My perfume CV probably reads a lot like many other women my age. In my teens I dabbled with those omnipresent Body Shop fragrances - Dewberry, White Musk - before graduating to CKOne and Thierry Mugler's Angel. The three perfumes I wear now are Violetta by Penhaligon's (my twenties career girl perfume), Stella by Stella McCartney (my wedding perfume), and now Tam Dao by Diptyque
(my thirties working mum perfume).But since reading Perfumes: The A-Z Guide
I feel like a whole new fragranced world has opened up before me, one that begs for a bit of exploration, experimentation, indulgence. The book is a potted history of perfume, an explanation of how fragrance is made and marketed, plus reviews of pretty much every perfume you can think of. Far from being a dry textbook kind of thing, this is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. Truly. Because the authors are funny, knowledgeable, and just really, really love perfume.Since reading the book, I've been inspired to try new scents. I've even dug about a bit online and discovered a whole world of perfume fanatics, the blogs dedicated to the stuff, and a black market in rare and discontinued fragrances.
What I'm lacking, however, is the opportunity to go and try out some of the perfumes that sound so wonderful on paper. It's a dangerous game to order online based on one person's description. Isn't it?
