Grasse Part I: A Tale of Two Perfumers
That place is Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. Within the edges of this unassuming, mediaeval town are innumerable perfume shops. Some grand, such as Fragonard and Molinard, whose...
Scentscapes, Smelling History & More
Learning & Culture
How To Make Rose-Water, from 1772
Excerpt from The Toilet of Flora by Pierre-Joseph Buc'hoz, 1772 'To make Rose-Water To make an excellent Rose-water, let the Flowers be gathered two or three hours after sun-rising in very fine...
Ingredient in the Spotlight: Frankincense
Frankincense is used extensively in perfumes and incense, and is the odoriferous body of which is most frequently mentioned as holy incense. The ancient Egyptians used it in their religious...
Perfume Recipes for Verbena, from 1857
Excerpt I from The Art of Perfumery, and the Methods of Obtaining the Odours of Plants by G.W. Septimus Piesse, 1857
Hair Styling in the 1800s with 'Bandoline'
Bandoline was a kind of hair fixer very popular in Western Europe during the 19th century. Contemporaneously they were referred to as "fixatures" along with other products like wax pomatum....
How to Make Incense 'Pastils', from 1772
Pastils (or Pastilles) are a form of granulated or powdered incense material that is mixed with a sticky binder like as dried fruit, honey, or a soft resin, that is then formed...
Beauty Recipes, from 1879
Excerpt from 'The Toilet' in Hand-Book for the Kitchen and Housekeeper's Guide by Flora Neely, 1879 "For Hardened Skin and Wrinkles. Any good purgative (compound cathartic pills are generally good). Rub...
Ingredient In The Spotlight: Rose
Anyone who has ever inhaled the fragrance of rose can attest to its intensely narcotic aura. It induces a sense of receptivity & surrender, almost like being ravished. After breathing...
Hanukkah & Olive Oil
Tomorrow, my Jewish friends begin celebrating Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, and the Miracle of the cruse of oil. This story and the traditions it spawned illustrates the the central role...
Ingredient in the Spotlight: Tea Tree
The Bundjalung nation has a legend of the beautiful Princess Eelamani who had to travel through the bushland of coastal New South Wales. The journey was perilous, so she asked...
How to Wear Oil Perfume
Oil Perfumes have been used for thousands of years, but the 20th century perfume landscape has been dominated by alcohol-based fragrances. With the rising popularity of face and hair oils...
Perfume in Religion
Fragrance is endowed with meaning and can reveal inner truths about people, places and objects. The concept of aroma's "intrinsic 'essences'" has had a profound impact and importance upon religious practice...
Ingredient in the Spotlight: Peru Balsam
Peru balsam has a stunning sweet and smokey scent, reminiscent of vanilla with a calming and comforting quality. It has a unique nature to be gentle while simultaneously softly enveloping with a pronounced...
- « Previous
-
- 1
- 2
-
- 2