Mandy Aftel about Solid Perfume

Solid perfume is an old and relatively rare perfume form. Some perfume and designer houses offer them as exclusive limited editions. Natural solid perfume made from costly essences in a luxurious box must be exclusive.

Mandy Aftel, the founder of Aftelier, is one of the early adherents of artisanal natural perfumery and the original founder of the Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild. Mandy Aftel is also the author of several books on perfumery, including Scents & Sensibilities, a book about the solid perfume form and how to make it at home. 

Mandy Aftel has kindly agreed to inform the readers of Fragrantica.com about solid perfumes.

Fragrantica: Please, tell us about your book Scents and Sensibilities, and about the influence that scents have on our condition and mood.

Mandy Aftel: I wrote Scents and Sensibilities to be an introduction to the beauty of solid natural perfume. Solid perfume, more than liquid perfume, can be easily taken with you and applied anywhere and provides a lift and changes your mood.

F: Solid perfume is a rare form of fragrances nowadays. Could you tell us more about this kind of perfume?

Mandy Aftel: Solid perfume is portable and provides a different sensual experience because you put it on with your fingers and it is not a liquid.

F: Can the same fragrance formula be possible (if at all) in various consistencies—liquid and solid— and would it smell the same?

Mandy Aftel: Yes, the same fragrances can be made in both solid and liquid form but they do smell different. The alcohol in liquid perfume provides a lift and the wax and oil in solid perfume make the fragrance softer and smoother.

F: Is it difficult to make a perfume at home and what would we need to have prepared for that?

Mandy Aftel: Yes, you can easily make solid perfume at home and I provide complete instructions in my book Scents & Sensibilities.

F: What would be the best container to keep the solid perfume?

Mandy Aftel: The best containers have a good latch so that they will stay closed. They are not very deep so that you do not have to dig the perfume out with your finger and they have rounded corners... and are beautiful. You can use vintage compacts and pill boxes too.

F: What is your preferred consistency—liquid or solid?

Mandy Aftel: I love using both solid and liquid perfumes and carry both in my purse depending on my mood.

Read more about perfumes by Aftelier on fragrantica.com.
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