Win! Follow your nose! Your ultimate guide to the history of a scent plus get a free copy

on 11 February 2012 in Lifestyle

Global Cool’s resident bookworm Danielle brings you her favourite reads, inspiring you to ditch the car and the stress of the morning commute and bury your head in a great book on the bus or train instead…

It’s approaching that time of year again, when gentlemen supposedly rush around town with a dozen red roses under arm and ladies dream of receiving them. Here at Global Cool, we thought that we’d try to bottle that heart-fluttering anticipation that accompanies St.Valentine’s Day, so this week I bring you The Little Book of Perfumes: The 100 Classics…

Elegant, informed and with noses as keen as cocker-spaniels, Luca Turn and Tania Sanchez have developed this gem of a read, perfect for all you ladies, and gents, who like the finer things in life. Their quest to list the most refined bottled bouquets begins in the Osmothéque, a museum in Versailles, dedicated to the art of the perfumer.

The writers heed a warning about the potency of this treasure trove: “It is not a museum full of pretty crystal, magazine advertisements and mythologies. It is a place where perfumes sit in cold storage, away from light and abuse, waiting to evaporate up your nose and trigger sensations” . And each scent that has been selected for the integrity of its smell, rather than the clever marketing that surrounded it, or the shape of the vial that contains it.

Tell me more…
Just like their subject matter, this book holds inside it the potential to entice the senses further, wrapping the reader up with lines like this:

“Although Angel is sold as a gourmand for girls, spoken of as if it were a fudge-dipped berry in a confectioner’s shop, it’s all lies. Look for Angel’s Adam’s apple: a handsome, resinous, woody patchouli straight out of the pipes-and-leather-slippers realm of men’s fragrance.” (talking about Angel by Thierry Mugler)

They talk about each perfume as though they were an old friend, as they recollect their first encounters, first whiffs and lasting relationships with the fragrance, in the hope that you might take them on as good friends too. A call to arms against the latest celebrity-endorsed odor and persuade all readers to trawl old flea markets in Paris in the hunt for a rare olfactory masterpiece. And who isn’t tempted by that?

If you’re looking for just the thing to leave a lasting impression this Valentine’s Day, or a unique and thoughtful gift, then enter our competition for a chance to win this copy, thanks to lovely people at Profile Books. Just tell us what you’re reading on the bus or train to work in the comments box below by February 24.

Here comes the science bit…
Global Cool wants you to lead a green and happy life. This article can help you to be green by:

1. Ditching the car and taking public transport instead
2. Using your time on the train or bus to get your fill of some tall tales and brilliant books

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