A Must for Soul Searching Scent Amateurs



Perfumes, The Guide,
by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez
USA 2008

As always, a lucky find. As you perhaps already know, I love scent. And I am always on the outlook for THE scent for me, for the next 10 years, or 40 years, even better. ( I can tell you, I have 3 frontrunners quite now, and one of them will be IT...)

This book is truly a find - but to be taken with a small smile at times. Naturally, scent and perfumes is something very personal, what smells divine to one person, stinks to the other and so on. Here I would suggest some caution, because sometimes I do not really approve with those two specialists in their judgement - scent is handled here as it were a form of Art in its own. Which, beware, it may well be - who am I to say otherwise? But then, perfume is something so personal, that it is really almost impossible to make a general judgement, if a scent is good or not. Everybody has a different connotation anyway. Here, for once, it lies really in the nose of the one who wears it and also in the nose of the one who smells it. Sounds complicated, but isn´t.

What is great and fantastic in this book though is the very interesting introductions and historic overview about the art of perfumery and its development. There is a very interesting section of feminine and masculine fragrances, about the "families" which exist in each section and how and why things are done or perceived as they are. This is certainly the great merit of this book, we learn so much interesting things in a pleasant and very readable form.

But then the real fun starts: there are a huge number of scents reviewed and judged and it is great fun to look up your favourites - but beware of disappointment, it could well be, that a scent you have worn over years ( like I did with Eau du Soir...) get simply horrible comments. Even more fun is then putting your new learnedness into practise and head for the next well sorted perfumery to smell the scents about which our authors get enthusiastic - and then take the liberty of not to agree. It has happened to me more than once. I could start to doubt my own judgement, but then, it is me, who has to wear this scent - and there, selfconsciousness and adulthood kicks in. I do not care, if Luca or Tania thinks the scent is boring or detestable.
If I like it, I like it.

But the book has tremendous entertaining qualities and it offers hours of good conversation. It is a must for everyone who has got a remote interest in scent!

I do hope, that a new edition, with other reviews of other scents will follow up. Apparently there is a paperback edition in the States available, which says, that there are updates within. I have not seen it, but would like to know. Anybody over there, have an idea, please?