Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 28
 Scentsational (ouch!) Olfactory heaven verging into synaesthesia July 9, 2010
Lady Fancifull (London UK)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a gloriously hedonistic, decadently seductive book. Famous 'nose' and perfume scientist Turin and journalist and perfume adept Tania Sanchez have put together a gorgeous encyclopaedia of thousands of perfumes. It's a bit like the classic Egon Ronay guide to Hotels and restaurants, which would be lovingly pored over by hotel and restaurant afficionados, sensuously reading about luxury hotels across the world which they may or may not ever get to visit - only for those with an interest in perfumes.
There's no way I'm ever going to get to smell the literally thousands of fragrances they analyse but the wonderful descriptions, sharp observations and sheer hedonic bliss within these pages is an imaginative delight.
I've developed a pretty strong antipathy to most perfumes as many of them smell irreducably of synthetic stand alone perfume notes (much much cheaper to produce and reproduce) , eg rather than neroli,the ideally hand-picked flowers of the bitter orange tree, a splash of linalool, limonene, linayl acetate and other major constituents to produce an ersatz neroli note, but this book evocatively builds symphonies of aromas. It becomes almost possible to imagine notes you haven't yet encountered. Its far too rich for a cover to cover read, that would be olfactory overload, but like fine chocolate, rewards the dipping reader who slowly savours snippets of the text. rather than wolfs the whole bar down in one.
As well as an appreciation of perfumes themselves, Turin and Sanchez celebrate the whole experience of an appeal to the senses, which is reinforced (or diminished) by the shape, heft and colour of bottle and packaging.
Some omissions in the first edition, such as an indication of pricerange and an index of perfume houses and their fragrances are in the 2009 edition.
Drunk on the wit and wisdom of the A-Z I'm ready to submerge myself into the (according to the reviewers) more scientific and chemical/molecular nature of Turin's other book The Secret of Scent: Adventures in Perfume and the Science of Smell
A couple of snippets from the a-z - inevitably, the great, memorable fragrances inspire Turin to lyric prose, whilst the downright nasty give rise to snappy put down, more suitable for short quoting - so here is
Valentino's Rock and Roll: 'A little rose and lychee affair, as enticing as pink nylon nighties sold in sex shops'.
I don't know this perfume, but imagining rose and lychee together sounds as stickily unappealing as Turin snappily suggests
Guerlain's L'Instant Magic 2008 'Competent but boring peony citrus composition; less unpleasant than some but still completely unnecessary.
Just superb! May 30, 2010
JF BOWYER (UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love the whole perfume market; the fantasy world that brands create in marketing campaigns; the history of scent; the conceit of some companies!
I'd recommend this book to anyone that often finds themselves hovering around the perfume counters inhaling as many smells as possible. For anyone who needs a time out after too many scents.
Not only is the range of scents covered impressive, but the writing is also impeccable. Any journalist would do well to have this book in their collection. Witty retorts, cutting opinions and - much to my pleasant surprise - a translation of all the technical words that often crop up in perfume descriptions. Never will I feel bemused again!
Very happy to finally have a copy of this book! A great read!
 wanting more March 28, 2010
winewriter (east lothian,scotland)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
An insightful introduction to the world of perfume.I would never pay for any of the celebrity scents.They make enough money already & this book just reinforces my opinion .
Now to find a book on Arabian perfumed oils!
Wonderful book - but go with your own preferences. March 17, 2010
Hamstead (Midlands UK)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a great guidebook to perfumes and very pointedly and wittily written. It should be read for the descriptions alone and it's one of those perfect pick up and browse books for when you're between serious reading. It's also great to keep on the coffee table as a talking point, and to take with you next time you go to buy perfume. Great as a present for a girlfriend too. However, some perfumes are missing from the book - all the Crabtree & Evelyn range for example, and taste is always subjective. I loathe Chanel number 5 - smells like one of those loud, floral-scented furniture polishes. However, my delight in Ralph Lauren's Romance as a day perfume marks me out, according to the book as 'the kind of young woman who get their hair cut precisely the same as their friends and shop from the same catalogs so even their boyfriends can't tell them apart.' I score the full five stars with Clinique's Aromatics though.
Bottom line, an entertaining and informative even useful book, but treat it like Captain Barbossa's advice in Pirates of the Caribbean. 'More like guidelines really.'
"Essential handbook for any enthusiast" February 17, 2010
Heather Glen (Glasgow Scotland)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I don't think that any one book has ever given me so may hours of pleasure as the first version of this book, so I had to have the updated version. It is though, for the the greatest part, exactly the same as the previous edition, but with many new fragrance reviews. If you are in the lucky position of just discovering this book buy this version.
If you are a real fragrance fan, as I am, this book will provide you with reference informaton, fun, laughs, and you can compare your views to those of Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. I am still looking at it regularly, perhaps to read about a fragrance that I have encountered, or that I am interested in,or just to dip in again. Wonderful!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 28
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