The Essence of Perfume

Roja Dove’s passion for fragrance is contagious. As the world’s leading perfume authority, Dove leads us on a fascinating journey through the world of scent, from Ancient Egypt, where myth has it that the fragrance Kypi induced mass surrender, through to the 1920s, when the husband of a Hollywood legend maddened by his love and frustrated by his impotence, drenched himself in his wife’s perfume before ending his life. We read about the bitter rivalry between Coco Chanel and “that Italian”, Elsa Schiaparelli, and how this inspired some of history’s most iconic scents.

The Essence of Perfume is the first book by the world’s only Professeur de Parfums, and it is as captivating as it is informative. Beginning with a comprehensive discussion of the sense of smell and the materials of the master perfumer, The Essence of Perfume goes on to celebrate the great classics, the makers who brought them to life and the designers who gave them shape. In an age where the methods and motivations of the original perfumers are all but forgotten, Roja Dove unfolds the gripping story of scent with all the passion and devotion of a true artist.