Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume [Hardcover]

Mandy Aftel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 2001

An artisan perfumer reveals a lost art and its mysterious, sensual history.

For centuries, people have taken what seems to be an instinctive pleasure in rubbing scents into their skin. Perfume has helped them to pray, to heal, and to make love. And as long as there has been perfume, there have been perfumers, or rather the priests, shamans, and apothecaries who were their predecessors. Yet, in many ways, perfumery is a lost art, its creative and sensual possibilities eclipsed by the synthetic ingredients of which contemporary perfumes are composed, which have none of the subtlety and complexity of essences derived from natural substances, nor their lush histories. Essence and Alchemy resurrects the social and metaphysical legacy that is entwined with the evolution of perfumery, from the dramas of the spice trade to the quests of the alchemists to whom today's perfumers owe a philosophical as well as a practical debt. Mandy Aftel tracks scent through the boudoir and the bath and into the sanctums of worship, offering insights on the relationship of scent to sex, solitude, and the soul. Along the way, she imparts instruction in the art of perfume compositions, complete with recipes, guiding the reader in a process of transformation of materials that continues to follow the alchemical dictum solve et coagula (dissolve and combine) and is itself aesthetically and spiritually transforming.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

To this most extraordinary treatise on the history and making of perfume, Aftel, a writer and aroma designer, brings sheer delight in the bouquet of aromas in the natural world, as well as a "love for arcana" and an irreverent sensibility that embraces "little-acknowledged" aphrodisiacs like the smell of sweat. Smell is one of the most primal senses: even newborns orient first toward the smell of their mothers' milk. And world history is full of the manipulation of smell, she reveals, starting with the palace perfumers of ancient Egypt; the Israelite women who concocted essences for temple sacrifices; the Romans, who anointed nearly everything; the alchemists, who searched for the Divine Essence; all the way up to modern pheromone researchers who hope, finally, "to snare the sex drive." Aftel traces this history with witty anecdotes (Ben Franklin's plea for a drug to make sweet-smelling farts, Petrus Castellus's advice to rub civet directly on the penis) and well-chosen alchemical and botanical illustrations. After this seductive introduction, she shifts into the how-to mode, discussing the actual making of a scent, a process of selecting certain "base notes," adding "heart notes" and finally the "top chords." Her emphasis is on experimenting, and developing an "olfactory consciousness." Since organically based perfumes interact with the wearer, they must be designed for a particular user, not vice versa, as with commercial, synthetically based products. Aftel provides some sample formulas and concludes with a roundup of romantic, bathing and spiritual uses of perfumes. Agent, Peter Matson.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Even for those of us who may not be inspired to try our hand at the venerable art of the parfumier, this book has much to offer: fascinating facts about the history of perfume, its links with the ancient art of alchemy and the roles it has played in many cultures . . . Aftel proves an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide." --Merle Rubin, Los Angeles Times

"Rarely has the glory of the sense of smell reached such heights as in the imaginative mind of sensory superstar Mandy Aftel." --Annette Green, President, Fragrance Foundation

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: North Point Press; 1st edition (June 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865475539
• ISBN-13: 978-0865475533
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #747,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

102 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essence & Alchemy, July 22, 2001

By 

nancy "flyby" (Menlo Park, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume (Hardcover)

This just might be the best overall book on fragrance ever, ever written. It is of essential interest to the reader interested in perfume at most any level, from the connoisseur to the designer to the fabricator to the consumer. Mandy Aftel persists in creating perfumes from "all natural" ingredients, after "the trade" now relies on synthetics and scent enhancers and linear construction, even in the most expensive concoctions. And, here we're talking about QUALITY perfumes with history behind them, not new age, "go with the glow" infusions that are often a little reminiscent of the compost heap after the rain. For the general reader, Aftel references the history of fragrance preparation, from ancient times, through alchemists perfumery, to the great age of the perfection of the art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All the traditional ingredients are itemized, from essential incenses and oils used as the "base" to the citrus and floral essences used for the "heart" or middle notes, to the delicate and short-termed finishing high or "head" notes. The properties of each are well explored. More interested readers will be delighted to learn more about the character of what is going into their favorite perfumes and what combines and what doesn't. The reader considering dabbling in perfumery, will find this to be an excellent guide on how to start and continue to build fragrances from easily obtainable essences acquired by mail order.

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enchanting!!, August 29, 2003

By 

Jason D. Florin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume (Hardcover)

This book relates the historical facts about perfumes in an enjoyable, easy to read manner. The author does not limit herself to the descriptions of the typical essential oils listed in most books such as lavender, rose and jasmine, but also includes more exotic aromatics such as blood orange, champa, amberette, and cabreuva. She does not include the more medicinal smelling oils like thyme and tea tree in her recomendations as many other books do. However, this is a book on perfumary and the esthetic properties of the essential oils are the focus. For those interested in the technical and medicinal merits of the essential oils, this is not the book for you. The author does not promote the use of animal products; they are mentioned as these oils are a part of the history of perfumery, and still have a role , albiet diminished, in the modern perfume industry. Her discriptions of the various oils are detailed and her anecdotal references are interesting. She describes how to blend oils, offers suggestions on blending companions, and provides enough data to create your own blends. The oils are catagorized by note, and also according to family ie. resin, citrus, floral etc.She also includes recipies, indicates which oils are costly and/or difficult to find, and some sources. Overall, this is a well written, entertaining, and information packed book, which focuses on perfumery not chemistry.A sheer joy to read, and inspiring for the creative nature of blending essential oils.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This should be a prerequiste book..., December 10, 2004

By 

Kasee L. Kozel (MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essence And Alchemy: A Book Of Perfume (Hardcover)

This is the book to have when you want the best perspective about natural perfumery. Most perfume books focus solely on the synthetic or aesthetic aspect of scent. "Essence and Alchemy" goes into depth about all aspects of perfume: scientifically, historically, sensually and spiritually. Maybe this will add one more element to home perfume-making. It's what makes the book unique. That, and it's a great read. I renewed it twice from the library when I first came across it!