“Book collecting is an obsession, an occupation, a disease, an addiction, a fascination, an absurdity, a fate. It is not a hobby. Those who do it must do it.” Jeanette Winterson

Roja Dove. Source: The Glass Magazine.

That quote about books might well apply to perfume, too. For those poor souls like myself who suffer from both forms of madness, there is a new temptation on the horizon: Roja Dove‘s “The Essence of Perfume.” It is a fantastic book with gorgeous photos ranging from exquisite old perfume bottles to vintage posters. Much more important, though, is the fact that it is incredibly informative with sections that would appeal to perfume lovers of all backgrounds and levels of expertise. From the history of perfumery to explanations of all the key raw materials, a detailed breakdown of perfumes by decade, and so, so much more, this is an incredibly useful book to own.

The Essence of Perfume originally debuted in 2008, but a completely updated, re-worked version has just been released in the U.K. and will launch worldwide in early/mid September. I will have a giveaway at the end of this post, giving one of you the chance to get an early copy, but the main purpose of this post is to explore The Essence of Perfume‘s contents in detail. One reason for that is because of my own reaction when first hearing about the book. Continue reading →