My Favorite Books VI
First published in 1994, An Introduction to Perfumery by Tony Curtis and David Williams, is a perfumer’s classic. Much of the large volume (778 pages) is dedicated to the business of large perfume companies. This holds little interest for me since Brooklyn Perfume Company is hardly on that level. But there’s plenty of interesting other stuff.
The book starts with a section about the chemistry of fragrances. I find it helpful--I have a background in chemistry—and think anyone can figure out at least most of it. It helps olfactory memory because there are generic characteristics of such things as alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and ethers. One, first example, might recognize the fruitiness of an ester or the harshness of an aldehyde, important hints as to the compound at play.
An Introduction to Perfumery dedicates an individual page to a wide selection of naturals and synthetics.
An Introduction to Perfumery by Tony Curtis and David G. Williams
Each page starts with a measure of “Odor Intensity” which is on a scale of zero to six. In the center of the page is a big diagram of the molecule. To the right, is a column with a list of smells. At the top of this column is the “primary odor”, that which strikes us first, followed by “secondary odor.” Below that, we find the base notes. Last in this column, are “Odor Characteristics.” These are qualities, such as diffusiveness, that describe characteristics of the scent that aren’t smells in themselves.
Last is a list: First is “Appearance,” which describes the ingredient’s consistency, color, and clarity. “Storage” tells of precautions we must take such as using tightly-sealed lids or refrigeration; “Stability” tells us how the compound will hold up; “IFRA” lists any restrictions on use; “Applications” describes how the ingredient is used in compositions. This might include comments such as “used in fougères, in green perfumes;” “Occurrence” tells us where the compound is found in nature and where it is likely to be found in perfumes. What I find most exciting, is the small section, at the bottom, titled “Experiments.” Here we see suggestions for experiments we can perform to better familiarize ourselves with a substance, such as combining it with specific ingredients, combinations, and accords. For example, under “Mimosa Absolute,” we find a suggestion for experimenting with equal parts Lyral and l-citronellol. Further projects are designed to train the nose of the beginning perfumer. The big bummer is the IFRA section (I’ll go into this in a future post) which tells me I can only use oak moss at .1% in the final fragrance. This is at most a tenth of what I typically use. Opoponax is also restricted to .6% in a final fragrance. This poses less of a problem, but I still need to watch it. The two most important chapters for the perfumer are Aroma Chemicals and Materials of Natural Origin. There’s a rather lengthy introduction to these sections that explains the abbreviations used to describe smell.
Another favorite are the lists of ingredients and how they function in a perfume. For example, the entry for Amylcinnamic aldehyde gives its odor strength on a scale of zero to six (it gets a two); shows an image of the molecule; lists its principle, secondary and background notes; describes its appearance; rates its stability; and shows where it occurs. Each entry discusses how and when the compound should be used.
The authors also included a section of floral “bases,” which are lessons in themselves and provide starting points for other interpretations.