Lovely Isabelle Wilson at Headline recently sent me two beautiful Kew gift books for review. The first, Parched by Philip Clayton I reviewed here. Today it’s my absolute pleasure to share my review of the second Kew book, Fragrance by Josh Carter and Samuel Gearing.
Published by Welbeck on 24th October 2024, Fragrance is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
Fragrance
The luxurious and evocative scents that have fragranced the world all have their roots firmly in nature. Kew: Fragrance explores the botanical origins of perfume, unveiling the science and secrets behind the most intoxicating ingredients and their journey from bloom to bottle.
From lemon, lavender and licorice to cumin, cardamom and cotton flower, Fragrance reveals the alchemy, cultural meaning and plant provenance of 100 key ingredients that make up the most seductive scents. With beautiful botanical illustrations from the Kew archive and expert text, this book is an enchanting exploration of scent and the plant origins of perfume.
My Review of Fragrance
An exploration of 100 plants and their fragrance.
As might be expected from an association with Kew gardens and two fragrance experts, Fragrance is a classy, elegant and superior book that would make a wonderful gift for gardeners and perfume lovers alike. The illustrations that come from the collections at Kew are breathtakingly beautiful and I loved the stark monochrome contrast of the chapter title pages. They have real impact.
Whilst the two co-authors have written fascinating and often quite poetic prose in Fragrance, the horticulturally scientific background text has been contributed by Kew’s own Eliot Jan-Smith and Melanie-Jayne R, so that there’s an expert authority to those aspects. Each of these elements is impressive in its own right, but combined they make a truly lovely gift book. I very much appreciated the glossary of perfumery terms at the start of the book and the index at the back, because I felt I was being gently educated as well as entertained.
There’s so much to discover here. Each entry is introduced by a pithy and frequently surprising comment. I always find it tricky to review non-fiction without simply regurgitating a few of the book’s contents, but I must just mention two aspects. Firstly, who knew the importance of mountain goats in perfumery? You’ll need to read Fragrance to discover why. Secondly, I was amazed at the inclusion of tomato leaves. Whilst roses, violets, lily of the valley and so on might have been expected, I had absolutely no concept of tomato leaves as an ingredient in perfume!
At the end of each section are examples of commercial perfumes where the plant plays a large role in their signature fragrance. I loved discovering the plants included in two of my favourite aromas, Trésor by Lancôme and J’Adore by Dior. As Trésor seems to be increasingly difficult to buy, I shall be investigating the other two perfumes with similar fragrance notes that are included.
Fragrance is a book to savour. It can be read in the order presented or dipped into so that it is not only beautiful, but it has longevity as a potential gift book. It has fascinating snippets of information that take readers from the blockades of the Napoleonic wars to Beyonce, so that there really is something for everyone to discover between its pages.
About Josh Carter
Josh Carter is a British fragrance expert based in London, UK. He trained with some of Britain’s most renowned perfumers and co-founded the acclaimed fragrance platform Fiole. This is his first book.
About Samuel Gearing
Samuel Gearing is a British fragrance expert based in London, UK. He trained under British and French perfumers and founded an agency to support artisan fragrance houses, before co-founding acclaimed fragrance platform Fiole. This is his first book.
Samuel and Josh are regular commentators on the art of perfumery and the fragrance industry at large. Their fragrance platform Fiole has become one of the UK’s leading stores for artisan brands and has been featured in the likes of GQ, Harpers Bazaar and the Evening Standard.
You can find Fiole on Instagram.
English (US) · 