Perfumes: The A-Z Guide

I was inspired to purchase this book having seen it on display in my local Lush shop carefully page marked with all the Lush entries. I had a quick flick through the book in Lush and decided that it looked sufficiently interesting to justify me buying it.This is a pretty chunky paperback with over six hundred pages and well over one thousand, five hundred different perfumes reviewed alphabetically. I love the fact that this is done alphabetically as it makes it so easy to look up a specific perfume should you want to use the book in this way.The book is so much more than an alphabetical list of perfume reviews though and this is what makes it worthwhile for me. I love the reviews but combined with all the rest it is just so much more worthwhile. You could read this from cover to cover but I haven’t. I read all the written chapters about perfume and how we think of scents but the list of perfume reviews I pick a couple now and then, or I look up specific perfumes or brands and read those while enjoying a sit down and a cup of tea or coffee.THE AUTHORSLuca Turin is a scientist who has been working with the sense of smell and has created his own controversial theory about how we smell things. He is the author of ‘The Secret of Scent’ and the subject of the book ‘Emperor of Scent’. I do have his other book but have not read the one about him.Tania Sanchez is a perfume collector (an dream job in my view) and an expert on perfumes as well as being a journalist.MY VIEWSI really liked the fact that this is so much more than a series of reviews. At the end of the book there are a number of lists. These cover a range of things. The one I found most useful was the glossary of materials and terms used in perfumery. Many of the ingredients have scientific names and this glossary explains what some of these are which I have found handy in my review writing and also has helped me to understand what they have written in their reviews too.The lists of ‘Top Tens’ are also fun and range from ‘Top Ten’ for each of male and female scents and then you also have a list of ’Best feminines for Men’ and vice versa. I was pleased to see one of my favourites, ‘Breath of God’ by Lush was mentioned in the list for ‘Best Bang for the Buck’ and also in the list for the ‘Best Strange Fragrances’ as well. Interesting to see a perfume named after ‘Derby’ coming up in ‘Best Big Ticket Splurges’. When I investigated that one it seems it is created by Guerlain and came in an ugly bottle but they reckon it is one of the ten best male scents of all time!At the back we also find an index or list of all the perfumes covered in the book according to the star rating given by the authors. It is fascinating to read about how they chose the perfumes and how they wrote the reviews. They both smelled each and every one firstly on paper blotters then on skin, usually on both of their skins for one day. They then discuss their views and if there is a disagreement they either both write their views or the most interesting viewpoint wins the day or one converts the other to their way of thinking.I loved reading Luca Turin’s history of perfumes chapter where he explains how perfume manufacture has developed over the years. He does say in this chapter that natural and synthetic materials are both used in perfumes but that “if you smell them, pure natural raw materials are more interesting than aromachemicals.....because naturals are mixtures of tens, sometimes hundreds of molecules and our nose recognises this as richness and depth.” He does go on to say that there have been great creations in synthetics that are not available naturally and of course some like musk are more consistent , cheaper and kinder than using animal products.Sanchez has a number of chapters early in the book and I loved the way she thinks of perfume. She discusses whether perfume is a science or an art. The perfume manufacturers of course create combinations of aromas to perfect their scent and psychologists talk of smells and perfume as being about sex and distant memories. However as Sanchez comments if a woman chose her perfume to attract the attention of a man she would be better off wearing the smell of bacon cooking!Interestingly the ability to compare and discuss perfumes and scents has developed rapidly since we are all able to access the internet and share our views . This has also led to an increase in sales as the more we talk about things the more we want. I am often tempted by good perfume reviews to go and buy a bottle.Another interesting discussion was that unlike many art forms perfume once smelled is lost forever. You cannot get what you have used back in the bottle. It is also something that you need to experience first hand really to enjoy. Reading about a perfume only gives you a limited experience. The scratch and sniff things in magazines are a great move forward but maybe they will find how to send smells through the computers too in the future! It is hard to share unless you actually have the perfume to try.Testing what is right for you is another helpful pointer and she says do not test more than a few at a time in the shop then choose one to try on you and leave the shop. That way you get a good idea of that perfume on you and how it develops as your nose isn’t confused by multiple messages.Useful information such as the fact that a perfume does deteriorate over time and in the light so there is no point in hanging on to a well loved perfume for years as it will not be the same scent you loved in time.They share the fact that they love perfume and it is after all an affordable luxury. You can buy cheap stuff or spend a fortune but it still gives you pleasure. If you like a perfume don’t worry about the brand, the name or the celebrity endorsement, enjoy it for what it is and the pleasure it gives you.“As with the tawdriest pop melody, there is a base pleasure in perfume.... It decorates the day. It makes you feel as if the colours of the air have changed. It’s a substitute for having an orchestra follow you about playing the theme song of your choice.”I thought that was a great description and describes how i feel about perfumes and scents generally. Remember scent comes in so many of our everyday products from washing up liquid, laundry products to toilet cleaners, air fresheners and scented candles. We are bombarded with scent choices all day long and perfumes are really just one part of this.There is just so much information as well as the reviews in this book that I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in perfumes and aromas. Many of their reviews are somewhat blunt and cutting but that doesn’t bother me as I read them for what they are, the authors’ opinion s rather than fact. That is all any review can be and should be and each of us has a different idea or interpretation of what we have smelled.This is well worth a read. I am keeping my copy as I did in and out of it regularly. Others may read it and think that is enough and pass it one. It will not appeal to everyone but I do think as so many people are interested in scented candles and toiletries that this book will appeal to a wider audience that just those buying perfumes.

