Perfumes: The A-Z Guide Paperback – International Edition, October 27, 2009

This is a comment I made to another review that I decided to post as a review as well.This is a brilliant, original, funny, thought provoking and informative book. At the time it was written there was nothing like it, and nothing surpasses it.I have learned far more from this book about scent, combinations of scent and the appreciation of them than I have from anything else I've encountered. It delighted me, and also instructed me on new and helpful ways to approach sensory evaluation in my work (wine). I absorbed more about approaching and categorizing sensory evaluation and bringing life, interest, precision and structure to it than I have from any number of oenology texts and professional articles. Not that most of those books or articles were bad, but that this book is that good.Yes, this is high level criticism from people who rank somewhere beyond "enthusiast" in their interest in the subject. What fascinates them, like what fascinates or delights most devotees of anything, goes well beyond what the majority of people would wish or need to know about the subject. Their encyclopedic knowledge, incisive writing and vast passion for the subject mean much more to me, however, than a paragraph of disclaimers about heat index, humidity, skin pH, age, the fact that you woke up grumpy and some sort of contrived "grading rubric" would.Also, I find them hilarious. Their positive reviews are rhapsodic, their negative ones, blistering - passion combined with piercing discernment.Honestly, I don't care what the mainstream world thinks of most perfumes. Give me the obsessive interests, strong opinions and vaulting enthusiasms of Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez over what some other reviewers seem to want - the po-faced seriousness and studied middle-of-the-road dullness and strained objectivity of a Consumer Reports article about perfume. If you're looking for The Consumer Reports Guide to Perfume and Fragrance, and little gray bubbles in columns, this isn't it.But how can a regular person benefit from such a work? Let's take an example nearly every American over a certain age knows. Siskel and Ebert. I think they were so successful at critiquing film for mainstream audiences because it was easy to get a sense of each critic's approach. You learned that you could trust their opinions, sometimes in a negative way. But they weren't just mainstream, they saw everything. They were film obsessives. That obsession sometimes helped some obscure movies find a wider audience, and encouraged millions of people to try some things they might have avoided otherwise, or to go watch an older masterpiece at home. This is the case for me with this book. It's pretty easy to spot where you and the reviewers will agree or disagree after a trip to the perfume counter, and then the book is more valuable still.Some critiques seem to suggest this book is for elitists, or the pretentious. I couldn't disagree more. Turin and Sanchez clearly believe perfume is a form of high art accessible to almost anybody. So if you're looking for something agreeable, solid, mainstream, and affordable they identify such products quite well. They heap praise on Old Spice, Stetson and Tommy Girl for example- that's pretty much the opposite of pretension to me. They mainly insist that whatever you wear, at any price point, be good. And they suggest, time and again, that price and enjoyability are rarely linked, except in the necessary expense of certain natural components. And they tell you who spends the money for "the good stuff" and who doesn't.Pretty much every technical criticism leveled against the book concerning both the subjective qualities and chemical difficulties of perfume analysis is acknowledged by the authors, by the way. In the end, you simply can't account for everything, for everyone, but with such a vast storehouse of reviews, with consistent voices, you can find a solid shared grounds for analysis quite easily in my opinion. Which is sort of the point of expert analysis and critique, really.There is also a line of criticism here that runs along the lines of "But I can just read stuff on the internet about this, it's the same. It's just like, someone's opinion, man." So, art criticism has an element of subjectivity to it. Who knew?That criticism entirely misses the point. The point is finding true experts who voices you trust. Sure, that trusted advice certainly could come from an online community. When I need a medical diagnosis, or financial advice, I trust the random collection of experts I find on the internet. Opinions are just opinions. Why would you ask a doctor what her opinion is when you can just ask the internet? Why read a PhD who theorized an entirely new, and quite possibly correct, mechanism for scent when it's just, like, his opinion man?The main trouble to me is that dozens of new perfumes are introduced every year. The book will fall ever further behind on new releases, and things that are being aggressively marketed until there is a new edition. But that's small potatoes to me. Almost all the greats, and classics they talk about are available to try somewhere, even via an internet sampler. That's where to start anyway, to learn how this stuff works, and how to translate the words into scents.(Finally the critiques of various other critics are sort of hilarious - "How can he rate this five stars when I absolutely hated it! Worthless!" )

