Founded in 1828, the House of Guerlain is one of the oldest perfumers in the world. Named Official Perfumer in 1853, founder Pierre-Francois Guerlain created fragrances for Spanish and British royalty and five generations later, his descendants continue producing inspired fragrances that are sought after worldwide. In 1912, when all of Europe stood at the brink of war, Pierre Francois’ grandson Jacques created L’Heure Bleue, which translates as “The Blue Hour.” Inspiration for the fragrance ... FULL REVIEW

When Ernest Beaux, former perfumer for the last Russian Tsar, came to Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in 1920, he had several numbered bottles, one of which he hoped would meet her main requirement: “a woman’s fragrance that smells like a woman.” It was bottle number five that appealed to Mademoiselle Chanel the most – five was also her lucky number - and perfume history was made. Chanel No. 5 is still sold in the same simple square-cut bottle as it was when first released in 1921, which was al... FULL REVIEW

Perfumery is an ancient art, once relegated to skilled artisans. In contrast, today’s perfumes often contain synthetic and artificial ingredients created in laboratories. Mandy Aftel is a perfumer determined to change that. Originally a therapist in California, Aftel was working on a novel that featured a perfumer as a main character and while researching the novel, she fell in love with the art of perfumery. After experimenting with her own fragrances from organic, naturally derived oils and ... FULL REVIEW