From Upper Class to Mass: The Evolution of Fragrance, How We Got Here

In the Late 19th Century for the first time, Perfumes became more affordable and accessible to the masses, not just the elite. Synthetic essences were developed, revolutionizing perfumery and allowing for new scent creations. Atomizer-based perfume bottles were introduced, making application easier. Brands like Guerlain (Jicky in 1889) and Floris (No. 127 in 1890) launched iconic fragrances that are still popular today.

The early 20th Century up to the 1950's saw perfume marketing and storytelling becoming more prominent, with fragrances reflecting lifestyles and popular movements. Chypre fragrances with oakmoss and labdanum notes gained popularity---Today Mitsouko by Guerlain, Aromatics Elixir by Clinique, No. 19 by Chanel and Eau Sauvage by Dior are all examples of this legacy.

Floral and aldehydic fragrances became widely embraced: Chanel No. 5, launched on the 5th day of the 5th month, in 1921, is the fragrance that popularized aldehydes as an ingredient and contains synthetic aldehydes–which were groundbreaking at the time, and which give the scent its signature powdery soapiness.

In the US, with an expanding beauty business established in 1946 at Saks, by the 50’s beauty guru Estée Lauder wanted to find a way for women to buy their own perfume–moving beyond traditional birthday and special occasions gifts, she created Youth-Dew, a bath oil that doubled as a skin perfume, opening the door to a new self-purchase revolution.

THE 60s Saw synthetic chemistry advancing, allowing perfumers to create new accords and to reinvent classics. Fresh, springtime scents with lily-of-the-valley, rose, and jasmine notes became fashionable and the decade of change was marked by the lingering scent of the counterculture, and hippie movement exemplified by Patchouli.

While Patchouli remained a defining scent of the 70’s, representing the counter-culture hippie ideals as jeans and bell bottoms, it was the pantsuits featured in fragrance ads that represented new freedoms and independence for women.

Greater democratization of fragrance from the old standards of French Haute Couture Houses shifted to new, designer-brands making the essence of designer fragrance easier to achieve.

The rise of New Designer fragrances began opening the door for men to embrace fragrance too. While officially launching in the late 60’s, Aramis by Aramis, with  strong aromatic accords, an earthy base and instantly-recognizable leather note - the fragrance became ubiquitous for men in the 70’s. Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, launched by the designer in 1973, continued the trend and became the gold standard for men for decades. 
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Floral, aldehydic, and green chypre fragrances were also in vogue, French houses dominated, with Yves Saint Laurent launching the iconic Rive Gauche in 1971, while in the US, Clinique, a new house created by Estée Lauder introduced Aromatics Elixir the same year.

As more and more TV’s arrived in living rooms across the US, ideals for women were shifting and advertising played a crucial role in new fragrance launches– catering to specific consumers' need for change.  Charlie, (named after Revlon founder Charles Revson), launched in 1973 with its Charlie Girl campaign, featuring actress Shelley Hack as a carefree and empowered woman, wearing an ad campaign first– a pantsuit (ironically designed by Ralph Lauren). The message was clear, she was no longer just happy to wait for fragrance gifts, the Charlie Girl forged her own destiny, and chose her own fragrance that reflected her aspirations.

Decades later in 2008 Oprah hosted a whole show about the impact of the Charlie Girl as Classic Americana, noting she wanted to be "confident and fabulous" like the "Charlie girl." Hack agreed, saying "It was a time when women were changing. Women looked at [the ad] and said 'I want to be like that.'

New designer brands also brought back Romanticism in the 70’s and green floral fragrances became more accessible to the masses with younger women leading the charge,  with Lauren by Ralph Lauren in 1978, introducing a feminine bouquet of rose, carnation, and violet with green top notes and a powdery base to a swath of new, younger consumers.

The 80s launched bold, sensual fragrances with notes like cistus, pepper, and cinnamon. Icons were born and fruity notes from the US began to make their way into European perfumers. Poison by Christian Dior, Obsession by Calvin Klein, Beautiful by Estée Lauder, Polo by Ralph Lauren, Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche and Cool Water by Davidoff became ubiquitous, leading to the inevitable, Designer Imposters by Primo! (and the copycat dupes we see today). Celebrities endorsed many fragrances, but with the launch of MTV in 1981, they began to see the value of their own name brands too.

THE 90s saw a shift towards simplicity, purity, and natural fragrances, more unisex perfumes emerged led by Calvin Kleins youthful appeal. Celebrity fragrances would forever be changed with the introduction of Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds in 1991. “Fragrance is an incredibly intimate thing,” she once said. “It can evoke very specific thoughts or memories...it’s the most accessible luxury.”

The lustrous pearl bottle was inspired by the traditional gift for a 30th anniversary - the pearl. The White Diamonds Legacy bottle features a sparkling gold collar that exudes luxury and sophistication (History of White Diamonds).

The 2000’s to the Present saw Niche perfumery gain traction, offering unique and inventive fragrances outside the mainstream. A return to classic fragrances and a surge in creativity with unconventional scents coexisted in strange harmony.

The celebrity phenomenon exploded in 2002 with Glow by J.Lo and the juggernaut continued in 2003 with Céline Dion later winning the award for Women's Fragrance of the Year in 2004 for her Celine fragrance, a blend of light, luscious florals including water lily, orange blossom and an exotic Tiare flower, balanced with warm, rich amber, sheer musk and pristine blonde woods she introduced alongside her new Vegas show. 

Launching the fragrance  at JC Penny, it became the Number 1 fragrance launch in their history and the Number 1 fragrance launch in all chain department stores in 2003, as well as the number 1 fragrance launch in broad distribution. Over 3 millions units of Celine Dion Parfums were sold between 2003 & 2004.

Curious by Britney Spears followed suit in 2004 generating $100 million within five weeks of its launch, and we saw Paris Hilton launch her first fragrance in 2005, the pink packaging mirroring Hilton’s personal style, since then, the Hilton heiress has created 16 more fragrances and racked up $2 billion in sales worldwide; Mariah Carey jumped on board the fragrance train with M in 2007 and we haven’t looked back since.

Sustainability, personalization, and customization became important trends in the 2000’s, reflecting changing consumer preferences and they continue to evolve, as noted at several presentations at the recent LUXEPACK show in NYC.

These historical trends remind us the impact fragance has on our daily lives today, and that we take so much of that choice for granted, when in fact our choices were built on a legacy decades in the making.

Writing this brought back iconic Mother's Day gifts (Poison, White Diamonds) and coming-of-age, 80's fragrances like Cool Water, Issey Miyake and Obsession. What are some of your Favorite, most iconic scents? 

Citations, include WikiPedia:
https://www.carrementbelle.com/blog/en/2020/05/06/perfume-trends/
https://beautinow.com/origins-history-of-perfume/history-of-perfumes-fragrances-a-timeline/
https://sedralkhaleej.com/en/blogs/blog/perfume-industry-history-from-ancient-to-modern
https://borro.com/the-history-of-perfume-from-ancient-egypt-to-modern-times/
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/fragrance/a41289610/evolution-of-fragrance/
https://www.reddit.com/r/FemFragLab/comments/1ae2lia/vintage_perfume_ads_1977/
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