Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances Hardcover – January 1, 1996

I love this book. I had my own when I worked for perfumery.. I gave my book gift away and missed it.. i was glad to be able to purchase the same one on Amazon... so much to a fragrance

It's easy to forget how scent defines an era, and the French have been at the heart of scent in the Western world. This is a great history describing the great scent designers, the art and science of perfume and the historical context of the art. For a multi-media experience, check out the 41 scent sampler at The Perfumed Court web site. It's one thing to read about a fragrance, but even more fascinating to feel the words along with the scent itself. (I am not affiliated with the TPC site, but discovered this book while browsing there.)

This is a beautiful book and a great read on the legends and stories behind the great perfumes and perfume houses. I learned more about the perfumes, the packaging, the designers, the design culture in France, etc. etc. etc. than I ever would have expected. There are some pretty good descriptions of the scents themselves, together with triangle diagrams of head, heart and bottom notes.I would have liked to see more "how to buy perfume" information, such as the different formulations of EDT, EDP, etc., and maybe some more comparative information on the various fragrances.This book has been an invaluable resource for my blog, [...]

I was so inspired by this book years ago I traveled to Grasse, wrote the first draft of "The Artisan's Star' and read, and re-read every chapter of Michael Edwards superb work many times over. The stories behind the fragrances, especially the one about Jacques Guerlain and L'Heure Bleu' are unforgettable; metaphors for life in all its puzzling and ever evolving dimensions. This is more than a beautiful tribute to a mysterious art form. It's an immersion into the world of French perfumes; a narrative as multi-faceted as the flacons designed for the houses of Guerlain, Rochas and Ricci, and an introduction to the talented artisans of this complex metier. Whenever I feel like traveling back to Grasse I open 'Perfume Legends', and it takes me there.

When I purchased this book I had no idea of all the historic facts in it. I have learned so much about the houses and fragrances. I reccomend this book to anyone in the fragrance industory or anyone interested in the fragrance world. So much historic information in this volumne.