Perfume: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Finest Fragrances

Actually, his descriptions are full enough that I might even consider buying some of the scents that he describes, even without having smelled them myself!


For perfume connoisseurs   October 16, 2000
Rosengarten (London, UK)
25 out of 27 found this review helpful

For perfume connoisseurs 'The Perfume Companion' by Nigel Groom is the book to read. Nigel has lived and worked in South Arabia, which had previously been the centre of the incense trade; frankincense being a staple of ancient perfume. It is a book for amateurs and professionals alike. The book contains a highly regarded 'Perfume Directory', which is a resume about 97 major perfume houses. Read about grand old French perfume houses such as Coty, Houbigant and D'Orsay; the perfumes of couture houses such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Givenchy and the big American names such as Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and Donna Karan. The book also describes the history of perfume, principal ingredients, classifications as well as the leading perfumers and perfume manufacturers of today.


At Last A Key!   September 28, 2000
EternalSeeker (Albuquerque, NM USA)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful

This book is an invaluable handbook for anyone interested in the components of different fragrances, what the exact scents used were, and to get a feel for the "personality" of a perfume without having to go out and try on every single one.

It is especially a treasure trove for me, oddly enough because I have a very poor sense of smell due to a skull fracture. But I am utterly fascinated by scents, and I just got tired of asking other people to choose a perfume for me. Who knew what I was getting? This gives me a wonderful sense of whether a perfume is something I would feel comfortable in, and now I get a great many compliments!!

Well written, with good descriptions of the various perfume ingredients, and even the mood they are apt to evoke. Plus an interesting bit of history on each of the major houses, and where they appear to be headed. It's my bible, and a fascinating peek into the finest fragrances of our time.


Perfume Guide   May 1, 2000
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

This is an excellent book that not only gives information about the perfume itself but also about the Designer/Company that produces it. It also gives recent info what happened to the Company/Designer, who maybe bought the label etc. It also lists other perfumes of that company/Designer although that could be a bit more extensive. What I like about the book is that the standart info about development of perfume/perfume bottles, manufacturing process etc. is relatively short because just about every book about perfume covers that. This book is more about recent information and new Perfumes and Designers without missing mentioning a lot of the older ones as well. It is excellent value for money.