The Perfumer's Journal

Discover attar perfume: its traditions, concentrated oil format, composition, evolution on the skin and place in Arabian and South Asian perfumery.

Mukhallat is one of the characteristic expressions of Arabian perfumery. The word refers fundamentally to the idea of blending: several materials brought together to form one composition. Rather than describing...

Discover jasmine in perfumery, from Grandiflorum and Sambac to its floral, green, fruity and indolic facets.

 

Discover Al-Kindi’s contribution to the history of perfumery through his ninth-century writings on aromatic preparations and distillation.

Explore how musk, ambergris and other fragrant materials appear in classical Arabic poetry as expressions of memory, presence and sensory imagery.

Discover Kannauj and its living tradition of attar-making, from the deg-bhapka method to the craft and knowledge passed through generations.

Discover osmanthus in perfumery, from its apricot and tea-like facets to its distinctive floral and suede-like character.

Honey is one of perfumery’s most distinctive olfactory ideas. Its character can move from floral and nectar-like to waxy, balsamic, gourmand or distinctly animalic. In a composition, honey can bring...

Discover neroli in perfumery: its floral-citrus character, how it is extracted, and the contrast it can bring to richer compositions.

Explore the different characters of woody materials, from creamy sandalwood and dry cedarwood to earthy vetiver, patchouli and oud.

Discover vetiver in perfumery, from its earthy and woody character to the differences between Haitian, Javanese and Indian vetiver.

Discover bergamot in perfumery, from its citrus, green and floral facets to the brightness and contrast it brings to a composition.