Nothing can transport you back in time like a fragrance.
They say that your sense of smell is the most powerful and evocative sense, and
it’s true: Emeraude reminds me of my mother, Quorum my husband, and Halston Z-14
reminds me of my teens and guys who bathed in a cologne—rather than indulging
in a spritz or two.
“A woman who doesn’t
wear perfume has no future.” – Coco Chanel
This may have been a dramatic overstatement, however, when I
was in the business of selling perfume, quotes such as these, gave women
confidence when she entered a room! And Chanel No. 5 is one of the most popular
fragrances of all time, a bottle of it is sold every 30 seconds (this includes
me J, too).
Coco Chanel also stated that women should wear perfume
wherever they hoped to be kissed. Wise words indeed – please note that this
does not mean ‘layered’ in perfume, as perfume counter girls armed with spray
bottles will advise you. No one should
be able to smell your perfume unless they’re that little bit closer than is
polite, then it should be something delicious and intoxicating.
Whilst researching which perfumes were popular over the
decades I was surprised how many of these I’ve actually owned. Over the years,
I’ve tried Anais Anais, Shalimar, Opium, Poison, Red, and Patou 1000 before I
finally settled on Chanel No. 5. Of course, I selected one of the most expensive
perfumes on the market, but I guess there is a good reason why it’s been a
bestseller since it was launched in 1921!
Vintage Perfumes:
The Fragrances that Defined Each Decade
It’s surprising how many of these perfumes are still best
sellers even now, but then why would they go out of fashion?
Popular Perfumes in the
1920s.
Chanel No. 5, launched in 1921, was an immediate success
even though it was the preserve of the rich at this time. Famously worn by Marilyn Monroe, the square
bottle design was rumored to been inspired by the design of a whiskey decanter.
Guerlain’s Shalimar launched first in 1925. It is one of the
most popular fragrances of all time and was said to be inspired by Mumtaz
Mahal, the women for whom the Taj Mahal was built. The perfume was named after
the Gardens of Shalimar in Lahore, Pakistan, which were also built for her.
Popular Perfumes in the
1930s.
Tabu by Dana Fragrances which were popular in the 1930s
included Tabu by Dana (a sexy evening perfume), which was launched in 1932 and
Je Reviens by House of Worth, both of which remain available today.
In 1934 Elizabeth Arden developed Blue Grass.
Perhaps the most notable perfume of the 1930s was Joy by
Jean Patou, voted Scent of the 20th Century at the Fragrance Foundation FiFi
awards in 2000. It was created in 1929 (the year of the Wall Street Crash) and
even though it was marketed as ‘the world’s most expensive perfume’, it was a
huge hit. It is also considered to be one of the greatest floral fragrances of
all time.
Popular Perfumes in the
1940s.
L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci (in a pretty glass bottle with
a bottle stopper fashioned as two doves). After the war lighter and fresher
perfumes became more popular, one of which was the still-popular Miss Dior by
Christian Dior in 1947
Popular Perfumes in the
1950s.
Femme de Rochas was a rich, sultry perfume aimed at the
femme fatale created in 1944.
Arpege by Lanvin is a floral romantic perfume, created in
1927, but became particularly popular
during the 1950s.
Max Factor’s Hypnotique and Primitif (as advertised by Jean
Patchett above) were popular and an affordable perfume for the masses compared
to the fragrances by the big fashion houses.
Soir de Paris by Bourjois was a popular fragrance amongst
teenagers during the 1950s. It was discontinued in 1969, but relaunched in 1992
Popular Perfumes in the
1960s.
Oh! de London by Tuvache, YSL Rive Gauche was a popular
1960s scent
Hubert de Givenchy created L’Interdit for Audrey Hepburn and
she wore the perfume for many years before it was released to the public in
1957. She featured in the adverts for L’Interdit throughout the 1960s.
Tuvache’s Oh! de London is a bright sparkling scent which
perfectly captured the mood of the swinging sixties.
Guerlain introduced the heady oriental scent Chamade in
1969.
Popular Perfumes in the
1970s.
Charlie by Revlon and Diorella by Christian Dior, a perfume
for the independent woman who has everything, were both very popular.
Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, launched in 1977, and was a
heady, rich oriental evening perfume.
Christian Dior released the classic perfume Diorella, which
combines citrus and musky notes.
Anais Anais by Cacharel, launched in 1978 and was an
immediate hit (my brother gave this to me as a Christmas Gift).
Did I list one of your favorite
perfumes?
Or, perhaps a fragrance you’ve never dared to try?
Perfuming is an art.
Indulge your senses, enjoy the fragrance—it’s mystical, it’s magical, is
the new youJ.
Happy Reading,
Connie
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