Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent

To women the world over, perfume means glamour, and in the world of perfume, Jean-Claude Ellena is a superstar. In this one-of-a-kind book, the legendary Ellena himself takes the reader through the doors of his laboratory and explains the process of creating precious fragrances, revealing key methods and "recipes" involved in this mysterious alchemy. Perfume is an extremely com...

To women the world over, perfume means glamour, and in the world of perfume, Jean-Claude Ellena is a superstar. In this one-of-a-kind book, the legendary Ellena himself takes the reader through the doors of his laboratory and explains the process of creating precious fragrances, revealing key methods and "recipes" involved in this mysterious alchemy. Perfume is an extremely competitive, highly secretive multibillion-dollar industry, and Ellena provides an insider's tour, guiding us from the initial inspiration, the mixing of essences and synthetic elements, to the deluxe packaging and merchandising in elegant boutiques worldwide. Among Ellena's many creations are Declaration for Cartier, First for Van Cleef and Arpel, and Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert for Bulgary, but Ellena is now creating exclusively for the house Hermès. Not just for women, Perfume is for all readers interested in the business of making scents.

Jean-Claude Ellena lives and works in Grasse, the French capital of perfumes. Among his triumphs are some of the world's best-selling perfume