I've never quite tipped over from perfume lover to perfume fanatic but this fascinating book could be the tipping point!Both writers know their stuff but what makes this such an engaging read is their wit and their passion for perfume, which is highly addictive. I've been haunting the department stores (braving Christmas time crowds!) to try out the rave review items, I gathered all my perfumes together for a review and to follow the move from top note through to `dry down', I have so many bookmarks in my copy that it's bristling with paper. Luca Turin is a biophysicist who makes molecules for the perfume industry (who knew!). He is extremely knowledgeable and erudite and embellishes his descriptions with references to books, films and music - it's a sensory experience to read his critiques and you feel you are learning about perfume. Tania Sanchez is a sharp-witted blogger with a lust for perfume - she is very much the junior partner but provides some street cred. The pair met when Sanchez commented on Turin's well known perfume blog and have since married after collaborating on the book.My only issues with it are:i) there is that there is little indication of price in the book - except occasionally when they say that something is cheap or expensive so the danger is that you can fall in love with the description of a perfume and then find it is way out of your price range andii) the 1500 perfumes are entered in alphabetical order by name but then not indexed or grouped by maker.These are small points but would make the browsing when out much easier.I'm grateful to the guide for pointing me at trying fragrances that perfume snobbery would have kept me from trying - eg Estee Lauder and Tommy Girl and for exploding some myths.A couple of examples from the pens of Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez:Danielle Steel Danielle - `As Slim Pickens says in Dr Strangelove ` A guy could have a pretty good time in Vegas with this!' The fragrance is not all that bad. To be sure, it is a sour pinched floral in the current manner and feels like the formula is only a few bucks away from being cheap enough for wall-socket air care, but is has a weird papaya-like overripe twist in it that saves it from instant oblivion.'Beyond Paradise Men `'Wear it, and after a few hours you will find your daily life suffused by the same feeling of peace you get when you settle into an armchair after tidying your flat from end to end. All other masculines (and most feminines) will seem loud, coarse and bare by comparison. Its composer Calice Becker has miraculously found a way to suspend perfume time, and bottle a never-ending dawn such as Concorde pilots used to see when flying westwards, racing with the sun. LTOrmonde Jayne Champaca `is a handsome, well-built fragrance in a square shoulders eighties style, compellingly botanical and synthetic in what feels equal parts, giving a soft, slightly buttery floral a backbone of amber and a pleasantly rich, green woody herbal aura....'TSMuscs Koublai Khan (Serge Lutens) **** beastly muskNo other perfume musk comes close to this potent animalic antidote to the laundered age, not even the obsolete and unavailable natural musk tincture. Back before I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb, I reviewed Muscs Koublai Khan as "the armpit of a camel driver who has not been near running water in a week." The scent is the same but my horror is gone. The fragrance turns out to be a lost-world fantasy of firelit palaces, with the soupy, sleepy warmth of two beneath a quilt....TSI am now teetering on the edge of obsession but I smell nice...

