I co-wrote with Tania Sanchez two perfume guides published in 2008 and 2018. After writing the second guide, we both felt that the general tone and quality of perfumery had changed. The big brands, with some exceptions, were steadily producing too many unremarkable fragrances. The niche brands, on which rested so much early hope for a renewal of perfumery, turned out to be just as conformist as the big ones. The artisans, aside from some natural-born geniuses, suffered from a lack of access to raw materials and proper tuition.