Monday, 16 November 2009

The A-Z of fragrance

Luca Turin, has, with his wife and co-author Tina Sanchez, just published the paperback edition of his revered guide to perfume and aftershave. It’s not easy to explain why a book that basically just reviews hundreds of fragrances is so good, but believe me, it is.
Partly it’s because Turin and Sanchez have approached an apparently gruelling task in such a free-spirited and romantic way, and partly because it’s intriguing to look up their review of one’s own favorites.Needless to say the authors’ opinions aren’t ‘right’, anymore than a music critic’s opinion is ‘right’, but their extraordinary knowledge means that, at the very least, they explain a fragrance’s historical and olfactive context. Combined with the advice given in some essays at the front of the book about how to choose an aftershave this is both a practical guide and a charming flight of fancy.
Perfumes by Luca Turin and Tina Sanchez, £12.99 (www.perfumestheguide.com)

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