Scents hold great significance for me. It would be wonderful if posts could include not only photos and text but also corresponding aromas. I hope that will be invented someday! Here, I would embed the scent of these wonderful green hydrangeas. Probably won’t have to wait that long. If we look back at the past, we can understand that perfumery quickly gained momentum in its time. Perfumes of past years were initially made only from natural ingredients and oils, but later they were replaced by synthetics. Such flavors were not as heavy and intense, and besides, they were much cheaper, which increased demand.
At the beginning of the last century, a British company, Gosnell’s, launched an aerostat in the shape of a Cherry Blossom bottle, from the basket of which leaflets scattered over the city.
In the 1900s, violets were everywhere. They were used in everything. Besides perfumery, they were in desserts, cheek powder, and the main flower in bouquets.
In the mid-1900s, Selfridges in London became the first to place a perfume store in a separate room on the ground floor. Thus, the “perfume hall” as we know it today was born.
Actors used scents during their performances to quickly get into character, and theater curtains were sprayed to create a specific atmosphere. Perfumes became so intertwined with live performances that artists started endorsing specific brands. The Gaiety Girls, known for their musical comedies, were the first celebrities to advertise it.
In 1917, the popular fragrance Coty Chypre was released, and in 1919, Guerlain released Mitsouko. Both of these fragrances belong to the “chypre” category – green, earthy, and slightly spicy notes, deviating from the ubiquitous floral tones that had dominated the perfume universe until then.
Then, in 1921, Chanel N°5 appeared. Inspired by the “modern woman,” this fragrance forever changed the course of perfume history. Legend has it that it was the first fragrance to use aldehydes and contained 80 other notes, making it completely unique and much more complex than most other fragrances on the market at the time.
The year 1925 brought Shalimar by Guerlain, another iconic fragrance whose name remains a household name to this day. The name Shalimar comes from the Shalimar Gardens, built first by Padishah Jahangir in Kashmir and then by his son Shah Jahan in Lahore. The oriental aesthetic was extremely popular in the West in the 20s and the fragrance was an instant hit.
Read my similar posts – Travel back in time vintage style in clothes and Why I’ve Fallen for Pre-Loved Treasures.
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