Mandy Aftel > Quotes

“The nose is idiosyncratically central not only to our sense of smell but to our sense of who we are , in our most primal appetites. For the idea of appetite pertains to food as well as to all the sensual and spiritual experiences that drive us, give us pleasure, make us feel more alive in the moment. Scent is a portal to these basic human appetites—for the far-off, the familiar, the transcendent, the strange, and the beautiful—that have motivated us since the origins of our species.”
― Mandy Aftel, Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent

“What is important is not whether an essence smells beautiful on its own but how its idiosyncratic capacities and elements merge and blend with chosen others to create a beautiful new smell. For a perfumer to dislike patchouli or vetiver is like a painter disliking green or yellow. Essences are simply materials with which to realize a vision, and while every perfumer will have favorites, every essence has a place in skilled hands.”
― Mandy Aftel, Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume

“Smell is an invitation to a journey: it allows us to leave the ordinary course of things and go on a trip, to absent ourselves.”
― Mandy Aftel, Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent