Cananga Blanc by Guerlain c1879

Cananga Blanc by Guerlain, launched in 1879, is a name that evokes both exotic allure and pristine elegance. The term "Cananga Blanc" combines French with a touch of botanical specificity. "Cananga" refers to the scientific name for the ylang-ylang tree, while "Blanc" means "white" in French. Thus, "Cananga Blanc" translates to "White Cananga," directly referencing the white flowers of the ylang-ylang tree.

The name "Cananga Blanc" conjures images of delicate, pristine white blossoms, suggesting a fragrance imbued with purity and sophistication. The word "Cananga" itself points to the exotic origins of the ylang-ylang flower, which grows on a tree native to tropical regions. Paired with "Blanc," it evokes an image of luxurious white petals, hinting at a scent that is both refined and evocative of exotic landscapes.

In scent, "Cananga Blanc" would be interpreted as a sophisticated, floral fragrance characterized by the rich, sweet, and slightly spicy aroma of ylang-ylang. Ylang-ylang is known for its intense floral scent, which is both exotic and sensual, with hints of creaminess and spice. This would lend the perfume a lush and opulent character, making it a statement of elegance and allure.

Women of the late 19th century would have perceived "Cananga Blanc" as an expression of high society and refined taste. During this period, the use of exotic ingredients in perfumery was a mark of sophistication, and ylang-ylang, with its distinctive and luxurious scent, would have been highly valued. The name would appeal to those seeking to project an image of both elegance and worldly sophistication.

Guerlain's 2014 Holiday Beauty Collection

As you may have read on other blogs, this year Guerlain has brought back it's gorgeous gilded bowtie flacon for usage in it's limited edition shimmer powder for their luxurious 2014 Holiday Beauty Collection named A Night at the Opera. Included in this theme are several other limited edition products bearing the iconic Coque D'Or bow tie symbol.

'Coque d'Or' Iridescent Perfumed Powder (Limited Edition)

Graceful and feather-light, Guerlain Coque d'Or Iridescent Perfumed Powder is a subtle glitter for body and hair. For the first time since its creation, Guerlain has reproduced the original bottle and reinterpreted it in gold-lacquered glass. With a mere press of the bulb, the twirling, airy powder covers the hair and décolleté in a delicate sparkling veil. It's subtly scented with Coque d'Or's legendary chypre notes, recomposed in an exclusive variation.


Notes: bergamot, lavender, iris, rose and patchouli.

'Meteorites' Perles d'Etoile (Limited Edition)

Guerlain Meteorites Perles d'Etoile are light-revealing pearls of powder. The legendary pearls are available in a blend of six light and radiant tones specially designed to enhance your complexion after nightfall under the lights of evening. Its fragrant note of violet adds a light scent while a shimmering finish illuminates your complexion. It comes in a goldtone container with the famous bow inspired by Coque d'Or sculpted on the lid.





'Rouge G de Guerlain - 820 Rouge Parade' Jewel Lipstick Compact (Limited Edition)


Rouge G de Guerlain 820 Rouge Parade is a pure, French-style satin-finish bright red shade for gala evenings—luminous and distinctively elegant. Ready to go out, the exceptional lip color is adorned in red lacquer set off with a golden charm and mechanism. It's the shade worn by Natalia Vodianova in the campaign visual, attracting every eye from her balcony.

'A Night at the Opera' Eyeshadow Duo

Guerlain’s Duo Eyeshadow palettes feature two stunning colors that work off each other to give your eyes a gorgeous glow. One hue is a pure matte and the other is a luminous veil with a glittering or metallic finish. Simply glide on the matte then layer the veil on top, or wear one at a time to create a look that’s yours alone.













'Petrouchka' Eye & Blush Palette (Limited Edition)

Petrouchka Eye and Blush Palette by Guerlain is filled with makeup essentials for your eyes and cheeks cleverly combined in a golden case adorned with a flat bow in red fabric, which can easily be transformed into a bracelet or hair tie. The limited-edition palette is filled with sophisticated hues, including five finely iridescent eyeshadow shades and four matte or pearlescent blushes.

















'A Night at the Opera - Maxi Shine' Gloss d'Enfer Lip Gloss

Maxi Shine Gloss d'Enfer guarantees lips a shimmering, radiant and plumping finish. Maxi Shine's oil composition creates a moisturizing barrier to ensure an intense softness. Additionally, each shade presents varying degrees of coverage and pigment intensity. The perfect partner for a desirable, appealing smile, Maxi Shine offers tailor-made effects for beautifully enhanced lips

'A Night at the Opera' Nail Lacquer

Guerlain's newest nail lacquers are indispensable allies for accomplished femininity. The ultra-vibrant shades incorporate adhesive resins to offer a perfectly even sheen that lasts for days. Using each shade's extra-flat and widened brush, the easy-to-use formula imparts a shiny, daring and immaculate finish.

'Shalimar' Eau de Parfum Set

To celebrate the season, Guerlain invites you into its fairy universe to discover an enchanted Christmas tree, where every decoration is a wink to the House symbols.

Inspired by the passionate love story between an emperor and an Indian princess, Shalimar, which means “temple of love” in Sanskrit, symbolizes the promise of eternal love forevermore. It’s a fragrance of desire. With its smoldering and slightly impertinent character, the star oriental fragrance in perfumery embodies skin-caressing sensuality with a hint of the forbidden.
Set includes:
- Eau de Parfum (1.7 oz.)
- Eau de Parfum Purse Spray (0.5 oz.)

Lucite Perfume Tester Rack c1950s-1960s

This is a lucite tester rack which held five Guerlain fragrances that sat on a counter in a department store. It dates to the 1950s-1960s and has a simple futuristic look to it. It measures 27.9cm long.

