Damask Rose in Perfumery • Nez + LMR

The writing is so alive it feels like you're walking through a rose garden with the authors—the deep dive into how different extraction methods change the scent profile really stuck with me. I've read it twice and keep discovering new details about the history and chemistry.

I was expecting a dry reference tome, but the collaborative essays here read like a passionate conversation about rose’s role across perfumery history. The June 2019 publication date doesn’t matter—the insights on how the flower’s scent is extracted and composed feel timeless. My only issue is that

The hardcover binding feels sturdy enough for all the flipping back and forth I’ve been doing between chapters—it’s already dog-eared and still holding up. Seven contributors bring such distinct voices that I keep catching myself reading passages out loud to my partner just to share the good bits.