---
product_id: 1349303
title: "Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume"
price: "₨1432"
currency: SCR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.sc/products/1349303-essence-and-alchemy-a-natural-history-of-perfume
store_origin: SC
region: Seychelles
---

# Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume

**Price:** ₨1432
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume
- **How much does it cost?** ₨1432 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sc](https://www.desertcart.sc/products/1349303-essence-and-alchemy-a-natural-history-of-perfume)

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## Why This Product

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## Description

Buy Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume on desertcart.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

Review: Highly recommended - This book was recommended to me by Miriam Vareldzis, a significant figure in the world of fragrances, and the principal of 40notes (see her on-line!), who knows the author. There can be no better recommendation than that. I can only add, Aftel herself is a remarkable author and fragrance-artist (and a well-regarded psychologist), she writes very clearly, and the strengths of this book are two-fold: she provides just about everything you would need to know about perfumes if you are an interested newcomer to the field, and if you want to be an indie perfumer yourself, this is a good resource to see if you have what it takes. Another strength is that she connects fragrance in an introductory way to the physiology of scent, and to the spirituality of fragrance via alchemy without being airy-fairy New Age about it. Loaded with additional resources, and highly readable. - Daniel O'Donnell in Portland
Review: A Worth While Read for an Expert or a Brand New Beginner! - When I purchases this book...I liked the title & thought it sounded neat. When I received it I thought I'd read the first page to see if it was any good & I ended up dropping everything and reading it every chance I got until I was at the back cover 36 hours later. It is such an informative and delightfully entertaining book. Aftel is not only a modern day natural perfume artisan, she is a tremdous author...using rich history in her writing and whispy dreamy imagery. There is an underlying sense of white magic to this book. I just love it & recommend it to EVERYONE. I knew nothing about the world of perfume, much less, natural perfume before this book--now I make my own blends in solid perfumes, oils, etc. and have completed Aftel' level I workbook. I live in TN, so I cannot attend her classes. I am no master artisan...but its a fun hobby.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,374,221 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #179 in Industrial & Technical Chemistry (Books) #396 in Aromatherapy (Books) #1,922 in Grooming & Style |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (136) |
| Dimensions  | 5.25 x 0.5 x 8 inches |
| Edition  | 42247th |
| ISBN-10  | 1586857029 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1586857028 |
| Item Weight  | 11.2 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 256 pages |
| Publication date  | January 1, 2004 |
| Publisher  | Gibbs Smith |

## Images

![Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/813MbrsWHkL.jpg)
![Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51X6gpEzWXL.jpg)
![Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31TgK05AnDL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly recommended
*by D***L on June 14, 2014*

This book was recommended to me by Miriam Vareldzis, a significant figure in the world of fragrances, and the principal of 40notes (see her on-line!), who knows the author. There can be no better recommendation than that. I can only add, Aftel herself is a remarkable author and fragrance-artist (and a well-regarded psychologist), she writes very clearly, and the strengths of this book are two-fold: she provides just about everything you would need to know about perfumes if you are an interested newcomer to the field, and if you want to be an indie perfumer yourself, this is a good resource to see if you have what it takes. Another strength is that she connects fragrance in an introductory way to the physiology of scent, and to the spirituality of fragrance via alchemy without being airy-fairy New Age about it. Loaded with additional resources, and highly readable. - Daniel O'Donnell in Portland

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Worth While Read for an Expert or a Brand New Beginner!
*by M***L on November 22, 2010*

When I purchases this book...I liked the title & thought it sounded neat. When I received it I thought I'd read the first page to see if it was any good & I ended up dropping everything and reading it every chance I got until I was at the back cover 36 hours later. It is such an informative and delightfully entertaining book. Aftel is not only a modern day natural perfume artisan, she is a tremdous author...using rich history in her writing and whispy dreamy imagery. There is an underlying sense of white magic to this book. I just love it & recommend it to EVERYONE. I knew nothing about the world of perfume, much less, natural perfume before this book--now I make my own blends in solid perfumes, oils, etc. and have completed Aftel' level I workbook. I live in TN, so I cannot attend her classes. I am no master artisan...but its a fun hobby.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Inspired me to get to know my essential oils at the deepest level
*by A***C on August 21, 2013*

I'm a practicing aromatherapist for 20 years who is self-taught for the most part. I've been wanting to make some vibrational sprays for my clients & customers, but didn't really know how to BLEND essential oils to get the outcome I wanted. It was basically hit or miss. This book gives a vast amount of practical information about how perfumery works: top, middle and base notes; categories of essences such as floral, fruity, woody, animal, earthy, resinous, balsamic, green, edible for Base notes; the 3 stages of the scent over time; essences that always go together well; how to create a blend for an individual, and much more. She gives a list of top, middle and base note essential oils to start with and what to add to your collection as you go along. Pages 60-64 explain exactly how to get to know each of your essences at the deepest level so that you can begin to see what blending the oils will result in. Then later in the book, she speaks in detail of the steps to creating a blend as well as giving recipes for blends such as how to make a top, middle and base chord blend, sensual blends, blends for meditation & bath, etc. Lots of information, recommended books, and resources for supplies. Very practical and the historical narratives are very interesting.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Essence & Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume
- The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance
- Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent

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*Product available on Desertcart Seychelles*
*Store origin: SC*
*Last updated: 2026-02-27*