The Philosophy of Perfume
This product is available for Pre-order and will be shipped by the publication date.
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Available now for pre-order. Please note that all orders will be despatched after the publication date. Publishing in October 2026.
Perfume is intoxicating: a wearable scent journey, a cultural touchpoint, a piece of art and design, and a deep expression of individuality. You can be nine or ninety, tall or small, wearing simple rosewater or a rare ambergris-infused concoction and your scent will still be your own. From its ancient, ceremonial roots to the starry allure of modern celebrity fragrances, perfume has long been associated with the almost-alchemical power to transform and bewitch. Perfumes have defined what an era’s luxury, femininity, and allure smell like, while even a lingering scent of someone’s signature perfume can be enough to send our minds reeling back through our memories. Nowadays, perfume has found an active online community of connoisseurs ready to scour the earth for niche, gate-kept and unattainable scents.
In The Philosophy of Perfume, fragrance writer and journalist, Alice du Parcq, takes us on an opulent journey through the mysterious world of perfume. The book includes chapters on perfume’s history, the figures who have acted as perfume’s great muses, the psychology of scent, the obsessive search for ever-rarer ingredients, notes on dissecting scents, the most iconic bottle designs and how to find your perfect scent.
International availability - Europe and the United States.
We have resumed some European and US shipping in line with new EU GPSR regulations and recent changes to US tariffs. Please see below for details on Customs and Tariffs. British Library Publications, including our subscriptions, are now available for order for customers across Europe and the United States.
We will continue rolling out our most popular products to these regions in stages. If you are browsing from Europe or the US, you can now see the products that are available for you to order.
We’re working hard to expand the offering, so the selection you see online will continue to grow as products are cleared for shipping.
Print on Demand Art Prints, Clothing, and accessories are shipped separately from the manufacturer, and are not included in any Shipping rates below.
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Our deliveries are now carbon neutral.
| Order Value | Shipping Rates | Timescale | |
| UK Standard* | Under £5 | £3.50 | 3 - 5 working days |
| UK Standard* | £5 or Over | £5 | 3 - 5 working days |
Please allow 7 working days from the time you place your order to contact us about undelivered orders.
*does not include custom prints or custom clothing.
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EU and Europe orders
Due to the new EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR), not all of our products will be available for you to order yet, we are working on rolling out a wider product range.
| Order value | Under £25 | £25 - £49.99 | £50 - £99.99 | £100 and Over | Timescale |
| Airmail | £ 15 | £ 25 | £ 36 | £ 45 | Usually 2 - 4 weeks |
Rest of the World orders
| Order value | Under £25 | £25 - £49.99 | £50 - £99.99 | £100 and Over | Timescale |
| Airmail | £ 20 | £ 30 | £ 40 | £ 50 | Usually 2 - 4 weeks |
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Import duties and taxes such as Customs and Tariffs are payable by the customer upon delivery. These fees are the responsibility of the recipient and are not included in the purchase price or shipping cost. The British Library is not liable for these charges.
Orders returned due to non-payment of duties will be refunded for the product cost only, less any shipping fees incurred.
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