The Essence Of Perfume Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Roja Dove’s passion for fragrance is contagious. As the world’s leading perfume authority, Dove leads us on an extravagant journey through the world of scent, from Ancient Egypt, where myth has it that the fragrance Kypi induced mass surrender, through to the 1920s, when Jean Harlow’s husband—maddened by his love and frustrated by his impotence—drenched himself in his wife’s perfume before ending his life. We hear about the many episodes born from the bitter rivalry between Coco Chanel and “that Italian”, Elsa Schiaparelli, and which of today’s celebrity fragrances are the most offensive.The Essence of Perfume is the first book by the world’s only Professeur de Parfums, and it is as captivating as it is informative. Beginning with a comprehensive discussion of the sense of smell and the materials of the master perfumer, The Essence of Perfume goes on to celebrate the great classics, the makers who brought them to life and the bottle makers who gave them shape. In an age where the methods and motivations of the original perfumers are all but forgotten, Roja Dove unfolds the gripping story of scent with all the passion and devotion of a true artist.
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Black Dog Publishing; Second Edition edition (October 14, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1908966467
ISBN-13: 978-1908966469
Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.6 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #510,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #18 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering > Chemical > Cosmetics #226 in Books > Arts & Photography > Decorative Arts & Design > Industrial & Product Design #272 in Books > Textbooks > Engineering > Chemical Engineering
If you're looking for a book to give you an in depth history of perfume, how it's made and how it works on our sense of smell, this is not that book. Instead, this book is a kind of wonderful "sampler" that gives a bit of information on a variety of aspects of perfumery. Dove touchs on not only the perfumes, but also a bit of information about the houses that created them and the eras in which the perfumes were conceived. The book opens with a full-color glossary of images and descriptions of raw materials that are used to create the "notes' in perfumes as well as examples of perfume pyramids that diagram how those notes fit into a perfume's structure. Like I said before, it's not in depth, but it is written in such a way that it makes sense to anyone who is just starting to want to understand how perfumes are structured. Next it moves on to explain the various perfume categories or "families", like florals, orientals, chypres, etc. After that he moves into information on some of the ground-breaking classic perfumes by Coty, Guerlain and others, followed by descriptions of eras (the 1920's, 1930's, etc.) and the perfumes that were introduced in those time frames as well as some background information on the people like Christian Dior or Estee Lauder who brought you those scents. The book closes with unbelieveably gorgeous examples of vintage perfume bottles from a time when the bottle was as important as the scent that it held.This book is a visual treat and a nice addition to the collection of anyone who studies and collects scents or perfume bottles.
Wow! This is probably the most visually gorgeous book I own (and I collect beautiful books on fragrance and perfume). Even though I dearly love my Kindles, I did order this as a hardback book, and I am so glad I did. The extravagant beauty of the art and photography and the feel of the pages create an experience that is alone well worth the price of the book. That said, "The Essence of Perfume" is also a fabulous read.I highly recommend this to anyone who loves fragrance - buy the hardback. You won't regret it!
I had no idea I was getting such a magnificent volume. There is everything to love about "The Essence of Perfume." It can be a coffee table book to peruse casually. The photography of the classic bottles and advertising is a delight to the eye. Some of the short descriptions of fragrances make for quick reads. Or else you can dig into the "meat" of the book -- the history of the fragrance houses, the crafts persons that created the perfumes, the structure of the various scents, and the luminaries associated with the scent or the brand. Both an artistic and scholarly achievement. And it is all splendidly and elegantly presented. It's a "keeper," and I'm delighted to add it to my library.
This is a wonderful volume - lavishly illustrated and well researched. Everything you ever wanted to know about scents, their history, how they are made, the array of materials used, etc. The great design houses are well profiled. For me the most fun is Dove's selection of 55 of the greatest perfumes (since 1889) with comments on their content, place in history, and importance in the art of perfumery. Color photos of the elaborate bottles accompany each profile.I have been using an online sample company and obtaining decade by decade vials of the reviewed perfumes and it is great fun. Dove is the "best nose in the business," having worked for Guerlain for 20 years, and now producing his own scent lines. His rich sensual Unspoken is my favorite of his.I have read other scholarly books on the subject and they can be rather cloying, like a heavy floral, but Dove's is breezy and easy to read. My only peeve would be he needed a better editor - there are many typos and incorrect spellings of names. Small point though.Enjoy!
Roja Dove's splendid take on perfumery, its methods, history and mystery, is as precious to me as the perfumes I own, now that scent has become a passion second only to the novels I write. The book is equally resplendent with information to feed a perfumista's/o's mind and glorious photos for our eyes to feast upon. It begins with an explanation of smell itself, goes on to describe how perfume notes are extracted from flower, citrus, resin, etc., includes a sumptuous glossary of raw materials and explains the key aspects of perfumery. Then the history starts of great perfumes and their perfumers--stories from the birth of modern perfumery up to today--and ends with the ones Roja Dove personally created (please, God, may I have a bottle of Roja before I die?). It ends with his thoughts about the future. This book has become a prized possession. Should an emergency arise, I might well be found running from the house with my purse, a sack of fragrances, and The Essence of Perfume. Time permitting, I'll have on shoes. I can't recommend this book more highly.
I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed those oversize picture books we usually refer to, somewhat disparagingly, as coffee-table. And yes, a goodly amount of this bookish species is all flash and little substance. But when done right these thick, heavy tomes can be little short of hypnotic: truly works of art themselves, and very good works of art at that. And this one’s a doozy.Even by the standards of the most scrumptious coffee table books this one is something special: page after page of delicious, full-color illustrations: the pictures of the classic perfume bottles alone are worth the cost of the book, and the full color reproductions of vintage posters and advertisements are nothing to sneeze at either.The text is a combination of memoir, history, illustration and opinion. Roja Dove’s coverage is (relatively) weak on pure science, but strong on popular culture and graphic illustration, and to my way of thinking this is a good ratio. The author clearly knows his subject backwards and forwards but writes in a breezy, chatty style that makes for a smooth read. Along the way the usual suspects of big name houses and individuals are explored. One minor criticism: I might have wished for a larger font size. After continued reading I had some squint fatigue.My favorite is Chapter Six, which covers, by decade, the great classic perfumes, and this is where the real photographic nuggets can be found. The Essence of Perfume is much recommended for the novice or veteran of perfumery, also for fans of art, graphic design and popular culture of the 1920s and 1930s.
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