Debra Brock got a masterclass in olfactory enlightenment. Here?s what she learned from The Don.
 
 

It?s not often in life you get to spend two days with a world expert. But that?s exactly what I did at the end of last year, when I was invited to join a group of journalists for training with the legendary perfumer Roja Dove <http://www.rojadove.com>. I doubt there is anyone in the world who knows more about fragrance and I?m sure there?s nobody who could present two days worth of intense training more charismatically. It was a truly brilliant experience.
Because Roja believes so strongly that people should talk knowledgeably and accessibly about scent, he gives two days of his time to train journalists every year. For those who can?t access the course, he?s distilled his knowledge into The Essence of Perfume, a beautiful coffee table book covering a lot of the same content (although sadly not with the smells. Can we call for a high class comeback for scratch ?n? sniff books"). I highly recommend the book – as well as his guidance on all things fragrant, there are beautiful images of bottles from his personal collection, including bespoke creations by Guerlain for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. But back to the course itself. I came away with new found knowledge and a determination to smell everything I had at home with a completely fresh approach. I wanted to share here some of things I learned that really surprised me.
Perfume can smell diffe...