
By the way, Sergei Borisov, one of the most famous perfume critics in Russia and a regular contributor to the fragrantica.ru website (also a kind of perfume bible, but online), became the scientific editor of the Russian-language edition of the book.
“While Angel is touted as a gourmand scent for girls (or a berry in a candy store from a candy store), it really isn't. Notice how his Adam's apple sticks out: a masculine, resinous, woody note of patchouli from the world of traditional masculine scents - pipes and leather, in a head-on collision with flashy white flowers and daring black currant. These two halves, masculine and feminine, share a camphor-sounding note that glazes Angel with the coldness of sheer unsentimentality over an overripe base."
“Soviet style. Perfumes and cosmetics ", Marina Koleva, publishing house" OLMA Media Group"
First, it's beautiful. Incredibly beautifully designed, illustrated and written - although we all remember that in the USSR there was not only sex, but also perfumery. That is, there was, of course, an enterprise with the frightening name TEZHE (Fat Trust, renamed Soyuzparfyumerprom in 1937), as well as the Novaya Zarya and Svoboda cosmetic factories - but before the perfume paradise it was like before the stars. The ball was ruled in the vastness of the Soviet Union, of course, the legendary "Krasnaya Moskva" - the successor to the luxurious pre-revolutionary scent "The Empress's Favorite Bouquet" born in 1904. However, in addition to it, as it turned out, several types of colognes, toilet soap and powder were produced: Red Poppy, Silver Lily of the Valley, White Lilac.
Contrary to the canons of proletarian realism, the design of the bottles was far from always laconic and of the same type, and the powder, even the cheapest, was sold in pretty cardboard boxes (and the one that is more expensive, and even in some works of art) - you can easily verify this by flipping through publishing and discovering photographs of rare products, vintage bottles and advertising posters. And if you seriously delve into reading, Soviet perfumery will open up from a new, boring side. Although why only perfumery? The book details lipsticks and mascaras, toothpowders and oddities called "scented armpits," and a cosmetic souvenir created in honor of the 1957 World Festival of Youth and Students and the 1980 Olympics. Separate chapters are devoted to the perfumery and cultural ties of Soviet Russia with the Baltic States, India, and China.
“In 1940, the film The Shining Path was released. In its finale, a simple weaver - a deputy of the Supreme Soviet - soars in heaven in a ZIS car. The heroine sings, the headwind blows her, and there is no doubt that this triad - car, wind, song - is real happiness. This image and everything that made it became fashionable. Women were dyed blondes, everyone, young and old, sang: "We have no barriers either at sea or on land", a convertible car became the dream of millions. And in the bowels of Soyuzparfymerprom, an idea arose to create a small (10 cm in length) bottle for men's lotion in the form of a car made of blue glass."
Parfums Mythiques. Exclusive collection of legendary perfumes , Marie Benedict Gaultier, Eksmo Publishing House
At the first glance at this book, it might seem that such a magnificent edition is intended solely to be bought as a gift. This is partly true: large format, high-quality thick paper, silver edge and, finally, a thick cardboard case - a somewhat heavy design is clearly designed with a gift in mind. Fortunately, the external data of the book does not negate the value of the content, and most importantly, the ease of use.
More than 60 selected cult fragrances, each of which the author assigns a spread containing comprehensive information about the history of creation, composition, character of sound. Plus recommendations about who this scent is suitable for and how to wear it, as well as the associative range. For example, for Guerlain Mitsouko, this row looks like this: a Japanese woman from the beginning of the twentieth century + a glass of good burgundy + wet skin + Jean Harlow + mirabelle pie. Bonus to the reviews - short interviews with recognized authorities in the perfume industry: Sylvain Delacour, Dominique Ropillon, Frederic Mallem, Chandler Burr.
A quote on how to wear the Calvin Klein CK One fragrance:
“Like a cologne, rubbing it over the neck, torso and temples to enjoy the freshness at any moment of the day. It goes well with denim, white cotton T-shirt and Converse shoes."
"From Cloves to Sandal", Anna Zworykina, Pero Publishing House
The full title of the book by Russian natural perfumer Anna Zvorykina is “From carnation to sandalwood. Olfactory Alphabet and a Guide to the World of Natural Flavors”. And if you are interested in perfumes created exclusively from natural, non-synthesized components, or even want to master the art of constructing such compositions, you should definitely read. Anna writes easily, understandably and very thoroughly. He starts with theory: he explains in detail the terms accepted in perfumery, gives a classification of ingredients and teaches the basics of mixing them.
Then he moves on to the practical use of perfume compositions - he talks about the principles of fragrant zoning of space, about what perfume mixture can be compiled for the hallway and living room, which smells will relieve insomnia in the bedroom, and which ones are suitable for the bathroom. He even touches on the topic of cooking (in terms of aromas, of course). However, the main section of the book, for the sake of which everything was started, is called "Living spirits from A to Z. A guide for a beginner perfumer." Look here for a lot of useful information about perfume materials, their compatibility, concentration, principles of choice. And finally, about such an important component of your future perfume masterpiece as a bottle.
“I don’t want to say that perfumes with artificially created aromatic molecules are worse than natural perfumes. Molecules can impart structure, durability, shine to the fragrance. However, the fact remains: perfumes without artificial molecules, created only from natural ingredients, and perfumes with artificial molecules smell completely different. Natural perfumes are just different: they live and unfold according to different laws. Sometimes they lose in terms of duration and consistency of sound, but they undoubtedly benefit from the richness of shades. Natural scents have a smaller aura, sit closer to the body, and sound more intimate."
