--- product_id: 48900256 title: "The Diary of a Nose: A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur" price: "30.66 DT" currency: TND in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48900256-the-diary-of-a-nose-a-year-in-the-life store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Diary of a Nose: A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur **Price:** 30.66 DT **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Diary of a Nose: A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur - **How much does it cost?** 30.66 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48900256-the-diary-of-a-nose-a-year-in-the-life) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The French bestseller The Diary of a Nose is the story behind the creation of a perfume, from the head perfumer at Hermès. Perfume creation is an exclusive and secretive endeavour. What is day to day life like for a perfume-maker? How does the creation of a new scent begin? How do you capture the essence of a smell on the skin? For one year, Jean-Claude Ellena kept a diary of his life as 'parfumeur exclusif' ('le nez' or 'the nose') for Hermès. Believing that creating a scent is like creating a work of art, and describing himself as a writer using 'olfactory colours', he explains how all of the five senses come into play when creating a perfume. He also reveals how inspiration can come from a market stall, a landscape, or even the movement of calligraphy, and concludes this charming, perceptive diary with recipes for natural fragrances, each made up of three synthetic ingredients, to create the illusion of smells like freesia, orange blossom, grapefruit, pear, chocolate, cashew and cotton candy. This is the story of a quest to capture what is most elusive. Jean-Claude Ellena offer readers a rare insight into the secrets of his business, his art, and his life as one of the world's most important and admired perfumers. Review: Very inspiring - For the money that I paid for this book, as a hobbyist perfumer, I found it highly inspiring. The author provides a template that mirrors my own thinking and augments my learning. From what I have read so far, the experience has been akin to being just like having a my own personal mentor with me who shares nuggets of information from his own valuable experience. Artisans are often dismissive of their own works and often, too, wallow in self-doubt. I am no different in this regard: to have another, more talented artisan be so frank regarding his own foibles bolsters my self image and resolve to continue. In summary, I took from this book an affirmation of who I am as a perfumer. The book is written in straightforward English with each page offering at least one piece of information - a nugget - that can be taken away and reflected upon. It is literally a diary, not a scientific read - although the author does sometimes use technical language - that takes the reader through the author's mind on a day-by-day basis throughout the course of a year: in it, he shares his doubts and his discoveries and the knowledge, techniques and experience he uses to hone his talents. A fascinating but light read with surprises on every page. Recommended. Review: The poetry of perfume - Jean Claude Ellena's book is less diary, more poetry meets philosophy. Yes, it does cover a year in his life, but not in a conventional way. There's a lot of blank paper. If Monsieur Elena's thought for the day lasts a few lines, that's what you get on the page. It's whimsical, creative, thought provoking, condfident and utterly French. The way a haiku represents a single thought in 17 syllables, Ellena's single thoughts take just as long as he wants them to. I own some of his fragrances, from the full on blackcurrant blast of Yves Saint Laurent's In Love Again, to the light, clear recent Jardin creations for Hermes, and after seeing him in the BBC series Perfume I was fascinated to read about the way he works. (By the way, if you thought that Yves Saint Laurent had anything to do with his own perfumes, think again.) I think most creative artists dream of having the creative freedom and unconstrained budgets that Ellena has, and probably most of them dream of having his light clear way with words too. Like his recent scents, this book has a lightness and clarity that gives us a deep insight into his life. He calls it A Year in the Life of a Perfumer, but I don't think it describes the life of any perfumer but himself. Very few have had the success to be able to create such a beautiful existence for themselves. For people with some knowledge of perfumery, his list of 22 simple accords - one per page - at the back is worth the price of the book. For everyone else it must by a total mystery. For example: lilial and undecavertol make lime blossom. Sharing his knowledge is very generous of him. I just wish he'd write a whole book of those. ## Images ![The Diary of a Nose: A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91S3mhCHcZL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very inspiring *by B***C on 27 May 2020* For the money that I paid for this book, as a hobbyist perfumer, I found it highly inspiring. The author provides a template that mirrors my own thinking and augments my learning. From what I have read so far, the experience has been akin to being just like having a my own personal mentor with me who shares nuggets of information from his own valuable experience. Artisans are often dismissive of their own works and often, too, wallow in self-doubt. I am no different in this regard: to have another, more talented artisan be so frank regarding his own foibles bolsters my self image and resolve to continue. In summary, I took from this book an affirmation of who I am as a perfumer. The book is written in straightforward English with each page offering at least one piece of information - a nugget - that can be taken away and reflected upon. It is literally a diary, not a scientific read - although the author does sometimes use technical language - that takes the reader through the author's mind on a day-by-day basis throughout the course of a year: in it, he shares his doubts and his discoveries and the knowledge, techniques and experience he uses to hone his talents. A fascinating but light read with surprises on every page. Recommended. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The poetry of perfume *by M***. on 20 June 2013* Jean Claude Ellena's book is less diary, more poetry meets philosophy. Yes, it does cover a year in his life, but not in a conventional way. There's a lot of blank paper. If Monsieur Elena's thought for the day lasts a few lines, that's what you get on the page. It's whimsical, creative, thought provoking, condfident and utterly French. The way a haiku represents a single thought in 17 syllables, Ellena's single thoughts take just as long as he wants them to. I own some of his fragrances, from the full on blackcurrant blast of Yves Saint Laurent's In Love Again, to the light, clear recent Jardin creations for Hermes, and after seeing him in the BBC series Perfume I was fascinated to read about the way he works. (By the way, if you thought that Yves Saint Laurent had anything to do with his own perfumes, think again.) I think most creative artists dream of having the creative freedom and unconstrained budgets that Ellena has, and probably most of them dream of having his light clear way with words too. Like his recent scents, this book has a lightness and clarity that gives us a deep insight into his life. He calls it A Year in the Life of a Perfumer, but I don't think it describes the life of any perfumer but himself. Very few have had the success to be able to create such a beautiful existence for themselves. For people with some knowledge of perfumery, his list of 22 simple accords - one per page - at the back is worth the price of the book. For everyone else it must by a total mystery. For example: lilial and undecavertol make lime blossom. Sharing his knowledge is very generous of him. I just wish he'd write a whole book of those. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Too far ahead of me *by C***S on 26 June 2013* I have only just begun my voyage of discovery into the world of perfume. This book disappointed me a little. I suspect this is because of my lack of knowledge rather than the author's style. I shall continue to read and learn and then maybe come back to it when I know more from elsewhere and then I expect to enjoy it more. There certainly seems to be a lot of BS surrounding high-end perfumes. But I guess the same applies in other spheres as well, like cookery and fashion and so on...? Not for me just yet then, but maybe one day soon? --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48900256-the-diary-of-a-nose-a-year-in-the-life](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48900256-the-diary-of-a-nose-a-year-in-the-life) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-09-03*