I love this book unequivocally. Turin and Sanchez are a fantastic writing team and comparisons with Nabokov and other masters of verbal pyrotechnics are not off the mark. This book is a perfect antidote to the anodyne 21st century refusal to discern between grades of excellence.Let me start with an example not related to perfume: have you ever met produces "just as good" music as that of Beethoven? Have you ever tried to argue the case that Shakespeare is not better than any teenaged poetaster? Yes, we are all equally of one genius! Not! Turin and Sanchez combine their penetrating noses with pungent prose and almost supernaturally divine lyricism to examine the world of perfume. If you read this book with some care (and I've spent many hours on it already) it can be an education for your own nose. Get your perfume collection and try two or three a day. If you don't have a perfume collection, go to the department store and try two or three. If you want a perfume collection, slowly procure some of the ones that they recommend.I learned a couple of things already: not to avoid "Lovely" because it's associated with a fairly main-stream celebrity and to give "Tommy Girl" a try. I don't think I've ever given TG a sniff because the names seems so--well, Charlie's Angels or something. I need to get over that. I also have a long list of things I want to try.Each perfume reviewed gets a two word snappy description, such as "fruity barbershop", "cheap shampoo", and "carnation booze". Of course there are many superlatives as well. Then a lengthier review follows. I especially enjoyed the discussions of perfumes that are rated "recommended" or "masterpiece". Many reviews are really educations in themselves such as the reviews for "Bandit," "Derby," "No. 5," "Pleasures," "White Linen" and many others. These are comprised of beautifully crafted sentences that manage to pull off a hat-trick of being lyrically poetical, scientifically informative, and intensely beautiful and witty.Some of the shorter reviews are more sardonic, even cruel, but accurate. Just because J. Lo. signs off on a perfume does not make it pantheonistic and her reps should learn that. I think that the darker reviews seem correct, insofar as my familiarity goes, which (to be honest) is about as far as Muncie, Indiana, but we don't all get to Paris as much as we'd like.I love the writing; I love the information; I think that the list is fairly well-inclusive but here's where I part ways a bit: too much time is spent on celebrities: why not mention the ones that are outstanding. Don't even give Paris Hilton a line. Why include Britney Spears if you omit Alan Cumming?Some newer, smaller houses get short shrift--if this book is revised, I'd suggest looking at only a couple of Bond No. 9's and adding some more of the smaller houses. Better still why not a history of great houses or almost great houses? Perhaps an idea for a new books? Houses ranging from the old and venerable to the new. I did love it that Andy Tauer got his props; I would have loved a more thorough study of more recent "houses" or "niche houses". What Turin and Sanchez do with some venerable names such as Caron, Guerlain, Creed, Chanel, Lauder, etc. is wonderful.Make certain that you read the first 49 pages--it's an education; almost a full-blown college course for the price of one book! And this guide should not merely be an encyclopedic reference but something worth reading from beginning to end; something worth dipping into at random and something to keep by your bedside table along with a good volume of poetry.We've got Wordsworth and Coleridge; we have Astaire and Rogers, we have Lennon and McCartney, and now we have Turin and Sanchez amongst the great collaborators of art.

If you're a fragrance fanatic or just looking to delve into the world of perfumes, then "Perfume A-Z Guide" by Luca Turin is the perfect companion. Turin, a renowned fragrance critic, takes readers on a witty and informative journey through the complex and often mysterious world of perfumery.The book is organized alphabetically, with each entry featuring Turin's signature blend of humor and insight. From classic scents to avant-garde creations, he covers it all, providing detailed descriptions of each fragrance and the ingredients that make them unique.But "Perfume A-Z Guide" is more than just a list of scents. Turin's writing style is engaging and entertaining, making even the most technical aspects of perfumery accessible to all readers. His love for fragrance is infectious, and you'll find yourself captivated by his passion and knowledge.Overall, "Perfume A-Z Guide" is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the art of fragrance. Turin's expertise and wit make this book an entertaining and informative read that will leave you smelling the world around you in a whole new way.

Luca Turin é un grandissimo conoscitore dei profumi classici. Questo libro di critiche dei profumi in circolazione nel 2009 é indispensabile a chi s'interessa di profumi. Peccato che sia in inglese e non sia mai stato tradotto. Tania Sanchez é americana, ma Luca Turin é francofono (nato in Libano in una famiglia italiana).

Esta guía me sirvió para adentrarme en el mundo de los perfumes. A pesar de que los gustos pueden ser subjetivos, Luca y Tania casi nunca se equivocan en catalogar a los mejores perfumes. La lista de 4 y 5 estrellas es muy buena. Como en todo, también hay perfumes muy malos de 1 y 2 estrellas de los cuales es mejor escapar. Las reseñas entretenidas y divertidas. Al principio hay una sección con un poco de historia de perfumes y preguntas que han recibido en redes sociales. Al final del libro vienen unas lista resumiendo los mejores perfumes, los mejores perfumes femeninos/masculino, los peores, los mejores frescos, los mejores amaderados, etc. Yo tengo la versión Kindle (desde que los dispositivos tiene la misma resolución que papel y tinta 300dpi es muy fácil leer en ellos) y me gustó mucho.Las reseñas son hasta el 2008 así que perfumes más nuevo no se encuentran ahí o también hay algunos que ya están descontinuados. Hay una versión actualizada con fragancias hasta el 2018 la cual también incluye muchas perfumerías de nicho. Yo tengo ambas guías y las disfruté por igual.

Luca Turin est un vieux critique des parfums comme oeuvres d'art (son premier livre de critiques est de 1994) et sa jeune collègue le suit avec enthousiasme dans sa mission de diffusion de l'art du parfum. Leurs critiques peuvent sembler irrespectueuses (mais de quoi? du travail des agences de marketing?), mais elles sont toujours justes et prennent en compte les goùts de tout le monde. Si vous réussissez à trouver un des parfums qu'ils vous conseillent (tous les jours, de trés bons parfums qui manqueront à beaucoup de gens, sont reformulés et massacrés ou tout simplement supprimés au nom d'un soit-disant impératif "économique"), vous trouverez un trésor, une oeuvre d'art pour vous tout seul: presque tout le monde a une peau qui adapte les parfums. Donc mème s'il est écrit en anglais et date un peu, ce livre est indispensable pour mieux apprécier les parfums en général, mème ceux qui ne vous plaisent pas.....Et le style littéraire de Luca Turin est toujours aussi impayable!

I have this on my phone and constantly refer to it. Makes me feel like I’m on a field trip when I’m in the department store.