Perfumes The Guide 2018, by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, promises over 1200 new perfume reviews: "Ten years later they bring their inimitably passionate, erudite perspective back to the hugely changed world of fragrance, to sort out which of over 1,200 new individual perfumes deserves celebration (and which condemnation)." Available at Amazon in Kindle ($9.20) or Paperback ($16.99).
In this programme, Bridget Kendall and guests explore the modern history of perfume, including its flowering in France and the explosive chemical discoveries that helped to make fine fragrance what it is today. They also explore perfume’s ancient roots and ask: what’s in a name?
Bridget is joined by scientist and critic Luca Turin, writer and curator Lizzie Ostrom and the perfumer Thomas Fontaine. Also featuring William Tullett and James McHugh.
— Listen to the 41 minute radio show on BBC World Service. (I have not had a chance to listen yet, if you have, do comment and let us know if it is fantastic!) Hat tip to Oakland Fresca!
Luca Turin talks about “violet, ionones and iris, in this teaser from the upcoming feature documentary, ‘The Grey Lady'”. From the film’s website: “The Grey Lady is a documentary exploring the very real challenges faced by several perfumers in their competition to re-create a perfume that has been – and may yet remain – lost to time.” I have no further information, but it looks like the fragrance is Jacques Fath Iris Gris. (For one “new version”, see Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Scent of Hope.)
The documentary is being produced by The Institute for Art and Olfaction, and they’re in need of funding support. There are fun perks! Do watch their video below the jump…
So I have decided to try a different approach: I will write reviews of niche fragrances at my own pace. I will pick only the ones I love, hence the name of this blog. That way small firms who send me samples can take comfort in knowing that the worst that can happen is no review. When a great mainstream fragrance comes along, I will review that too, since there is no point excluding good stuff simply because it is widely available.
— Luca Turin on his new blog, Perfumes I Love.
Happy 5 Star Friday! Our community project for today: wear your favorite perfume ranked five stars by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez in Perfumes: the Guide or in Luca Turin’s Style Arabia columns. Partial credit for a four-star perfume!
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I’m wearing Chanel Bois des Iles (which made a nice showing here over the last week), in not-quite-new but not-quite-vintage Extrait. Tania Sanchez: “It is basically perfect and, though over eighty years old, seems as ageless as everything Chanel did in those inventive years…”