Perfume: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Finest Fragrances [Hardcover]

Nigel Groom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

Sweet aromas produced around the world fill "Perfume," an A-to-Z directory of more than 70 perfume houses, including Chanel, Givenchy, Faberge and Calvin Klein. Learn about the history of scent, from its origins in ancient times to the trends, designers, and personalities that dominate today. This authoritative guide also includes a detailed account of ingredients, bottle designs, and various manufacturing processes.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Running Pr (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762406062
• ISBN-13: 978-0762406067
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Last A Key!, September 28, 2000

By 

EternalSeeker (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Perfume: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Finest Fragrances (Hardcover)

This book is an invaluable handbook for anyone interested in the components of different fragrances, what the exact scents used were, and to get a feel for the "personality" of a perfume without having to go out and try on every single one.

It is especially a treasure trove for me, oddly enough because I have a very poor sense of smell due to a skull fracture. But I am utterly fascinated by scents, and I just got tired of asking other people to choose a perfume for me. Who knew what I was getting? This gives me a wonderful sense of whether a perfume is something I would feel comfortable in, and now I get a great many compliments!!

Well written, with good descriptions of the various perfume ingredients, and even the mood they are apt to evoke. Plus an interesting bit of history on each of the major houses, and where they appear to be headed. It's my bible, and a fascinating peek into the finest fragrances of our time.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For perfume connoisseurs, October 16, 2000

By 

Rosengarten (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Perfume: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Finest Fragrances (Hardcover)

For perfume connoisseurs 'The Perfume Companion' by Nigel Groom is the book to read. Nigel has lived and worked in South Arabia, which had previously been the centre of the incense trade; frankincense being a staple of ancient perfume. It is a book for amateurs and professionals alike. The book contains a highly regarded 'Perfume Directory', which is a résumé about 97 major perfume houses. Read about grand old French perfume houses such as Coty, Houbigant and D'Orsay; the perfumes of couture houses such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Givenchy and the big American names such as Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and Donna Karan. The book also describes the history of perfume, principal ingredients, classifications as well as the leading perfumers and perfume manufacturers of today.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfume Guide, May 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Perfume: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Finest Fragrances (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book that not only gives information about the perfume itself but also about the Designer/Company that produces it. It also gives recent info what happened to the Company/Designer, who maybe bought the label etc. It also lists other perfumes of that company/Designer although that could be a bit more extensive. What I like about the book is that the standart info about development of perfume/perfume bottles, manufacturing process etc. is relatively short because just about every book about perfume covers that. This book is more about recent information and new Perfumes and Designers without missing mentioning a lot of the older ones as well. It is excellent value for money.