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The perfume encyclopedia

Everything perfume has to say

Compositions, raw materials, houses and perfumers: explore the French reference of olfactory culture, in English.

2,834
Perfumes
366
Materials
115
Houses
Discovery of the dayL'Air du Temps, Nina RicciNina RicciL'Air du Temps

Parfum

chemistry and biology have never been as interesting as when talking about perfume

A luxury ingredient and a beauty essential par excellence, perfume is a genuine asset of seduction and has captivated men and women since the dawn of time. Perfume is the indispensable element of a bathroom and manages to enhance any outfit while revealing the personality of the person who wears it. Some even attribute to it almost sacred and magical powers. Perfume is all at once: luxury, refinement, seduction, dream and enchantment… It is an art in its own right that never grows tiresome to rediscover.

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Olfactory family

Each perfume has a very different effect and develops in multiple ways depending on the person who wears it.

Every fragrance belongs to an olfactory family. There are seven of these: floral, woody, aromatic, citrus, oriental, chypre or fougère. There is something for every taste, every season, every mood and every occasion. Each olfactory family corresponds more or less to a personality and has its own strengths. It is up to you to discover which one will be yours…

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Manufacturing technique

While each of us regularly wears perfume, …

… we know relatively little, however, about its manufacturing methods. That is why our ambition is to shed light on this subject. Indeed, our nose is capable of recognizing more than 10,000 different odors. Perfumery therefore explores this wide range to deliver natural or synthetic compositions that are always more elaborate. Two manufacturing processes are then commonly used: distillation, by steam in a still, or extraction, by infusing plant materials in a mixture of solvent and water.

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The encyclopedia

Perfumery icons

Perfumer

Because perfume would be nothing without the talent of perfumers, we invite you to learn more about these extraordinary men and women, true artists of chemistry.

Being a nose is far more than a simple job. It is a calling and a highly prestigious art. Far from being a common profession, being a nose is not within everyone's reach; as proof, there are said to be only about 300 in the world. They analyze fragrances and today sign works that are ever more elaborate and captivating, capable of carrying us to a distant or imaginary world with a single breath. So, a focus on this extraordinary and thoroughly intriguing profession.

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House

So then, which houses have made perfumery their business?

Most often, these are luxury brands, mainly fashion houses eager to enhance their finest garments with an exceptional fragrance. While most perfume houses are known to everyone and are highly commercial, some brands aim to be more discreet and are also intended for knowledgeable consumers. To give an idea, there are today more than 1000 perfume launches per year worldwide! You can therefore easily imagine that the players present in this market are particularly numerous.

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History of perfume

Finally, because nothing is more interesting than knowing where today's fragrances come from, …

… we invite you on an immersion into the heart of the history of perfumery. You will learn where contemporary scents come from, what ancestral rites are associated with perfume, and you will discover with pleasure all the major developments in this particularly captivating field, in terms of fragrances as well as bottle design or advertising campaigns.

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Worth rediscovering

Scented gems

Olfastory or everything you have always dreamed of knowing about perfume

Who are we?

Perfume has always been a fascinating product. First used as an offering, it was a sort of sacred nectar. Remains found in the Middle East prove that ancient civilizations used it very frequently. Today, perfume is intended for hygiene and is often considered a genuine asset of seduction. Also, among all the cosmetics present on the market, perfumery undoubtedly represents the most prestigious, almost artistic, wing of this sector. Its rise began mainly around 1880 but experienced spectacular growth during the interwar period. Indeed, it was at that time that modern methods of production and packaging made its use accessible to the greatest number. Nevertheless, perfume remains, more than ever, a luxury product in its own right.


Fragrances most often come from plant or animal materials. Their creators are considered to be true artists. They handle perfumery with unparalleled skill and combine ancestral techniques with constant advances for an ever more refined result. Moreover, the perfumery sector does not stop there. Indeed, bottle design enhances the finest essences and is itself the result of extraordinary creativity combined with genuine technical feats. It serves to glorify modern perfumes in the manner of vintages. Many consumers would even be willing to buy a perfume solely for its bottle. True purchase triggers, perfume cases today compete in ingenuity and stem from ideas of every kind. Finally, let us note that fragrances most often immerse us in an extraordinary world. These are often inspired by love stories, fairy tales, places charged with emotion… Also, perfume advertisements likewise help transport us to another absolutely captivating world. As you will have understood, perfumery is a particularly complex and creative field, combining multiple areas of expertise.


Olfastory's ambition is therefore to pass on in-depth knowledge about this particularly captivating art. If you have always dreamed of knowing everything, or almost everything, about perfume, then you have probably come to the right place. Olfactory families, manufacturing techniques, perfumers, history, advertisements, aromatic facets, major houses… We fully intend to reveal to you everything we know about perfumery. We offer you a complete immersion in this luxurious and refined world. You will indeed sometimes probably be surprised to learn where some of your favorite perfumes come from. Likewise, we tell you more about the greatest noses in the world, those who put their extraordinary sense of smell at the service of your beauty. The greatest luxury houses will no longer hold any secrets for you. So, let yourself be guided, browse our site according to your desires and, above all, let yourself be carried away by the undisputed magic of the world of perfumery…