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Several colorful characters of long ago made lasting contributions to perfuming that have remained long after their own lives ended. 

By Sherika Tenaya Much of this blog series has been based off the work of Mandy Aftel in her groundbreaking book Essence & Alchemy, and this b...

By Sherika Tenaya It is hard to say when exactly perfumery made the transition from spiritually significant item of ritual, medicine and survival...

By Sherika Tenaya From the times of our earliest ancestors, we have been enraptured by scent in all its various forms. That love affair, while som...

Considering perfume has been a part of the human story since the human story first began, it comes as no surprise that there is a rich and vibrant history, a tapestry of sorts, sewn together from a wide array of different cultural cloths all colluding to inspire and inform our ever-changing relationship with our sense of smell.

Across the world, scent is used as the tinder to fan the fire of desire. “In the highlands of New Guinea,” Aftel writes, “shamans say incantations over ginger leaves, which are thought to lend allure to the man who rubs them on his face and body. In the Amazon, Yanomamo men carry sachets of fragrant powders that are supposed to make attractive women tumble into their arms.”