Perfume for a woman is perhaps more important than a beautiful dress or expensive silk underwear - after all, they remain on her when all her clothes are thrown off. Therefore, the fair sex is treated with special attention to the choice of this main accessory. Almost all fashion houses and cosmetic corporations produce their own fragrance lines. But in this series, Guerlain women's perfumery occupies a very special place. This brand has almost two hundred years of history, the business of its founder was passed down in the family from generation to generation. Today "Guerlain" is the same hallmark of France as the Eiffel Tower or the Marseillaise.
History of the House of Guerlain: Perfumes for Crowned Persons
It all started with a small soap factory opened by novice chemist Pierre Guerlain. His shop stocked scented soaps, lavender lotions, weightless powders, eau de parfum, and more.
Experimenting with different compositions, Pierre-Francois-Pascal managed to win the love of not only ordinary Parisians,but also famous personalities such as O. de Balzac. But the real popularity of Pierre was brought by the perfume Eau Imperiale, which the perfumer presented to Napoleon III and his wife Eugenie on the day of their marriage. The dark glass flacon, specially created for this fragrance, was decorated with the emblem of the house of Bonaparte - bees. Since then, honeycombs have also become a trademark of the Guerlain house. Subsequently, Pierre-Francois-Pascal created many fragrances for other royal dynasties: the Romanovs, the Habsburgs and the Württembergs.
Up the ladder to success
Almost every perfume for women "Guerlain" was an accurate shot in the hearts of his fans. In 1889, Pierre Aimé's son launches a new fragrance, Jicky. For the first time, a synthetic ingredient, coumarin, was used in its composition, reminiscent of the smell of freshly cut hay. Initially, this perfume was addressed to men, but the emancipated women's movement that was gaining at that time immediately expropriated it, practically setting the precedent for "unisex" fragrances. The combination of warm shades of sandalwood and marjoram drove women who yearned for equality with the stronger sex crazy, and made its creator world-famous again. In addition, another novelty of Jicky perfume is the three-stage odor opening system - this is the first fragrance that has a top, middle and base notes.
Family comes first
In 1910, Aimé Guerlain dies and leaves the business to his son Jacques, who brought oriental notes to the women's Guerlain perfume. Mitsouko clearly soundedmysterious motifs of distant Japan, and the luxurious Shalimar fragrance is still very popular. It was in it that one of the key techniques of the Guerlain house affected - a return to already created fragrances and their transformation. Jacques put the Jicky fragrance as the basis of these perfumes. Such continuity and loy alty to family traditions is a typical French quality.
Another family feature of the Guerlain house is the tradition of dedicating perfumes to famous personalities. So, for example, Vol de Nuit (which means "night flight") was dedicated to Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Legendary fragrances
Jacques Guerlain's latest fragrance was created in collaboration with his grandson Jean-Paul. Ode has become a clear proof that the family business will receive a worthy continuation. The new owner was constantly on the lookout for new ingredients, mixing synthetics with naturals. But what he never changed was his strict adherence to tradition. Almost every three or four years, he blew up the perfume market with novelties that instantly become legendary. In 1959, Jean-Paul launched the Vetiver fragrance: fresh, bright and dynamic, it became incredibly popular with active men.
Secret ingredients
But by no means men inspired Jean-Paul - it was women's perfume that gave the greatest number of masterpieces. Guerlain released a perfume dedicated to his second wife. Samsara in Sanskrit means "eternal rebirth". This is the first wood composition in history. Jean-Paul visited many timesIndia, from where he invariably brought sandalwood and jasmine, which were used in Buddhist religious rituals.
When you inhale this seductive fragrance, you will immediately be enveloped by the sensual smell of jasmine, passing through the bridge of ylang-ylang into the scent of sandalwood. Beans, iris, vanilla and tonka make up this energizing chord with an enchanting sound. Perfume "Guerlain" for women is not only an impeccable adherence to traditions, but also endless experiments with the composition. In 1969, the Chamade fragrance was released, timed to coincide with the release of a new film based on the novel by Francoise Sagan with Catherine Deneuve in the title role. It was the first to use the fruity notes of blackcurrant buds. This is the aroma of passion, love that burns all bridges with the real world. No wonder its bottle is made in the shape of an inverted heart, and the cork is in the form of Cupid's arrow. A spicy note of hyacinth harmoniously sets off all the splendor of this fragrance.
Opinions differ
In 2009, the fragrance "Little Black Dress" (La Petite Robe Noir) was released - the most controversial perfume "Guerlain" (female). Reviews for its first version in a pink bottle were rather mixed. The combination of black cherry, rose and patchouli, which forms the basis of the composition, seemed overly sweet and cloying to many customers. Women, accustomed to the fact that the brand produces classic perfumes that make you feel like a real queen, were surprised to note that this scent is more suitable for women.schoolgirls at the prom. Many noted his obsession. This forced the creators to thoroughly rework it in 2012, which, however, did not reduce the comments. But the new version of the fragrance also has enthusiastic fans. Perfume "Guerlain" for women ("Black dress" in a blue bottle) differs not only in a different style of the wardrobe element itself, but also in composition. Subtle notes of blueberry reveal themselves through the sweet scent of cotton candy, rose and patchouli, while sandalwood and white musk bring a bold finish to the perfume.
Women's perfume ("Guerlain"): unique classics and traditions… in the past?
It's no secret that today large corporations are absorbing small firms, depriving them of their individuality and originality. Everything is being unified, the modern market cannot wait several years for a new fragrance to come out - in order to keep the unstable attention of consumers, new products must be released at least annually. In 1994, Jean-Paul Guerlain sold a controlling stake in his family business to Bernard Arnault, who by that time already owned the brands Givenchy, Christian Lacroix, Kenzo and others. One of the strict rules of the Guerlain family was the use of at least 80 percent natural ingredients in the creation of their products. At the present time, they are practically not used, they have been completely replaced by synthetic materials. The latest brainchild of Jean-Paul was the famous Aqua Allegoria series, in which the famous perfumer managed to reconcile innovation andtraditions. Today, the Guerlain perfume for women and men is created by a team of professionals who are ready to quickly launch a new fragrance on the market, but are not able to create a masterpiece that will go down in history forever.
However, every woman dreams of possessing a treasured bottle of precious liquid. Despite the development of technology, the new owners strive to preserve the traditions of the house of Guerlain. The perfumery of this brand to this day remains one of the most desired and sought after.
