The Modern Masters Emerge

1917 – Chypre by Coty.  Originally created as an individual fragrance by master perfumer, Rene Coty, this unique blend of moss and spices also came to describe a an entire category of fragrances like it in years to come.

1921 – Chanel #5.  The first perfume that can truly be called modern  After World War I, aldehydes, the first aroma chemicals, become available. Clean and ozone-like, aldehydes were unlike anything nature created.  The very modern Coco Chanel endorsed them for all time by including them in her famous Chanel # 5.  Hundreds of aroma chemicals have followed since Chanel’s innovation, lending excitement, complexity and stability to modern fragrances.  Today’s vast array of different scents would be impossible without them.

1925 – Shalimar. This sensually rich oriental blend by Guerlain  became one of the great fragrances of the 20^th Century. Its provocative notes instantly take you back to the jazz age and the craze for Rudolph Valentino and the sheiks of Araby. .

1945 – Vent Vert and L’Air du Temps. After the grim years of World War Two, fragrances from the late forties and early fifties announced the liberation of women from the heavy scents of yesteryear. These two delicate floral essences in particular were forerunners of today’s trend to the fresh, light and natural.

1952 – Youth Dew.  The first concentrated perfume oil. Estee Lauder knew women would respond to it. And they did -- launching her worldwide beauty empire.

1970’s – The Designers. The 70’s saw American designers come into their own.  Fragrance became the vehicle to reach millions of women who didn’t shop in designer departments but loved the idea of having something from Bill Blass, Halston, or Oscar de la Renta. The Euro-designers fought back with Opium by Yves St. Laurent, Chloe by Lagerfeld, Gucci by Gucci, Cardin from Pierre Cardin, and many  more.

1980’s – The Blatants.  As women entered the workforce in droves, Reagan-omics led to power suits and power fragrances. Remember Dynasty?  The 80’s gave us Giorgio, Poison, and Obsession ---the essence of the time in a bottle.

1990’s – The Sheers.  Fresh, pretty, light, these fragrances sport unique florals, citruses, and complex fruit and food notes made possible by new technology. Escape and CK1, from Calvin Klein, L’Eau d’Issey, Armani’s Acqua di Gio, Romance by Ralph Lauren, Estee Lauder’s Pleasures, and Pure by Alfred Sung were leaders of the new trend. Too fresh on the scene to be passé any time soon, these are the fragrances many will still be wearing into the 21^st century

2000 AND 1 – What’s ahead?  Expect a continuation of sheer delights, but less “transparent,” with headier florals and more complexity.  Try the new DKNY, -- it’s ahead of its time. Also look for fragrances with added benefits - non-drying formulas that smooth and soften the skin, and ingredients that improve your mood and well-being. Two to try now are AromaTonic by Lancome that combines a body treatment and fragrance in one and Relaxing from Shiseido that promises to calm and perfume you at the same time. In the next 1000 years, who knows? Perhaps fragrances that renew themselves and stay fresh all day…all week…all year! Or maybe more fragrances will return to their ancient roots to heal and comfort, even beyond the aromatherapy promises of today.

Fragrance Oil, the exquisite scent of beautiful aromas

Sacred and rare . . .  Fragrance made for the gods

B.C./A.D. – Frankincense & Myrrh.  Fragrance is as old as mankind, but let’s start here, with that famous biblical combo. Up till now and for 1000 years to come, fragrance ingredients were limited to aromatic plant resins, woods, spices and herbs.  Brought by boat and caravan from the Middle and Far East, these items were precious and costly.  They were offered as gifts and tributes to gods, emperors and tyrants (often one and the same). The 3 Wise Men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Today, we’d still thrill over the gold but who wants tree sap!

When knighthood was in fashion . . .  so was fragrance

1100-1300 – The Crusades.  Although justified as religious wars for Christians to wrest the Holy Land from Muslim control, the Holy Wars were also great opportunities to hold raiding parties. Spices, bath ointments, and essences brought home from the Crusades  started a new industry – the European perfume trade.  Centered in Venice and Naples, perfumery flourished there for the next 200 years.

Fragrances enter a new world

1400’s – Distillation.  The Arabs discovered distillation --the process of concentrating fragrant essences -- thereby making them vastly easier to ship and a lot less perishable. Around the same time, the distillation of wine was perfected also, which led to the mass production of alcohol or “spirit water” – as healing elixirs.  As we’ll see, distillation was to have a major impact on perfumery, in 17^th Century Hungary. 

France takes over

1500’s – France Emerges. Closely linked to the leather industry (because gloves and other items were treated with fragrant oils to clean) and the soap industry in Marseilles, perfumery prospered in the south of France. Grasse had the ideal climate for growing the flowers, herbs and citruses brought originally from India and Persia.  Tuberose, jasmin, cloves, and lavender grew wild. Today. these, and many other fragrance products, are still grown and processed in the region.  Although methods have improved, the basic processes of distillation, expression, and extraction are still practiced today at Grasse.  The pomp and splendor at the French courts of the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th centuries advanced perfumery with constant demands for new and unusual scents. Fragrances were also a social necessity since hygiene was still  primitive and bathing considered dangerous to the health.

In Eastern Europe, an intoxicating idea

1600’s – Hungarian Water.  Perhaps the idea came from a clever monk, an old herb woman, or an alchemist in his attic. Whoever it was, he/she combined, for the first time, a rosemary extract with distilled alcohol for stability– and the forerunner of today’s eau de cologne was born.

From Cologne . . . cologne

1792 – The First Eau de Cologne. The ancient German city of Cologne is the birthplace of the first true cologne. Stablized with alcohol, a crisp, citrus blend was created, called 4711. An  eternally fresh classic that is still worn today by men and women everywhere.