Aftel Archive of Curious Scents — Attraction in Berkeley

AMAZING!! One of the most fantastic experiences ever! I’ve been a perfume fanatic for 40 years and of natural perfumery for 30, and visiting here was a dream come true. It’s unlikely you’d be able to view...and touch, and sniff...such beautiful displays (with descriptions) of antique items related to perfumery...raw materials, finished blends, bottles, books, etc...all in one place anywhere else.

It’s impossible to say which area(s) were my favourite(s): the antique little apothecary and watchmaker’s chests of drawers filled with raw ingredients to touch and inhale; the exquisite delicate flacons, coffrets, and other receptacles; the side-by-side aged and new raw materials for scent comparison; the step-by-step compositions of top, middle and base accords and finished product; the scent organ...it all overwhelmed in the best possible way. I was in ecstasies.

Mandy Aftel is THE doyenne of natural perfumery and it was an unexpected pleasure and a privilege to meet and chat with her. Her husband Foster was also a delight and very knowledgeable. I’m a bit of a fangirl and still have five or six perfumes from Aftel’s line Grandiflorum, dating back around 25 years or so, as well as earlier Aftelier scents that are no longer available. It is my hope to some day take the course she offers from her studio in Berkeley.

You’ll be given an additional treat of two coins of dark chocolate spritzed with Aftel’s Chef’s Essences...as my husband declined his, I got to have four! I chose Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Fresh Ginger and Peru Balsam...all were wonderful. I also purchased four of her perfumes, traditional and solid...it was very hard to choose as there are so many I want! Her books are also available.

If you are interested in perfume, its history, and natural perfumery in particular, do not miss this!! Thank you, Mandy, for sharing your...

A truly magical place that I cannot recommend more. The Aftel Archive of Curious Scents opened my eyes, I mean nostrils, to the rich and rewarding world of scents I had been taking for granted. It’s not just your sense of smell that’s in for a treat as the experience engages all of your senses. The hour long visit would’ve already been especially memorable even if it wasn’t focused on the sense with the strongest tie to memory. The various stations explain and entertain scent in a way that is fun and enlightening. My girlfriend and I smelled a candle the other day and were attempting to break down the scent with what we learned during our visit. And we learned a fair amount as the exhibits are flat out brilliant and positively inspired. You could feel how every detail was lovingly considered. Even ignoring scent, the space itself was decorated and laid out in an exceptionally classy, creative, and cohesive manner. From vintage prints to taxidermy critters, the decorative flourishes were aesthetically beautiful, thematically enhancing and you could tell, arranged just so. Honestly, just inhabiting the space was not only pleasing to the eye, but also elevating to the spirit. As if that isn’t enough, you also get to interact with the hearts, hands, minds and noses behind the archive as Mandy Aftel, the world class parfumier, her husband, Foster, and son, Devon, who all teamed together to create the archive, were there to provide detailed answers and insights. My only complaint, which isn’t a complaint, is that I wish I would’ve had more time to thumb through Mandy’s amazing collection of rare books related to scents. I’m already looking forward to making a...

I had a truly amazing experience here. If you like museums and are curious about how fragrance is created, you are in for a treat! They have done a great job with the displays - most items are for you to touch and smell. Since you need quite a lot of time per display (lots of little things to open and smell), it was great that the place wasnt crowded. They likely control this with the tickets that are for specific 1-hour time slots. The hour went by really fast. When we first heard of this place we were a bit concerned the smells might be over-powering, but that was not the case at all - does not smell like a mall for sure! Owners were great, provided a lot of facts / explanations on the displays. Not wanting to give away too much in the review, I would say that I had an amazing time and learnt a lot on...