Flowers, fruits, herbs, resins, woods, spices. From bloom to bottle, the subtle art of perfume has always had its roots in the natural world.

From sunny mandarin to sweet violet and from luscious fig to fresh thyme, the right combination of ingredients can transport you to a world of sensory associations that can evoke memories, pique curiosities and even alter moods. Each entry features the top three essential scents to look out for, including iconic fragrances from Byredo, Maison Margiela, Diptyque and Jo Malone.

Fragrance reveals the botanical backgrounds of 100 intoxicating ingredients that define scents from Chanel N 5 to Opium. Evocative insights from experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and fragrance specialists Josh Carter and Samuel Gearing combine with beautiful botanical illustrations in this enchanting distillation of the origins of perfume.