A Glance At The Fascinating History of Luxury Perfumes

The advent of the luxury perfume industry was first noted in the early nineteenth century where the original concept of scents evolved from. With developments in hygienic practices and products like fragrance soaps being manufactured, the invention of perfume is marked as one of the most revolutionary innovations of those times.

In the 1860’s manufacturers found new techniques of extracting raw materials that gradually resulted in decrease in cost of production and a relative increase in consumption by a whole new segment of customers. This enhanced consumption further encouraged more and more people to buy perfumes, which brought about a huge boost in sales and contributed towards making the perfume industry an important and essential part of the global business market.

A Brief History of Perfumes

Perfumes are readily available to purchase in the market today, sometimes with just a click of a button, but this was not the case when it the concept had been newly introduced to the world.

The origin of perfume can be traced back to being first used by the Egyptians as a staunch part of their religious rituals. The application of ointments and the burning of incense sticks was observed to be a patent part of their traditions. Perfumes and fragrant essential oils were used for cleansing ceremonies and festivals in Egypt during this time.

Soon the use of fragrances spread to the Greeks and Romans, where the consumption of perfumes was highly popularized. The Persian Empire used Perfumes as a sign of Political status but it was primarily the Greeks who mass popularized usage of the product.

The eighteenth century observed the creation of perfumes in beautifully shaped bottles where glass became popular, particularly in France. Soon, Paris became the epicentre of the fragrance industry with perfume manufacturers traveling from all around the world to be a part of the widely outspread community. Brands like Guerlain and Lubin that are famous even today, originated from Paris.

The 1900’s witnessed a huge shift in the perfume industry, in terms of raw materials as well as fragrance preferences. With musk and floral fragrances gaining wide popularity, brands were focused on creating the perfect commercial fusion at an alarming rate. Luxury brands like Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior and Nina Ricci shifted from the fashion industry and delved into the fragrance world by creating high end luxurious perfumes for the masses.

Luxury Perfumes and How It Changed the Face of Fragrance

The advent of luxury perfume brands came through a while after and originated with its roots in Europe. While creating bath oils and fragrance soaps, the concept of perfumes came about. Many manufacturers had already begun creating perfumes with different fragrances like floral, musky, fruity and more. With multiple variants and a huge demand for niche products, the perfume industry was booming, especially in the early 1900’s.

It is around the second half of the twentieth century when popular and high end fashion houses ventured into the perfume industry eventually leading to fashion and fragrance becoming inextricably connected. Brands like Karl Lagerfeld and YSL created perfumes that were not just considered high end but also marked the evolution of perfume. What began as a tradition was now being manufactured in factories in tandem with what will appeal to the customers taste.

The American market had only seen French perfumes that ruled the fragrance world at the time. With the advent of commercial brands stepping into creating intriguing and customizable fragrances, there was suddenly a nationwide boom in sales. When Estee Lauder introduced her first oil based perfume known as ‘Youth Dew’ it opened doors not only for customers to get their hands on something that had never been introduced in the market before but also challenged competitors to create innovative and effective products that can foresee tangible appeal and create a stir in the luxury perfume sector.

 Although ‘Youth Dew’ had a cult following and Estee Lauder continues to be famous for its ground breaking revolution, Norell was the first American designer to create a perfume with a designers name. This perfume brand went on to become women’s first choice and absolute staple for years on end. After this, the 70’s observed a huge trend amongst designers to create perfumes. From musky and spicy to floral and oriental, it was all tried and tested by multiple brands collectively.

Popular Luxury Perfume Brands

Ever since its advent, the luxury perfume industry was a highly popularized and competitive field. Through its development over the years, there were some fragrances that simply revolutionized the concept of fragrance with its creativity, appeal and demand. Let us have a look at some absolutely unforgettable luxury perfume brands that stood the tests of time and continues to maintain its legendary charm and appeal till date:

Chanel No 5

Coco Chanel launched this absolutely incredible fragrance in the summer of 1921, on a trip to Monte Carlo. This is where she would meet established perfumer, Ernest Beaux who created 10 samples numbered one through five and twenty through twenty-four. After having gone through them all, Chanel picked out fragrance number 5 which supposedly reminded her of a fresh fragrance from her childhood.

It has hints of rose, jasmine, sandalwood and vanilla, which she said is what perfectly describes the ‘scent of a woman’. Years later, Chanel No5 continues to arguably be the world’s most popular luxury perfume.

Guerlain Shalimar

This fragrance is known to be one of the first oriental perfumes that was created in 1925 as a testament of inspiration from the glorious story of Shah Jahan and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Jacques Guerlain created this masterpiece to bring their story to light in the form of a perfume. This oriental fragrance was marked by its strong fragrance and unique bottle.

The scent brings together an exotic aroma of citrus, iris, vanilla and tonka to create a magical blend of this magnificent fusion.

Opium by Yves Saint Laurent

Opium is one of the most sought-after luxurious perfume in the world to have been introduced to the market by a fashion house. It was created while YSL was presenting their very first Chinese couture collection and wanted to create a fragrance to please the Empress of China as a token of thanks.

This exotic, oriental blend of strong coffee, white flowers and sweet vanilla essence instantly ignited controversy due to its name, but went on to become one of the most loved fragrance by the brand all around the world and continues to remain a staunch favourite of many till date.