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Fragrance: From plant to perfume, the botanical origins of scent
The luxurious and evocative scents that have fragranced the world all have their roots firmly in nature. Fragrance explores the botanical origins of perfume, unveiling the science and secrets behind the most intoxicating ingredients and their journey from bloom to bottle.
From lemon, lavender and liquorice to cumin, cardamom and cotton flower, Fragrance reveals the alchemy, cultural meaning and plant provenance of 100 key ingredients that make up the most seductive scents. With beautiful botanical illustrations from the Kew archive and evocative text from Josh Carter and Samuel Gearing, experts at fine fragrance store Fiole, this book is an enchanting exploration of scent and the plant origins of perfume.
From lemon, lavender and liquorice to cumin, cardamom and cotton flower, Fragrance reveals the alchemy, cultural meaning and plant provenance of 100 key ingredients that make up the most seductive scents. With beautiful botanical illustrations from the Kew archive and evocative text from Josh Carter and Samuel Gearing, experts at fine fragrance store Fiole, this book is an enchanting exploration of scent and the plant origins of perfume.
- GenresNonfiction
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2024
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42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 27, 2025
This is a beautiful book about many of the plants commonly used or mimicked in perfumery. Being put out by the Royal Botanic Gardens, it uses some really nice botanical illustrations, which make it much better than it would have otherwise been.
Most plants get a single page. So, there's only so much you can write in the limited space, which generally includes basic information about the plant as well what part of the plant is used in perfumery and how difficult/expensive it is to acquire. Plus, there's info about how the note smells in perfumery as well as a list of 3 suggested fragrances that showcase the note. There were quite a lot of interesting tidbits of info, and several times, I realized that notes that often get lumped together aren't the same thing at all.
However, several times where I knew a flower, spice, or plant very well, the note wasn't described remotely as I experience it. And several of the times a fragrance I know well was used as an example of a note I know well, it wasn't a note I find to be well-showcased in that fragrance because it blends in too well. Still, there was plenty to learn. Like, I didn't know that ambrette is a plant used for its musk scent or that birch provides what we think of as a leathery note since many leathers are cured with birch tannins.
Anyhow, I guess it's a good reference book overall even though I don't always agree with the way it describes certain notes or fragrances. But noses can certainly be very different.
Most plants get a single page. So, there's only so much you can write in the limited space, which generally includes basic information about the plant as well what part of the plant is used in perfumery and how difficult/expensive it is to acquire. Plus, there's info about how the note smells in perfumery as well as a list of 3 suggested fragrances that showcase the note. There were quite a lot of interesting tidbits of info, and several times, I realized that notes that often get lumped together aren't the same thing at all.
However, several times where I knew a flower, spice, or plant very well, the note wasn't described remotely as I experience it. And several of the times a fragrance I know well was used as an example of a note I know well, it wasn't a note I find to be well-showcased in that fragrance because it blends in too well. Still, there was plenty to learn. Like, I didn't know that ambrette is a plant used for its musk scent or that birch provides what we think of as a leathery note since many leathers are cured with birch tannins.
Anyhow, I guess it's a good reference book overall even though I don't always agree with the way it describes certain notes or fragrances. But noses can certainly be very different.
January 8, 2025
In equal parts botanical and fragrance-oriented, this book is a very nice introduction to the world of ingredients used in fragrances. 100 materials divided into 11 chapters (flowers, fruits, grasses, herbs, resins, spices, woods). Each material has about a page to two pages devoted to it with some having accompanying images. Theses images, taken directly from the Royal Botanic Gardens archives have this vintage and beautiful aspect that really enhances the reading experience.
It's more of an introduction book for novices than a book for veterans. I did learn a lot of new things and now have a better appreciation of the notes I smell in a perfume. I wish there had been more facts and more details about each of the ingredients, but the book would've been too big if the authors had done that. Nonetheless, it's a very nice addition for someone who loves perfumes as a hobby and wishes to know more about the ingredients used in fragrances!
It's more of an introduction book for novices than a book for veterans. I did learn a lot of new things and now have a better appreciation of the notes I smell in a perfume. I wish there had been more facts and more details about each of the ingredients, but the book would've been too big if the authors had done that. Nonetheless, it's a very nice addition for someone who loves perfumes as a hobby and wishes to know more about the ingredients used in fragrances!