Fabulous book - interesting and amusing reviews. Lovely to read about fragrances you know and helpful in choosing things too

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.'

I can no longer live without this book. The authors have put together absolutely adorable reviews, which I keep referring to for my scented purchases. Reviews are hilarious, devastatingly sarcastic, or outright wicked. Buy it!!! Authors please write an updated version.

If you're a fragrance fanatic or just looking to delve into the world of perfumes, then "Perfume A-Z Guide" by Luca Turin is the perfect companion. Turin, a renowned fragrance critic, takes readers on a witty and informative journey through the complex and often mysterious world of perfumery.The book is organized alphabetically, with each entry featuring Turin's signature blend of humor and insight. From classic scents to avant-garde creations, he covers it all, providing detailed descriptions of each fragrance and the ingredients that make them unique.But "Perfume A-Z Guide" is more than just a list of scents. Turin's writing style is engaging and entertaining, making even the most technical aspects of perfumery accessible to all readers. His love for fragrance is infectious, and you'll find yourself captivated by his passion and knowledge.Overall, "Perfume A-Z Guide" is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the art of fragrance. Turin's expertise and wit make this book an entertaining and informative read that will leave you smelling the world around you in a whole new way.

Esta guía me sirvió para adentrarme en el mundo de los perfumes. A pesar de que los gustos pueden ser subjetivos, Luca y Tania casi nunca se equivocan en catalogar a los mejores perfumes. La lista de 4 y 5 estrellas es muy buena. Como en todo, también hay perfumes muy malos de 1 y 2 estrellas de los cuales es mejor escapar. Las reseñas entretenidas y divertidas. Al principio hay una sección con un poco de historia de perfumes y preguntas que han recibido en redes sociales. Al final del libro vienen unas lista resumiendo los mejores perfumes, los mejores perfumes femeninos/masculino, los peores, los mejores frescos, los mejores amaderados, etc. Yo tengo la versión Kindle (desde que los dispositivos tiene la misma resolución que papel y tinta 300dpi es muy fácil leer en ellos) y me gustó mucho.Las reseñas son hasta el 2008 así que perfumes más nuevo no se encuentran ahí o también hay algunos que ya están descontinuados. Hay una versión actualizada con fragancias hasta el 2018 la cual también incluye muchas perfumerías de nicho. Yo tengo ambas guías y las disfruté por igual.

Luca Turin est un vieux critique des parfums comme oeuvres d'art (son premier livre de critiques est de 1994) et sa jeune collègue le suit avec enthousiasme dans sa mission de diffusion de l'art du parfum. Leurs critiques peuvent sembler irrespectueuses (mais de quoi? du travail des agences de marketing?), mais elles sont toujours justes et prennent en compte les goùts de tout le monde. Si vous réussissez à trouver un des parfums qu'ils vous conseillent (tous les jours, de trés bons parfums qui manqueront à beaucoup de gens, sont reformulés et massacrés ou tout simplement supprimés au nom d'un soit-disant impératif "économique"), vous trouverez un trésor, une oeuvre d'art pour vous tout seul: presque tout le monde a une peau qui adapte les parfums. Donc mème s'il est écrit en anglais et date un peu, ce livre est indispensable pour mieux apprécier les parfums en général, mème ceux qui ne vous plaisent pas.....Et le style littéraire de Luca Turin est toujours aussi impayable!

I have this on my phone and constantly refer to it. Makes me feel like I’m on a field trip when I’m in the department store.