The Evolution of Women's Perfumes: A Century of Changes Inside the Bottle
A reading of women's perfumes as an imperfect mirror of social, aesthetic and commercial transformations.
Editorial archive
Category: Olfactory education
The history of Chanel No. 5:
The encounter between Gabrielle Chanel and Ernest Beaux, aldehydic abstraction and the construction of an icon.
The history of perfumery: from the smell of rituals to the perfume we use today
A journey through the practices, discoveries and cultural changes that led from burnt resins to contemporary perfumes.
Olfactory pyramid: the perfume map is not the territory
Top, heart, and base notes help to understand the evolution of a perfume, but they do not reveal the formula. Know how to use the pyramid without treating it as a recipe.
How a perfume is created: from the first idea to the bottle
A perfume is not born only from the mixture of notes. Learn the path between briefing, formula, tests, safety, production and the fragrance that reaches the skin.
How new aromatic molecules are born — and why few reach perfume
Chemists create and evaluate thousands of structures before a new molecule joins perfumers' palette. Learn about this long and selective path.
Distillation in perfumery: when steam carries the smell of the plant
In steam distillation, heat, water, and condensation help to obtain essential oils. See how the process works and why it doesn't work for every plant.
Aquatic family: the smell of the sea that didn't come out of the water
Aquatic perfumes build sensations of sea, water and humid air with chords and molecules. Understand the role of Calone and ozonic notes.
Solvent Extraction: How Delicate Flowers Turn Into Absolutes
Solvent extraction helps capture flowers that don't respond well to distillation. Understand the path from plant to concrete to absolute.
Natural raw materials: perfume begins long before the bottle
Flowers, leaves, roots, bark, wood, and resins can originate natural materials. Understand why origin, harvest, and extraction change the smell.