PERFUME: The Art & Craft of Fragrance by Karen Gilbert

Heya POSSE PEEPS, Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies running concurrently on both blogs today. Christmas is round the corner and if there is anyone interested in fragrance in your life that likes to read then I’ve found the perfect book. Karen Gilbert was in Australia recently and a couple of us down Under Perfumistas had the pleasure of lunching with her and her extremely handsome partner. Not only were they excellent company but they were incredibly knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects and had us enthralled and laughing, enjoying a wonderful afternoon. When it was time to go we were all sad but felt like we had made a couple of new friends for life.

PERFUME: The Art & Craft of Fragrance

by Karen Gilbert

Perfume Karen Gilbert Book DepositoryPhoto Stolen The Book Depository Perfume AUD$17 including worldwide postage

Perfume Karen Gilbert1

Perfume Karen Gilbert2

Here are Karen and I having a look through a press copy of the book pre-release. As you can see Karen is gorgeous, filled with good humour and just by the way knows so much about fragrance. She has worked for amazing groups including IFF, Neal’s Yard and a couple of others I can’t remember, now runs Olfactory Workshops and Classes, creates fragrance lines for companies, writes books and travels the world. Not a bad life.

Perfume takes us on a journey through Karen’s fragrant life, teaches us some perfume basics (that are only basic when you know them), her take on how we smell and its effects, buying, blending and ultimately some recipes for home dabblers in scent. It is beautifully presented and has some sumptuous photos. Readable for anyone from about age 10 upwards and at every level of perfumista knowledge, there is something here for everyone.

Extremely readable, Karen’s personality shines above all throughout the book and I can hear her Pommy accent and inflections as I read.

There is also her first book, still available, called Natural Beauty. Check that out too.

Portia xxx

Natural beauty Karen GilbertPhoto Stolen The Book Depository Natural Beauty AUD$21 including worldwide postage

 I hope this gives you a hand in filling stockings for your fragrance loving friends or ones you’d like to introduce to the worm hole.

Do trot over to Australian Perfume Junkies today because we are doing a PERFUME: The Art & Craft of Fragrance by Karen Gilbert GIVEAWAY! See you over there after Midday Friday 13,

Portia xx

  • poodle says:

    Oh Portia, you’re just so darn huggable! You two look great together too. Thanks for giving me two more things to put on my Christmas wish list.

    • Portia says:

      Heya Poodle,
      Plenty of big ole bear hugs when we meet, promise. As to the wish list, isn’t itr nice to ask for something under $20 that you will get OODLES of enjoyment out of?
      Portia xx

  • Gwenyth says:

    I think Musette said it perfectly and I agree completely.
    You, dear Portia, in whatever iteration of you I see — are a gorgeous human being and your zest for life is palpable. (You are a truly handsome man)

    I love reading your posts and value your opinion of fragrances.
    Carry on!

  • Musette says:

    OMGosh! You are both SO FINE! SOOOO FINE! You know what I love most about these photos, Portia, besides both of you being so freaking gorgeous? You both just radiate delight in LIFE! That is so rare these days – to find people who are just happy to be LIVING! Then we get to the rest of it and it’s the whipped cream atop the cake (I don’t like those cherries, sorry 🙁

    I’mo hop over to APJ and enter – normally I’m all ‘DNEM’ but not this time – I want to read this, then I want to give it to my friend Howard who is falling sooo far down the rabbit hole…….:-D

    xxoxoxoA

    • Portia says:

      Hey Musette,
      The GIVEAWAY post will be up in a couple of hours. My time management seems to be slipping. Should be up by MIDDAY USA time. Fingers crossed.
      Portia xx