Perfumery is one of the oldest arts in the world. Traces of the first perfumes have been found dating back to the Bronze Age. But it wasn’t until the Renaissance that French perfume found its place. And a perfume made in France only became the cultural icon that it is today under the reign of the Sun King in the 18th Century.
The oriental origins of perfume
In ancient Egypt, the importance of perfumes, ointments, and other incenses is well documented. They had an impact on social, political, and religious life throughout the empire. In describing the smells of the time, Mandy Aftel writes in her book Essence & Alchemy: “They mixed pressed flowers and delicious plants, fruit pulp, spices, resins and gums from trees, wine, honey and essential oils, frankincense and ointments.“
Priests in ancient Egypt used the fragrant fumes of incense to communicate with the Gods. In fact, the word perfume comes from the Latin “per” and “fumum“, which means “through smoke”. As for the aristocrats of ancient Egypt, they wore cones of solid perfume on their wigs. At parties and receptions, these cones were a chic accessory! As they slowly melted during the course of the evening, they gave off a refined scent. Also, when nobles and royalty died, they were embalmed (filled with flowers and herbs). This process was to “perfume” them, that is to say, transform them into quasi deities, and thus facilitate their passage to the Beyond.
A few centuries later, perfumes are mentioned in the Bible and the Koran. In the first century, it was Avicenna, a Persian philosopher and physician who invented distillation (the most common method today for extracting natural odours). Next, it was the Etruscans, and then the Romans, who passionately pursued this spiritual and aesthetic ritual.
The arrival of perfume in Europe
Perfume arrived in Europe when the Crusaders returned in the 13th century. Upon their return from the “Holy War” in Palestine, they brought back with them wonderful perfume samples! They then dispersed these exotic treasures to England, Italy, and France. And this “discovery” was timely! As European cities became increasingly smelly, the arrival of these perfumes proved to be providential.
The highly dubious, even non-existent, hygiene of Europeans at the time was a source of serious disease and infection. As a result, people initially used perfume for what they believed were its healing properties. Hence the phenomenal success, for example, of “Hungarian water” in the 14th century. It was the first modern perfume to be invented! This was also the very first formula that mixed scented oils with alcohol. Intended for Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, this perfume was therefore baptized “Eau de Hongrie“. This aromatic perfume was not only supposed to purify the air, but also to cure many ailments and to prevent the Plague. (And to preserve beauty and youth, which is quite a program!)
The oldest surviving recipes call for distilling fresh rosemary and thyme with brandy, while later formulations contain wine, lavender, mint, sage, marjoram, costus, orange blossom and lemon.
Hungary water, via wikipedia
(To add Rosemary to your formula, click here!)
In the 17th century, doctors treated victims of the Plague by covering their mouths and noses with leather pouches containing pungent cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. They believed that this would protect them from further infection.
The origin of perfume made in France
During the Renaissance, the popularity of perfume was revived, and France became the epicentre of perfume development and culture, a position it has retained ever since. From the Renaissance to the 19th century, the way people wore perfume and the type of fragrances were unisex, and men and women wore them indiscriminately.
During the 18th century, French-made perfume exploded onto the international scene, making the country the epicenter of perfume creation. It was more precisely during the reign of Louis XIV–the Sun King–that French perfume, along with the entire luxury industry, was given a major boost, the influence of which is still felt today.
The Sun King and French perfume
The Sun King, Louis XIV, was so fond of perfume that he was nicknamed “the sweetest flowering King“. Using perfume as a weapon of seduction, he loved strong, animal scents such as musk or civet. Another reason for his passion for perfume was the very poor hygiene at the King’s court at the time. As early as the court of his father Louis XV, it reeked as much as it smelled heavily of perfume. Nicknamed “the perfumed court“, the aristocracy had to wear a different perfume every day of the week.
In those days, the members of the court bathed in rose petals and goat’s milk. The perfumes permeated their clothes, furniture, walls, and even cutlery!
It was during this period that the region of Grasse in the south of France emerged as a leading producer of perfumes. Many varieties of plants and flowers were cultivated here, along with new extraction techniques. Since the late 1700s, Grasse has been at the centre of the burgeoning perfume industry.
French perfume was born out of necessity
Did you think France stopped stinking after the Revolution? No! This is why it’s no coincidence that French perfume is the all-round champion of fine perfumery!
During the 19th century, the stench of body odors in the streets of Paris was so unbearable that it even had its own name: “The Great Stink of 1880“. However, as early as 1850, great efforts were being made by Baron Haussmann to transform Paris into a hygienic city. His aim was to cleanse and modernise the city. It was at this time, and with the use of new chemicals, that the mass marketing of perfumes began.
Perfume made in France today
In 1921, Ernest Beaux created Chanel No. 5, which gave synthetic notes their crowning glory. And so began a new era for modern perfumery. Previously, most perfumes were made of natural materials (including animal materials derived from barbaric extractions). With the development of chemistry in the 19th century, many new synthetic raw materials were discovered, which at first had little success.
A Perfumer, or Nose, is both a chemist and an artist.
With Chanel No. 5, however, the idea was to create a bouquet of imaginary flowers and to proudly promote the use of synthetic materials with contemporary flair. Synthetic notes add depth, creativity, and an unprecedented intensity to fragrances! Most importantly, the consistency of synthetic ingredients in terms of smell, cost, and availability has allowed perfumery to become more accessible to the general public.
Ever since, there has been an increasing desire to reconnect with the complexity of our natural scents. And Grasse sees its importance in the perfume industry growing more than ever. Many of the finest raw materials in perfumery originate here, and among them are the beautiful jasmine and rose notes.
Sillages Paris : perfume Made in France
While the training of perfumers, the creation of perfume, and the cultivation of raw materials often happens in France, Sillages Paris takes it one step further! Because we are “jusqu’au-boutiste”, we wanted to make sure that our perfumes are not only made in France, but made in Paris too!
We have always been fascinated by the artistic and cultural heritage of perfumery, ensuring that we respect this tradition and those that came before us, but at the same time not taking ourselves too seriously. Our perfumes are of exceptional quality (we use only the finest ingredients) and are all handmade to order in our Parisian workshops.
If you love perfume, we invite you to come and enjoy a free private appointment in our workshops. You will be able to smell our ingredients and chat about your perfume with our expert. Once you’ve created the perfect Sillage for you, it will be made on-site, and you’ll be able to take it home with you.
If you really can’t wait, you can compose your formula online, and then chat with us via a private message on Facebook or Instagram 🙂.
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