Posted by Robin
on
9 February 2010
It's an easy trap to fall into - up to 97 per cent of the cost of producing a conventional perfume goes on marketing, packaging and advertising. The liquid in the bottle can represent as little as 3 per cent of the total cost of production.
As 'professeur de parfum' and founder of the Haute Parfumerie at Harrods, Roja Dove laments, 'I think most people don't actually smell fragrances anymore. People are so influenced by marketing that people buy scents that they don't really like.'
— From Perfume: how natural are you willing to go? at Ecologist. The article includes a list of recommended natural perfumes.
Posted by Angela
on
28 December 2009
Have you ever seen the episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy gets a job in a candy factory? The candy rolls off the assembly line so fast she can’t package it. She ends up covered in chocolate and out of a job. These days, trying to stay on top of perfume launches is like working at Lucy’s candy factory. As is also true at the factory, so many of the fragrances are the same. This candy tester is happy to report the new Grossmith line stands apart. They’re different not so much because they’re wildly compelling, but because they smell of a different time.
Grossmith, an English perfume house, first opened its doors in 1835 and closed sometime in the early 20th century. The great grandson of its founder revived the house this year with the help of Roja Dove from Harrod’s Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie. Grossmith has released three of its original fragrances. Despite the perfume house’s name, which sounds like it could front canned peas, each fragrance’s name is exotic: Phul-Nana, Shel-el-Nessim, and Hasu-no-Hana…
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Posted by Robin
on
7 December 2009
Grossmith, an English perfume house originally established in 1835, has been relaunched by the great-grandson of the original founder working in collaboration with Roja Dove of the Haute Parfumerie at Harrods. Three of the original fragrances are now available:
Phul-Nana ~ “Hindi for ‘lovely flower’. A fresh, sweet Floral composition with Aromatic Fougère overtones on a soft, warm, woody base…”
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Posted by Robin
on
30 June 2009
Black Dog Publishing is offering 50% off on copies of Roja Dove's The Essence of Perfume (the regular prices: £40 in the UK, $70 in the US). To order, just send an email to jess@blackdogonline.com with the words 'Now Smell This' in your subject line. The offer is good through 7/31, and they can ship worldwide.
With the winter holidays approaching fast, it's time to discuss a book that has been sitting on my shelf for several months now. It's one of those rare books that combine pleasure and knowledge in equal measure — beautiful looks, matched with refreshing and original content. Which is no small accomplishment, when you think of all the coffee-table books we've reviewed on these pages alone. Author Roja Dove needs no further introduction*, and many of you have either read about The Essence of Perfume on other blogs, or perhaps even own a copy already. What I want to do here is to give a brief overview of its contents, and then add a small critical note, which I hope won't resonate too badly with the author. We'll see.
If you're covering a big topic like perfumery in one book, you're bound to make concessions. This one starts with a very brief introduction to the sense of smell, which is obviously not the author's strongest point. But if olfaction is what you're most interested in, there's an ample choice of specialized books to consult instead. Chapter two is a far more elaborate sketch of the origins of modern perfumery. It features, among other things, stunning images of three unique Guerlain bottles…
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