Books & Films: Introductions and Reviews
From introductions to perfume to books on perfumers’ work and the history of iconic fragrances. Explore books in Japanese and other languages, and films that portray scent.
English renderings of Japanese titles are provided for reference; they do not indicate an English-language edition.
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Getting Started & Enjoying Perfume
“A New Textbook of Perfume”Learn the basics of perfume, and how to choose and wear it.- “The Golden Rules of Perfume”A first book covering perfume history, fragrance families, choosing and wearing perfume.
- “The Book of Perfume: An Invitation to Fragrance”An introduction to the world of perfume.
- “Perfumes: The Guide”Explore perfume through Luca Turin’s criticism.
- “Personal Fragrance”Enjoying perfume in your own way.
Perfumers & Perfume Creation
- “Aroma Blending Lessons”An introduction to composing fragrances with essential oils.
- “The Creation of Scent”Edmond Roudnitska’s ideas on perfume and the creative process.
- “Perfume”Ellena on perfume-making and the work of a perfumer.
- “The Diary of a Nose”Ellena’s reflections on creation and everyday life during his years at Hermès.
- “A Perfumer’s Notebook”Discover a perfumer’s work and perspective on scent.
- 『A Life of Perfume』Discover Edmond Roudnitska’s approach to perfume creation.
- 『Aphorisms of a perfumer』Explore a perfumer’s thinking through Dominique Ropion’s words.
- 『My Story』Jo Malone tells the story of her life and work in fragrance.
- 『On Perfume Making』Read Frédéric Malle’s thoughts on perfume-making.
- 『22 perfumers』The creative perspectives of 22 perfumers.
- 『The Perfect Scent』Go behind the scenes of a perfume’s creation.
- 『The Perfume Lover』A story of a perfume lover and the creation of a fragrance.
Science & Ingredients
- “The Science of Scent: From the Nature of Smell to Its Effects”Explore the nature of smell and how we perceive scent through science.
- “The Secret of Scent”Luca Turin explores the mechanisms of smell and the world of perfume.
- “An Illustrated Guide to Fragrant Plants”Learn about fragrance ingredients through the plants that produce them.
- “The Naturals Notebook”A series by Nez and LMR exploring individual fragrance ingredients.
- “The Science of Flavors and Fragrances”Discover the technology and science behind fragrance ingredients.
- “The Emperor of Scent”The story of Luca Turin and his investigation into smell.
- 『Atlas of Perfumed Botany』Explore fragrant plants through Ellena’s perspective.
- 『Guide to Fragrance Ingredients』A reference for understanding ingredients used in perfumery.
History & Culture
- “The Essence of Perfume”Perfume history and landmark creations through Roja Dove’s eyes.
- “Perfume Bottles: From Antiquity to Art Deco and the Age of Fashion”Trace the design of perfume bottles through the ages.
- “An Illustrated Guide to Perfume Bottles”An illustrated guide to the forms and designs of perfume bottles.
- “Stories of Perfume Brands”Explore the connections between brands and their signature perfumes, with photographs.
- “Coty: The Man Called the Emperor of Perfume”François Coty and the world of perfume bottle design.
- “The Secret of Chanel No. 5”Trace the creation of Chanel N°5 and its background.
- “Perfume Legends I & II”Explore iconic perfumes and the people involved in creating them.
- “The Scent Trail”Read about a journey following scent.
- “Rare Perfumes: Fragrance in the 21st Century”Discover niche brands and specialist perfume shops through beautiful photographs.
- “Legendary French Perfumes”Read the stories of French perfumes and iconic fragrances.
- “Fragrance: The Story of Perfume from Cleopatra to Chanel”Trace fragrance culture through history.
- “Flowers and Fragrance in Southern France”Explore the flowers and fragrance-growing regions of southern France.
- “Le Parfum”Explore 20th-century perfume alongside changes in society and its muses.
- 『Coty: The Brand of Visionary』Read about Coty’s perfumes and the history of the brand.
- 『The First Twenty Years』Trace the first 20 years of Frédéric Malle’s brand.
Novels & Stories
Films
- “The Whirlpool”The story of a perfumer living on a remote island and his encounter with a woman.
- “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer”A film adaptation of the novel about a man obsessed with smell.
- “NOSE”A documentary following the work of Dior’s perfumer.
- “Perfumes”The story of an encounter between a perfumer and a driver.
Further Book Titles
Books without links to review articles are listed here.
View the list of titles (12 books)
- “Perfume”
- “A Fragrance Merchant’s Tales of Scent, East and West”
- “A Cultural History of Fragrance Ingredients”
- “The Mystery of Chanel No. 5: A Perfumer from Imperial Russia”
- “Stories of Perfumes and Cosmetics Around the World”
- “The Scent of a Transparent Night”
- “Scent: The Secret Seducer”
- “Marie Antoinette’s Perfumer”
- 『From plant to essence』
- 『The Big Book of Perfume』
- 『The Ghost Perfumer』
- 『The Sense of Scent』