Lovely Cozy Style with Practical Appeal

"Using solid perfumes is a simple activity to incorporate into your life for reduction of stress...over time, just a whiff of your special fragrance can help you to become calmer and more grounded." ~Mandy Aftel

Mandy Aftel's work has been featured in Vanity Fair, Vogue and Allure. She creates unique perfumes for private labels and for individual clients. In this lovely colorful book, she explores how you can make your own solid perfumes and maybe even refill a collectible compact you discovered in an antique store. This book has made me want to go visit more antique stores to look for the little compacts you refill with the liquid perfume mixture. You could also use glass or new metal containers.

A Brief History of Perfume introduces you to the process of extracting the essential oils from plants. Entertaining facts about the Egyptians wearing solid perfumes on their heads makes this very enjoyable.

"As the ancients used perfumes in brooches, rings, pendants, and charms, so can we incorporate the same pleasurable effects of solid perfume in jewelry today."

The chapter on essential oils also explores top notes, absolutes and concretes. Perfume ingredients that are described include: Bitter Orange, Bois de Rose, Ginger, Lime, Pink Grapefruit, Virginia Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Jasmine, Lavender, Nutmeg, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Bezoin, Cocoa, Frankincense, Labdanum, Oakmoss and Vanilla.

Tools, beakers, bamboo skewers...so many things I didn't know to use when making perfumes. You will probably find you have many items in your kitchen.

A Basic Solid Perfume Recipe is the starting point for your own discovery. Detailed instructions with pictures lead to the blissful moment of your own creation.

A soft, warm and sensual blend I made up recently: Ylang Ylang III, Egyptian Musk, Lavender and Patchouli. You can mix your own essential oil blends and then add them to the solid perfume while still a liquid.

~The Rebecca Review


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Little Gem

This book is a milestone by a pioneer of natural perfumery. It is a beautifully presented and well-written little treasure, precious enough to carry around, much like the luscious aromatics that will result from the formulas given. The instructions are clear and the photographs are beautiful. The only caveat is---making solid fragarance may become addictive!..a unique present for the Holidays---highly recommended!!

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A beautiful beginner's book

I am going to purchase copies of this book to give as stocking stuffers. So pretty, so lovingly crafted, this book is a little gem. It is an easy entry into the world of natural perfumes, loving focused on solid perfumes, my favorite. I have Ms. Aftel's previous book, Essence and Alchemy, where all this information is covered, so it offered nothing new for me except gorgeous photographs, and a sensualist's perspective on the beauty of creating solids.

The writing style is direct and helps guide the novice in how to obtain the materials, how to blend, and how to package the scents. This book is appropriate for youngsters (under an adult's supervision) and for anyone who is "crafty." They will find it delightful, I'm sure.

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