> Skip to content

Article  •  28 March 2017

 

Surprising perfume facts

Five things Amanda Hampson learned while researching for The French Perfumer.

  1. The term ‘perfume’ is derived from the Latin ‘fumum’ meaning ‘through smoke’. The fragrant smoke of burned materials was thought to be divine, sending prayers to heaven.
  2. Perfume was once a privilege of the rich and the cost of materials was irrelevant. From early last century, the decadent and rare raw materials began to be synthesised to make perfume cheaper and therefore more widely available.
  3. A kilo of the best quality French jasmine comprises five million blossoms and costs around $50,000 – that’s triple the price of gold.
  4. A perfumer (known as a ‘nose’) is an artist who ‘paints’ with layers of fragrance. It’s a long and involved process with many ‘drafts’ that are put away to be revisited and revised over the development period.
  5. Perfumers attempt to capture a moment or a feeling. Jacques Guerlain was inspired to create L’Heure Bleue (The Blue Hour) when walking by the Seine one evening. He set out to capture the sense of that twilight hour when ‘the night has not yet found its star’.

Feature Title

The French Perfumer
In the tradition of The Little Paris Bookshop and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, this is a charming historical novel set in the South of France by the bestselling author of The Olive Sisters.
Read more

More features

See all
Article
Didn't get to Europe this year? These 3 books will transport you there

Revisit three Amanda Hampson books to experience European summer from the comfort of your living room.

Article
My writing life

Amanda Hampson recalls her personal journey through reading, journalism and writing fiction.

Book clubs
The French Perfumer

Escape to the south of France in Amanda Hampson’s world of colour.

Article
Booker Prize shortlist 2025

The shortlist for the 2025 Booker Prize has been announced, with four Penguin Random House titles named this year.

Article
QUIZ: What kind of mullet are you?

Take this quiz to find out what type of mullet you are, in honour of Nick Sharratt’s book, Mullets.

Article
Your guide to Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series

Here’s what you need to know about Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series – including which order to read the books!

Article
10 of the best fantasy books you don't want to miss

Check out some of the best fantasy books with unique magic systems.

Article
Books we’d recommend to Conrad Fisher

8 books Conrad Fisher would love (or learn from).

Article
10 black cat boyfriends from must-read books

It’s official: the internet has dubbed Conrad Fisher a ‘black cat boyfriend’. Here are a few other black cat book boyfriends to keep you swooning.

Article
Penguin Fantasy Fest 2025 – a magical four-state adventure!

Four states, four sold out crowds, seven authors and over 850 fans made for an incredible two weeks that we will never forget!

Article
QUIZ: Which Hawthorne brother is your soulmate?

Take this quiz to find out which Hawthorne brother from The Inheritance Games series would be your perfect match.

Article
Abbey’s bookshop in Sydney is celebrating 90 years of Penguin books

Learn about the 4-day Penguin pop-up hosted by Abbey’s bookshop, including special release editions, bookmarks and limited-edition tote bags.

Looking for more articles?

See all articles