The Big Book of Perfume – Collective (2026 enriched edition)

Coll. Nose culture, 246 pages, 2026 Forewords by Jean-Claude Ellena (perfumer) and Linda G. Levy, (President of the Fragrance Foundation US) Published in 2018, with over 10,000 copies sold and translated into about ten languages, The Big Book of Perfume has established itself as a reference work. This revised and expanded edition gives a voice to experts from diverse backgrounds, through previously unpublished testimonies and a reflection on perfume as a globalized cultural product.​ ​ Perfumers, managers, evaluators, distributors, scientists… a dozen new interviews accompany this expanded reissue of 16 pages, revealing the latest metamorphoses of an industry in transition, particularly in the areas of international distribution, communication and the production of raw materials.​ ​ The perfume market today represents more than 50 billion euros worldwide, with several thousand new products appearing each year. But this industry has long cultivated a taste for secrecy and mystery. This book aims to answer all your questions on the subject: How does our sense of smell work? How has perfumery developed over the centuries? What are perfumes made of? Who are perfumers and how do they work on a daily basis? What happens between the birth of an idea and the placement of a new bottle on the shelf? How is mass-market perfumery shaped by marketing? What is the role of independent perfumery? Once launched, how does a perfume survive the years? How to train your nose and become a knowledgeable enthusiast?​ ​ For the first time, a book offers answers to all those questions you never dared to ask. Discover the history of perfumery over the centuries, follow step by step the design and manufacturing chain of a perfume and explore behind the scenes of a complex, but also rapidly changing, industry.​ ​ Fully illustrated, The Great Book of Perfume is an ambitious and demanding work, but within the reach of the greatest number of people, enthusiasts and the simply curious. The deliberately transparent and educational tone combats clichés and preconceived ideas, and goes against discourse that is sometimes intimidating or nebulous.