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The Art of Natural Perfumery with Mandy Aftel

“Every culture in history has used natural scented materials for the most important things in life—eating, praying, making love, being buried,” says psychotherapist turned natural perfumer Mandy Aftel, in this fascinating interview. The founder of the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents, in Berkley, California, is here to celebrate the release of her latest book, The Museum of Scent, by sharing a few of her stories. She tells us about the time she taught Apple’s Jony Ive natural perfumery; how she scented Leonard Cohen’s funeral; why oud is misunderstood; the controversial story of ambergris; the backstory of a rare gardenia extract from Tahiti; and so much more. We’re calling it now: This is a Fat Mascara classic. Enjoy!


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