October 24, 2024
An exploration of 100 plants and their fragrance.
As might be expected from an association with Kew gardens and two fragrance experts, Fragrance is a classy, elegant and superior book that would make a wonderful gift for gardeners and perfume lovers alike. The illustrations that come from the collections at Kew are breathtakingly beautiful and I loved the stark monochrome contrast of the chapter title pages. They have real impact.
Whilst the two co-authors have written fascinating and often quite poetic prose in Fragrance, the horticulturally scientific background text has been contributed by Kew’s own Eliot Jan-Smith and Melanie-Jayne R, so that there’s an expert authority to those aspects. Each of these elements is impressive in its own right, but combined they make a truly lovely gift book. I very much appreciated the glossary of perfumery terms at the start of the book and the index at the back, because I felt I was being gently educated as well as entertained.
There’s so much to discover here. Each entry is introduced by a pithy and frequently surprising comment. I always find it tricky to review non-fiction without simply regurgitating a few of the book’s contents, but I must just mention two aspects. Firstly, who knew the importance of mountain goats in perfumery? You’ll need to read Fragrance to discover why. Secondly, I was amazed at the inclusion of tomato leaves. Whilst roses, violets, lily of the valley and so on might have been expected, I had absolutely no concept of tomato leaves as an ingredient in perfume!
At the end of each section are examples of commercial perfumes where the plant plays a large role in their signature fragrance. I loved discovering the plants included in two of my favourite aromas, Trésor by Lancôme and J’Adore by Dior. As Trésor seems to be increasingly difficult to buy, I shall be investigating the other two perfumes with similar fragrance notes that are included.
Fragrance is a book to savour. It can be read in the order presented or dipped into so that it is not only beautiful, but it has longevity as a potential gift book. It has fascinating snippets of information that take readers from the blockades of the Napoleonic wars to Beyonce, so that there really is something for everyone to discover between its pages.
As might be expected from an association with Kew gardens and two fragrance experts, Fragrance is a classy, elegant and superior book that would make a wonderful gift for gardeners and perfume lovers alike. The illustrations that come from the collections at Kew are breathtakingly beautiful and I loved the stark monochrome contrast of the chapter title pages. They have real impact.
Whilst the two co-authors have written fascinating and often quite poetic prose in Fragrance, the horticulturally scientific background text has been contributed by Kew’s own Eliot Jan-Smith and Melanie-Jayne R, so that there’s an expert authority to those aspects. Each of these elements is impressive in its own right, but combined they make a truly lovely gift book. I very much appreciated the glossary of perfumery terms at the start of the book and the index at the back, because I felt I was being gently educated as well as entertained.
There’s so much to discover here. Each entry is introduced by a pithy and frequently surprising comment. I always find it tricky to review non-fiction without simply regurgitating a few of the book’s contents, but I must just mention two aspects. Firstly, who knew the importance of mountain goats in perfumery? You’ll need to read Fragrance to discover why. Secondly, I was amazed at the inclusion of tomato leaves. Whilst roses, violets, lily of the valley and so on might have been expected, I had absolutely no concept of tomato leaves as an ingredient in perfume!
At the end of each section are examples of commercial perfumes where the plant plays a large role in their signature fragrance. I loved discovering the plants included in two of my favourite aromas, Trésor by Lancôme and J’Adore by Dior. As Trésor seems to be increasingly difficult to buy, I shall be investigating the other two perfumes with similar fragrance notes that are included.
Fragrance is a book to savour. It can be read in the order presented or dipped into so that it is not only beautiful, but it has longevity as a potential gift book. It has fascinating snippets of information that take readers from the blockades of the Napoleonic wars to Beyonce, so that there really is something for everyone to discover between its pages.
March 13, 2025
This book was exactly what I was hoping for. It really helped me understand the world of fragrance better and I will be using it as a fixes guide from here on out. It was well thought out, organized, and had beautiful artistry. I highly recommend for anyone dipping their toes in the world of fragrance.
December 26, 2024
A very pretty book, but not a lot of in-depth content. A good intro for someone just beginning their study of perfume botanicals, but not a ton of value added for more experienced perfumers or gardeners.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews