I’m always happy to come across connections between perfumery and literature, so I read (and thoroughly enjoyed) M. J. Rose’s “novel of suspense” The Book of Lost Fragrances soon after its release, and then I tried the accompanying scent from the independent perfume house Joya. According to the author’s website, Rose sent an advance copy of the novel to Joya as a gesture of thanks, since she had been burning Joya candles for ambiance while writing it; the company’s owner, Frederick Bouchardy, was inspired to create a fragrance in response to the novel.
The result is Âmes Sœurs (Scent of Soulmates), developed for Joya by perfumer Rayda Vega and described as “an orange blossom wrapped in incense, smoke and musk.” Its official list of notes includes tamarind, grapefruit, and cypress; rose Bulgar, ginger, and orange blossom; and cedarwood, incense, amber and sweet musk.
If you’ve read The Book of Lost Fragrances, you’re familiar with its motif of an ancient Egyptian perfume, preserved through the ages…
