Mandy Aftel

Mandy Aftel is a preeminent artisan perfumer, educator, and author on natural fragrance and flavor. As the founder of Aftelier Perfumes, she has been hailed as one of the fragrance industry’s “most prolific talents” by Vogue and an “angel of alchemy” by Vanity Fair, and listed as one of the top seven bespoke perfumers in the world by Forbes. She is a founding adviser of the Institute for Art and Olfaction, which has created the Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume in her honor. In 2022 the IAO awarded her the Septimus Piesse Visionary Award for her lifetime achievements.

Aftel is the author of nine books, including The Art of Flavor: Practices and Principles for Creating Delicious Food (Riverhead Books, 2017, with two-Michelin-star chef Daniel Patterson), Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent (Riverhead Books, 2014, Perfume Plume award for writing), Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume (FSG, 2001, fourteen foreign editions, Richard B. Solomon Award from the Sense of Smell Institute), Scents and Sensibilities: Creating Solid Perfumes for Well-Being (Gibbs Smith, 2005), and Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragrance (Artisan Books, 2004, with Daniel Patterson).

In 2017, she created the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents in Berkeley, California—the only museum in the world dedicated to the history and experience of natural fragrance, showcasing her collection of one-of-a-kind-antique artifacts. It has received thousands of visitors and has been covered in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Goop, Vogue, O: The Oprah Magazine, ARTnews, and Sunset.

AFTELIER NATURAL PERFUME WHEEL Mandy Aftel
ESSENCE & ALCHEMY Mandy Aftel
THE SCENT MUSEUM Mandy Aftel

image by aya brackett and bio via mandy aftel