Season 8, Episode 7 Alice du Parcq & The Philosophy of Perfume (her NEW BOOK!)

Season 8, Episode 7 Alice du Parcq & The Philosophy of Perfume (herNEW BOOK!)This week we welcome back dear perfume pal and friend of the pod (star of twoprevious episodes), the multi-award-winning fragrance writer, presenter, contentcreator and now AUTHOR, Alice du Parcq!Alice has always been ‘on a mission to decode perfume in a fun, relatable andobjective way.’ Now, added to her perfumed portfolio will be an incredibly gift-able (to self or scent-loving friends) book, created in collaboration with noneother than The British Library, called The Philosophy of Perfume. Out in October,we cannot WAIT to read it, and in this episode, Alice gives us a sneak peek atwhat you expect to find inside, plus the entire story of how the book came to be,and why she burst into tears in a library.We’ve even managed to wangle a must-sniff list of perfumes Alice has beenwowed by so far this year (not in the book, just a little scented extra to get youscurrying to smell them). We loved this warm, emotive, wide-rangingconversation and, as ever, could have talked to Alice for hours longer, and we sohope you enjoy this deep dive into one of the most hotly anticipated books forsome time...Some context about the British Library and this collection:‘The British Library has an in-house publishing division, and they have anestablished collection of around 18 books called "The Philosophy Of...". It's afamily of small giftable books that cover fun and whimsical lifestyle topics, suchThe Philosophy of Cheese, The Philosophy of Christmas of Gin, ofTattoos and of Houseplants, where an expert in that specific field dives into theorigins and evolution of that subject. In January, I was invited to do ThePhilosophy of Perfume and it will sit within this collection but as a slightlylonger and more standout format. It's out in October, in time for the giftingseason, and the RRP is £12.99.’About the book:‘The Philosophy of Perfume is a fun, warm, thoughtful and practical book allabout fragrance, which looks at its origins and how it's made, how we smell andhow best to shop for perfume. It is an adventure into the facts, folklore andfantasies surrounding perfume, delving into how it has evolved through the erasand decades as an artform, reflecting our cultural patterns through history. Inthe book, you'llmeet perfumers who share insights into their fascinating creativeprocess; you'll learn the science behind how we smell and the wild emotionalvoyage from smell to soul! There are tales of scented superstitions, and theliterary and historical figures who inspire perfume, plus the ways in which AI isimpacting the future of fragrance and a helpful guide on how to shop forperfume and find The One(s!). It was so important to me that this book was not for perfume experts, but forfragrance lovers of all ages who want a moment of enchantment laced withinteresting facts, a sprinkle of science and some practical guidance when on theirnext scent shopping safari.’Can’t wait until October? You can see Alice talking live, interviewed by thewonderful Amanda Carr (founder of Barnes Fragrance Fair @barnesfragrancefair)at the Barnes Bookfest sat 26 th September at 6pm, and get tickets and moreinfo here: https://barnesbookfest.org/Fragrances Alice has adored so far this year:Pia Long’s Olfiction Iconic (by name and nature! An utterly staggering vision of1980s department stores, expensive makeup and body creams – nostalgiapersonified)Botega Venetta’s new Ulta collection (especially Bare Morning which Alicefeels is the longest-lasting most comforting powdery scent she’s smelled foryears)Hellenist (all of them basically – a stunning house Suzy first saw at PittiFragranze, and which we all very much hope will be available in U.K. soon)Neal’s Yard Remedies Mood Awakening Collection (Alice loved how truethese felt to the brand’s ethos, and how they slotted so perfectly into their mostbeloved collections)Ode Ona (all of them, again – an exquisitely crafted and curated collection, allworth exploring)