Crash Course: A perfumer's obsessive quest to recreate the fragrance of lost love

Mandy Aftel toiled for years trying to recreate the scent of lost love. Those who've smelled it say she succeeded Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (Arkaprava Ghosh/Future Publishing via Getty Images) A perfumer's obsessive quest to recreate the fragrance of lost love In her book "[Fragrant](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0QXaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXpuLnRvLzM5b0tYMGhXA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)," Aftel describes it as a love affair. "I took in the oils in all their gorgeous diversity. It was as if a mirrored sensation were occurring inside of me; I felt as if I were becoming one with the oils, as if they were entering me. I couldn't tell where they left off and I began." Inside Aftel's [atelier and museum](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0QsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYWZ0ZWxpZXIuY29tL0FydGljbGVzLmFzcD9JRD0yNTZXA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), one is immediately engulfed by the artist's "scent organ," comprised of hundreds of bottles in rows filled with essences. The perfumer presents the bottles to her clients, one by one, and watches carefully. "When people smell their favorite scents," she observed, "they always close their eyes like they're about to be kissed. It's primal." [Read more from Roc Morin.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0QvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvc2NlbnQtb2YtbG92ZS9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) Elon Musk, Twitter and the future: His long-term vision is even weirder than you think Musk has explicitly said that buying Twitter is about "[the future of civilization](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RRaHR0cHM6Ly9lZGl0aW9uLmNubi5jb20vMjAyMi8wNC8xNC90ZWNoL211c2stdHdpdHRlci1vZmZlci1leHBsYW5hdGlvbi9pbmRleC5odG1sVwNzcGNCCmJhPmhuYu9K1zVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~)." That points to his peculiar notion of philanthropy and the notion that no matter how obnoxious, puerile, inappropriate or petty his behavior — no matter how destructive or embarrassing his actions may be in the present — by aiming to influence the long-term future, he stands a chance of being considered by all those happy people in future computer simulations as having done more good, overall, than any single person in human history so far. Step aside, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. [Read the rest from Phil Torres.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0R2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvZWxvbi1tdXNrLXR3aXR0ZXItYW5kLXRoZS1mdXR1cmUtaGlzLWxvbmctdGVybS12aXNpb24taXMtZXZlbi13ZWlyZGVyLXRoYW4teW91LXRoaW5rL1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) Promotion from Mcafee [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcjIyYWh2cGEyeVcDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) Be safe with McAfee [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcjIyYWh2cGEyeVcDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - You're 5-ingredients away from this genius [smoked salmon and dill](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAveW91cmUtNS1pbmdyZWRpZW50cy1hd2F5LWZyb20tdGhpcy1nZW5pdXMtc21va2VkLXNhbG1vbi1hbmQtZGlsbC1wYXN0YS1zYWxhZC9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) pasta salad - "Come Away With Me" at 20: [Norah Jones](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0ROaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvbm9yYWgtam9uZXMtY29tZS1hd2F5LXdpdGgtbWUtMjAtYW5uaXZlcnNhcnkvVwNzcGNCCmJhPmhuYu9K1zVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) reflects on "hopeful, romantic" record but won't call it jazz - [Randy Rainbow](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RcaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvcmFuZHktcmFpbmJvdy1wbGF5aW5nLXdpdGgtbXlzZWxmLW11c2ljYWwtcG9saXRpY2FsLXNhdGlyZS9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), singing truth to power - 5 best tools to help you [upgrade your lunch game](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvNS1iZXN0LXRvb2xzLXRvLWhlbHAteW91LXVwZ3JhZGUteW91ci1sdW5jaC1nYW1lLWFjY29yZGluZy10by1vdXItZWRpdG9ycy9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), according to our editors - [Paul McCartney](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0Q9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvcGF1bC1tY2NhcnRuZXktdHVnLW9mLWF0LTQwL1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)'s "Tug of War" at 40: A self-aware solace written in the wake of John Lennon's death - ["Ozark"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvb3phcmstc2Vhc29uLTQtZXBpc29kZS04LTktcmVjYXAtbmV0ZmxpeC9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) is back to close out its final season - [Influencer culture is everywhere](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvaW5mbHVlbmNlci1jdWx0dXJlLWlzLWV2ZXJ5d2hlcmUtZXZlbi1pbi1hY2FkZW1pYS9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — even in academia - Bill Maher on DeSantis, Cruz and ["sexy Disney"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvYmlsbC1tYWhlci1vbi1kZXNhbnRpcy1jcnV6LWFuZC1zZXh5LWRpc25leS9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Is the U.S. in a [proxy war with Russia](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0QyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvdHJ1c2NvdHQtNDMwLXRiZC9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)? Sergey Lavrov and