Michael Edwards is a household name in perfumery. He is the man behind Fragrances of the World (formerly known as The Fragrance Adviser, and now available in book form and online), a critically acclaimed guide for retailers, and the author of Perfume Legends, a standard work on the history of modern perfumery. While there’s some controversy among perfume fans regarding the reliability of the (online) suggestions provided by the Fragrance Adviser, Perfume Legends is universally hailed as a must-have. Of course, good things come at a price, and at $130 US this book is no bargain. I’ve postponed my purchase for a long time, and ended up buying the (much cheaper) French soft cover edition, translated by Guy Robert. My review is based on the latter, but there’s no real difference between the two.

What we have here is a reference book on fragrances that made a mark in 20th century perfumery. The selection is restricted to French feminine fragrances, but that hardly narrows it down (although the wonderful Youth Dew would have fitted perfectly in Edwards’ list). The book features forty-five influential perfumes…

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