08 | Addictive Substances

The hypnotic power of fragrance
Yvresse, Dior Addict, Opium, Obsession… The allusions to illicit products and the language of addiction have a long association with perfumery. But can perfume really be addictive? As we grapple with this question, let’s not forget that perfume itself continues to nurture a centuries-long dependence on alcohol! For while perfumery was born of smoke, its love affair with ethanol drove the development of the industry.

We need only to look to the canine nose to see that a connection exists between narcotics and olfaction; but what is the relationship betweenoursense of smell and addictive substances?

Published: Nov. 2019
English only
160 pages