Synopses & Reviews
From the New York Times perfume critic, a stylish, fascinating, unprecedented insider's view of an industry and its charismatic characters No journalist has ever been allowed into the ultrasecretive, highly pressured process of originating a perfume. But Chandler Burr, the
New York Times perfume critic, spent a year behind the scenes observing the creation of two major fragrances. Now, writing with wit and elegance, he juxtaposes the stories of the perfumes--one created by a Frenchman in Paris for an exclusive luxury-goods house, the other made in New York by actress Sarah Jessica Parker and Coty, Inc., a giant international corporation. We follow Coty's mating of star power to the marketing of perfume, watching
Sex and the City's Parker heading a hugely expensive campaign to launch a scent into the overcrowded celebrity market. Will she match the success of Jennifer Lopez? Does she have the international fan base to drive worldwide sales?
In Paris at the elegant Hermès, we see Jean Claude Ellena, his company's new head perfumer, given a challenge: he must create a scent to resuscitate Hermès's perfume business and challenge le monstre of the industry, bestselling Chanel No. 5. Will his pilgrimage to a garden on the Nile supply the inspiration he needs? The answer lies in Burr's informative and mesmerizing portrait of some of the extraordinary personalities who envision, design, create, and launch the perfumes that drive their billion-dollar industry.
Review
"Filled with fascinating revelations about an industry built on illusions . . . entices you to marvel all the more at the power of fragrance."--The Dallas Morning News
"The Perfect Scent has drama, unforgettable characters, history, and location."--Los Angeles Times
"An inside, Hollywoodesque account."--The New York Times Book Review
"Burr winds his way deep into the secretive, dark, high-stakes world of perfumery, where following the scent can be hazardous to your career. . . . He smells the story in each bottle."--Associated Press
"Passionate and captivating."--The Toronto Star
"An appealing writer and an acute observer, [who] tells his two stories well."--The Wall Street Journal
"Filled with fascinating revelations about an industry built on illusions."--The Kansas City Star
Synopsis
From the "New York Times" perfume critic comes a stylish, fascinating, unprecedented insiders view of an industry and its charismatic characters. Writing with wit and elegance, Burr juxtaposes the stories of two perfumes--one created for a luxury-goods house, the other made by a giant international corporation.
Synopsis
The Perfect Scent is the thrilling inside story of the global perfume industry, told through two creators working on two very different scents.
Synopsis
The Perfect Scent is the thrilling inside story of the global perfume industry, told through two creators working on two very different scents. The first is commissioned by the French luxury brand Hermés, and developed by a perfumer named Jean-Claude Ellena, who begins his search for the scent on the banks of the Nile. The second is a celebrity fragrance, developed in New York by movie star Sarah Jessica Parker and a team of perfumers from a global conglomerate. Chalder Burr, the New York Times's perfume critic, spent a year behind the scenes watching both creators at work. His thrilling narrative follows each scent from the initial concept to the worldwide launch. The Perfect Scent is the story of two daring creators, two very different scents, and a billion-dollar industry that runs on the invisible magic of perfume.
About the Author
Chandler Burr is the New York Times perfume critic and author of The Emperor of Scent: A Story of Perfume, Obsession, and the Last Mystery of the Senses and A Separate Creation. Burr, who earned a master's in international economics and Japan studies from the Paul H. Nitze School/Johns Hopkins, has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, U.S. News & World Report (where he was a contributing editor), and The New Yorker. He lives in New York City.