Lloyd Austin seem to think so - Republicans' rush to block Biden from [forgiving student debt](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMzAvcmVwdWJsaWNhbnMtcnVzaC10by1ibG9jay1iaWRlbi1mcm9tLWZvcmdpdmluZy1zdHVkZW50LWRlYnQtYmFja2ZpcmVzL1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) backfires - Why Fox News is [obsessed with Johnny Depp](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMjkvd2h5LWZveC1uZXdzLWlzLW9ic2Vzc2VkLXdpdGgtam9obm55LWRlcHAtaXRzLW1hbmxpbmVzcy11bmRlci1zaWVnZS1tYXNjb3QvVwNzcGNCCmJhPmhuYu9K1zVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), its Manliness Under Siege mascot - [Gaspar Noé](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RHaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMjkvZ2FzcGFyLW5vZS12b3J0ZXgtd2l0Y2hlcy1sdXgtYWV0ZXJuYS9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on dementia in "Vortex," witches in "Lux Æterna" and the "shamanic side to cinema" - ["Black Box" filmmaker](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0Q3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMjkvYmxhY2stYm94LXlhbm4tZ296bGFuL1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) on making a plane crash thriller that requires you to listen closely - From Ruby on "Black-ish" to CEO on "I Love That for You," [Jenifer Lewis](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMjkvamVuaWZlci1sZXdpcy1pLWxvdmUtdGhhdC1mb3IteW91LXNhbG9uLXRhbGtzL1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) is not just everybody's mama - Why [a positive test result](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0R3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMjkvd2h5LWEtcG9zaXRpdmUtcmVzdWx0LWZyb20tYS1oaWdobHktYWNjdXJhdGUtdGVzdC1tYXktbm90LW1lYW4td2hhdC15b3UtdGhpbmstaXQtZG9lcy9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) may not mean what you think it does - ["The Flight Attendant:"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RRaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMjkvdGhlLWZsaWdodC1hdHRlbmRhbnQtc2Vhc29uLTItZXBpc29kZS0zLTQtcmVjYXAvVwNzcGNCCmJhPmhuYu9K1zVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Don't mace Brenda Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) to receive Crash Course. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Why Madison Cawthorn triggers Republicans In a world where so much news is just plain depressing, it's an unexpected delight to watch the Republican establishment pull out their bag of dirty tricks and ratf**k one of their own. And boy, it couldn't be happening to a nicer guy: Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, part of the freshman class of Republicans [who work more as full-time trolls](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RQaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTgvMjAyMXMtYmlnZ2VzdC10cm9sbC1yZXAtbWFyam9yaWUtdGF5bG9yLWdyZWVuZS9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) than traditional lawmakers. Man, Republicans really hate this guy. [Read the rest from Amanda Marcotte.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0Q_aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMjkvd2h5LW1hZGlzb24tY2F3dGhvcm4tdHJpZ2dlcnMvVwNzcGNCCmJhPmhuYu9K1zVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Insiders Call B.S. on ‘Tokyo Vice’ Backstory," [The Hollywood Reporter](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaG9sbHl3b29kcmVwb3J0ZXIuY29tL21vdmllcy9tb3ZpZS1mZWF0dXJlcy90b2t5by12aWNlLXByb2JsZW1hdGljLXNvdXJjZS1tYXRlcmlhbC0xMjM1MTM1ODI4L1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Pete Davidson Returns To Stand-Up, Makes Kanye West Jokes In First Comedy Set In Three Years," [Deadline](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RfaHR0cHM6Ly9kZWFkbGluZS5jb20vMjAyMi8wNC9wZXRlLWRhdmlkc29uLXJldHVybnMtc3RhbmQtdXAtY29tZWR5LXRhbGtzLWthbnllLXdlc3QtMTIzNTAxMzcwNi9XA3NwY0IKYmE-aG5i70rXNVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Country music legend Naomi Judd, one half of The Judds, has died," [CNN](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0SvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25uLmNvbS8yMDIyLzA0LzMwL2VudGVydGFpbm1lbnQvbmFvbWktanVkZC1kZWF0aC1tZW50YWwtaWxsbmVzcy9pbmRleC5odG1sP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09c29jaWFsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9dHdjbm5icmsmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9MjAyMi0wNC0zMFQyMCUzQTQ2JTNBMTMmdXRtX3Rlcm09bGlua1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Teacher under fire for cotton, cuffs in class on slavery," [NBC News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmJjbmV3cy5jb20vbmV3cy91cy1uZXdzL3RlYWNoZXItZmlyZS1jb3R0b24tY3VmZnMtY2xhc3Mtc2xhdmVyeS1yY25hMjY3ODg_Y2lkPXNtX25wZF9ubl90d19tYVcDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) (Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) Ghislaine Maxwell to be sentenced for only one out of three conspiracy charges Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of sex trafficking young women for deviant sexual use by her former cohort, Jeffrey Epstein, is still in the midst of an ongoing trial that continued today with new developments leading up to sentencing in late June. [Read the rest from Kelly McClure.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkUO0-P0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMjkvZ2hpc2xhaW5lLW1heHdlbGwtdG8tYmUtc2VudGVuY2VkLWZvci1vbmx5LW9uZS1vdXQtb2YtdGhyZWUtY29uc3BpcmFjeS1jaGFyZ2VzL1cDc3BjQgpiYT5obmLvStc1Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) Have a tip for Salon? 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