Scents & Sensibilities: Creating Solid Perfumes for Well-Being [Hardcover]

Mandy Aftel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2005

Delve into the world of natural aromas and discover their profound effect on emotional well-being, from relieving stress to enhancing sensuality. Renowned perfumer Mandy Aftel shares everything you need to know to create personalized handmade solid perfumes. Aftel has created custom scents for top celebrities like Kate Hudson and Madonna, and has been featured in magazines such as Vogue, O and Vanity Fair. She explains the science of "top," "middle," and "base" notes, and discusses the subtleties of fragrances that will unlock the secrets to finding the perfect perfume for every individual.
Step-by-step instructions along with helpful photographs make this book simple and easy to use, and explain basic equipment necessary for getting started, such as beeswax, a hot plate, and a grater. Aftel also tells how to pick the right containers to store scents, from vintage boxes to jars.
"Smelling her extraordinary collection of oils took me to beautiful places the fragrance that Aftel blended exclusively for me is full of citrus and herbal fragrances that complement my culinary life."
-Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley.
Mandy Aftel is the founder of Aftelier, through which she creates one-of-a-kind perfumes for individuals and private labels. Ms. Aftel is also a counselor and the author of three previous books, including Essence and Alchemy. She lives in Berkeley, California. Her website can be found at www.aftelier.com.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

$12.95 U.S. Delve into the world of natural perfume and discover how different scents can have a profound effect on your emotions, from relieving stress to enhancing sensuality. In Scents and Sensibilities, author Mandy Aftel teaches you everything you need to know to create your own handmade solid perfumes. Essential oils, concretes, and absolutes are combined to create aromas that enhance well being. Ingredients such as bitter orange, juniper berry, pink grapefruit, lavender, nutmeg, vanilla, sandalwood, and rose can create the perfect perfume for different moods. The book includes step-by-step instructions, photographs, lists of equipment, and types of containers. Scents and Sensibilities gives you the information, know-how, and recipes to bring tranquility, sensuality, and refreshment into your life. Mandy Aftel is the founder of Aftelier, through which she creates one-of-a-kind perfumes for individuals and private labels. Her work has been featured in such magazines as Vogue and Allure. Ms. Aftel is also a counselor and the author of four previous books, including Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume. She lives in Berkeley, California. Her website can be found at www.aftelier.com.

About the Author

Writer and perfumer Mandy Aftel was a founder and chief perfumer of all-natural perfume company Grandiflorum, and went on to create Aftelier, a company that concentrates exclusively on creating custom perfumes for men and women. As an authority on natural essences and custom perfumes, she has participated in panels for the perfume industry, and demonstrated and taught the art of natural perfumery across the nation. Her work has been featured in publications including In Style, Vogue, W Magazine, Self, O (Oprah) Magazine, Allure, Health, and Elle. Her website can be found at www.aftelier.com.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith (May 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158685738X
• ISBN-13: 978-1586857387
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #745,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best for beginners, not for those already familiar with Aftel's work, July 9, 2005

By 

T. Morrison "bluedevilsf" (Eagan, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Scents & Sensibilities: Creating Solid Perfumes for Well-Being (Hardcover)

I am a fan of Aftel's work, and I would recommend this for the person casually interested in making solid perfume. This small book -- it's about the size of a CD case -- contains a brief history of solid perfumes, an overview of top/middle/base notes, and easy-to-follow instructions. It's also packed with some beautiful photographs of Aftel's studio and various vessels, such as the shells of pocket watches, used to carry solid perfumes. For beginners, I would give this 4 stars.

For those already familiar with her work, I would give this 3 stars. 90% of the material in the book has already been covered in Aftel's other works, the excellent ESSENCE & ALCHEMY and AROMA. If you have the former, there really is no reason to get this book unless you are a completist or enjoy the photographs.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a complete waste of money, November 3, 2005

By 

Y. Rubensson "Ruby" (Sweden) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Scents & Sensibilities: Creating Solid Perfumes for Well-Being (Hardcover)

Not the nicest thing to say, but I found this book is acompletely waste of both money and reading effort. After reading Ms Aftels first book on natural perfumery, I had expected something similar and was deeply dissapointed. This is one tiny book, but so is Mindy Greens book "Natural Perfumes" and that one is surely worth every dime. The size of the fonts are too large = very little text on each page and the sad fact is, that it contains absolutely nothing new, that wasn't covered in Ms Aftels first book. Some of the pictures are beautiful, but so are the ones in other books on perfumery. The very few formulas that is offered are simple beyond simpleness and I believe that even beginner at the art of NP could come up with more inovative ones.

My advice is - don't buy this book! If you is interested in natural perfumery, there are quite few books on this topic, that offers more knowledge and inspiration than this one.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Perfume as Art, July 15, 2005

By 

Clementine (Lincoln, NE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scents & Sensibilities: Creating Solid Perfumes for Well-Being (Hardcover)

This is not the most informative book about perfumes or aromatherapy that you can purchase. It has rudimentary info on a handful of selected oils and concretes. These topics are covered in more depth in Mandy Aftel's previous books, for those who want to know more. I am giving this one four stars for its beauty, its simplicity and for two very important points that it makes: 1) the act of creating a solid perfume is meditative for the practitioner, and 2) the use of a solid perfume, carried in a lovely container, can be a comforting and joyful daily ritual.

Aftel truly understands that the creation a beloved perfume should be a pleasant harmony of art, science and magic. Read it, try it and prepare to be delighted!