Perfumery is a luxury sector which however seems to be democratizing to all populations. What’s more, it seems that today men are just as fond of fragrances as women. So, know that today 152,000 bottles of perfume are sold per day in France, or nearly two bottles every second! However, this art is far from being a fashion phenomenon and its origins date back to Antiquity . So, let’s take a closer look at how perfume has made it through history.
From Antiquity to the Renaissance
Perfumery made its appearance in Antiquity. The latter was originally intended for the worship of the Gods. Nevertheless, Queen Cleopatra made a great contribution to associating the art of perfumery with feminine beauty. Indeed, she particularly enjoyed immersing herself in scented baths. After centuries of prosperity, perfumery nevertheless declined sharply during the Middle Ages. Indeed, the barbarian invasions limited the use of aromatic plants and it was not until the reopening of trade routes in the 12th century to see the reappearance of olfactory creations. Moreover, the advances were numerous at this time, in particular thanks to the voyages of Marco Polo, an explorer who brought back with him many flavors, as well as thanks to the discovery of ethyl alcohol and the distillation system.
From the Classic period to the end of the 19th century
The Classic Period was also very marked by perfumery, and for good reason… Louis XIV was nicknamed the “most flourishing king in the world”. Perfumes literally flooded the court of Versailles and it was at this moment that Grasse became the capital of perfumery. The most beautiful fragrant materials were cultivated there for the royal court. However, while royalty fell out of love in the 19th century, perfumery also took a sharp step back and it was not until the Empress Josephine to see her reappear on the front of the stage. The vaporizer, meanwhile, was created in 1870, at the very moment when the first great Parisian perfume houses made their appearance, like Guerlain.
Perfumery since the 1900s
The Belle Époque and the beginnings of female emancipation in the 1920s greatly contributed to the development of perfumery. It was at this moment that olfactory myths emerged such as Chanel N ° 5 or Shalimar de Guerlain. Although sales of perfumery declined considerably during the two world wars, this art never fell into oblivion. Little by little, perfume is tending to democratize and innovations are particularly numerous in this field today. Now, men and women are daring to new experiences. Retro chic is particularly popular. Men turn to more tenderness while women are more sassy. Likewise,