PERFUME- THE BOOK

THERE ARE BLOGS THAT I LOOK AT REGULARLY, BUT ONLY A VERY FEW THAT I MUST LOOK AT EVERY DAY. ONE OF THOSE IS SO MUCH TO TELL YOU- A BEAUTIFUL BLOG BY NEW ZEALAND GIRLS NATALIE SMITH AND ZOE WALKER.

RECENTLY I READ THIS FANTASTIC ARTICLE ABOUT THE BRAND CB I HATE PERFUME.

THE QUIRKY AND DELIGHTFUL CABINET OF SCENTS HOUSES SMELL OF FRESHLY FALLEN SNOW, A DAY AT THE BEACH, BURNING LEAVES, RUSSIAN CARAVAN TEA, AND THE GIRLS FAVOURITE "IN THE LIBRARY"

READING THE CHARMING DESCRIPTION OF THIS SCENT REMINDED ME OF HOW MANY BOOKS I HAVE ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE. LINING UP WAITING TO BE OPENED (AND NOW SMELT).

"I have always loved books. I am told this was the case even before I could read for myself. When I was very small, I loved the bedtime story and being read to by my mother. As a child, books provided a fantastic escape from boredom and a rather dreary daily life. As I grew older, I began to read voraciously and spent as much time as possible in the school library. I borrowed books with wild abandon and I read every one.

Whenever I read, the start of the journey is always opening the book and breathing deeply. There are few things more wonderful than the smell of a much-loved book. Newly printed books certainly smell very different from older ones. Their ink is so crisp though the odor of their paper is so faint. Older books smell riper and often sweeter. Illustrated books have a very different odor from those with straight text and this smell often speaks of their quality. I've also noticed that books from different countries and different periods have very individual scents too. These speak not only of their origin, but of their history to this moment. I can distinguish books that were well cared for from those that were neglected. I can often tell books that lived in libraries where pipes or cigars were regularly smoked. Occasionally I run across one that I am certain belonged to an older woman fond of powdery scent. Books from California smell very different from those I buy in New York, London or Paris. I can tell books that have come from humid places - these have a musty richness in the scent of their pages.

And then of course there are the scents of different bindings: the glues, the leathers, the cloths and boards, even the paperbacks all have very unique characteristics and, to my mind, add an extra dash of personality to an otherwise mundane object. And yes, sometimes if a book has had the misfortune of being very poorly kept, I can detect a faint whiff of mildew. This doesn't bother me in the least: it means this book has survived.

To many of course, these various bookish odors mean nothing. But to an avid reader and collector like myself, these smells are as magical as the bouquet of a great wine is to a connoisseur - a sort of literary terroir. These scents mean Excitement, Adventure, Discovery, Enlightenment and Knowledge. Of course my deep love of reading is exactly what lead me in the first place to begin capturing the scent of books and of the libraries where they live. That's what this perfume is all about.

Now, whenever I have the chance, I read aloud to my nieces and nephews. I am delighted they so enjoy this and are so eager to listen. I love sharing with them some of my own childhood favorites.

But before I begin to read to the children, I always take a moment to open the book and encourage them to take a whiff. I hope for them, as it has been for me, this smell will mark the beginning of a long and wondrous journey."

HAVE A LOOK AT THE CB I HATE PERFUME RANGE HERE

HAPPY READING, AND SMELLING

xx