La Ruche Imperiale - 160 Year Anniversary of the Bee Bottle c2013

La Ruche Impériale- was one of several special presentations created in 2013 to mark the 160th anniversary of the creation of the bee bottle, known as the Abeille flacon.

Guerlain commissioned nine “Maîtres d’art” of the Institut National des Métiers d’Art of France. Giving them full artistic freedom to create whatever they could envision to centre around a one litre bee bottle. The resulting incarnations are truly the epitome of one of a kind masterpieces.


The unique bottles were on display at the Maison Guerlain, 68, Champs-Élysées, from the 10th of December 2013 to the 14th of February 2014 and were showcased in photo and video exhibitions in Guerlain’s Exclusive Line Doors in 2014. They will be sold to help fund the “Maîtres d’art – Students” project, in which master artists pass down rare and exceptional skills to apprentices, overseen by the Institut National des Métiers d’Art (INMA). You can read more about the INMA online.

Laurent Nogues, Maître d’art – Class of 2011. This founder of the Creanog studio is the preeminent artist in the sector of embossing, hot-stamping and insets on paper. He fabricates labels for affluent brands and highly respected institutions.

From Guerlain:

“La Ruche Impériale” (“The Imperial Hive”) 

A graphic art version of the honeycombs that make up the hive. This precious honeycomb-shaped case is just waiting to be opened and unfolded to reveal the innovation and splendour of paper transformed through embossing. It is composed of six panels lined with white paper embossed with a tone-on-tone honeycomb motif. On closer view, one notices an optical illusion on the central stamp that represents the legendary bottle. The development of specific tools and a very singular embossing technique allow for a complex, tailor-made geometry for endless effects of light with striking definition.

La Cage aux Oiseaux et aux Abeilles - 160 Year Anniversary of the Bee Bottle c2013

La Cage aux Oiseaux et aux Abeilles - was one of several special presentations created in 2013 to mark the 160th anniversary of the creation of the bee bottle, known as the Abeille flacon.

Guerlain commissioned nine “Maîtres d’art” of the Institut National des Métiers d’Art of France. Giving them full artistic freedom to create whatever they could envision to centre around a one litre bee bottle. The resulting incarnations are truly the epitome of one of a kind masterpieces.


The unique bottles were on display at the Maison Guerlain, 68, Champs-Élysées, from the 10th of December 2013 to the 14th of February 2014 and were showcased in photo and video exhibitions in Guerlain’s Exclusive Line Doors in 2014. They will be sold to help fund the “Maîtres d’art – Students” project, in which master artists pass down rare and exceptional skills to apprentices, overseen by the Institut National des Métiers d’Art (INMA). You can read more about the INMA online.

 Nelly Saunier, Maître d’art – Class of 2008. This distinguished plumassier, takes her experience of preparing and working with ornamental plumes and feathers to new highs, with a masterful sense of color and volume. 

From Guerlain:

“La Cage aux Oiseaux et aux Abeilles” (“The Bird and Bee Cage”) 

Taking up the form of the iconic bottle, a golden structure reveals delicate feather marquetry that embraces the chiselled metal. The feather decoration fitted into the extremely precise cut-outs is stunning. With an effect of colours and contrasts, matt and iridescent variations between light and dark areas, the effect is mesmerising. Through the openwork dome, one can glimpse a silky, feathery nest on which the Bee bottle is perched, like a bird ready to take flight into lyricism.

Bouquet du la Sierra Morena by Guerlain c1834

Bouquet du la Sierra Morena by Guerlain, launched in 1834, carries a name that is as evocative as the landscape that inspired it. The name "Bouquet du la Sierra Morena" is French, translating to "Bouquet of the Sierra Morena," a reference to the rugged and majestic mountain range in southern Spain. The name would have instantly conjured images of the untamed, dramatic beauty of the Sierra Morena, a place where the wild and the sublime meet. Guerlain, inspired by his journey through these mountains toward Almería, chose this name to capture the essence of the Spanish landscape and the spirit of adventure that it embodies. The fragrance was likely created with the Spanish market in mind, a nod to the cultural and natural richness of the region.

The phrase "Bouquet du la Sierra Morena" evokes powerful images of a wild, mountainous terrain, where the air is filled with the scent of aromatic herbs, wildflowers, and the earth itself. It suggests a fragrance that is both untamed and refined, a blend of natural elements that capture the raw beauty of the Sierra Morena. The name would have stirred emotions of wanderlust, romance, and the allure of the exotic, evoking a sense of adventure and discovery. In terms of scent, "Bouquet du la Sierra Morena" would likely be interpreted as a fragrance that blends earthy, herbaceous notes with the floral and woody essences found in the Spanish landscape, perhaps with hints of sun-warmed citrus or the resinous scent of the forest.

Women of the early 19th century would have been captivated by a perfume named "Bouquet du la Sierra Morena." During this period, Spain was seen as a land of passion, mystery, and exotic allure. A fragrance that drew its inspiration from such a place would have been perceived as both bold and romantic, appealing to women who wished to embody the fiery spirit and elegance associated with Spanish culture. The name would have resonated with the era's fascination with travel, exploration, and the distant, unknown corners of the world. Wearing "Bouquet du la Sierra Morena" would have allowed women to carry a piece of this exotic landscape with them, a fragrant reminder of a land filled with passion, beauty, and wild nature.

Le Trouble d’Eugénie - 160 Year Anniversary of the Bee Bottle c2013

Le Trouble d’Eugénie- was one of several special presentations created in 2013 to mark the 160th anniversary of the creation of the bee bottle, known as the Abeille flacon.

Guerlain commissioned nine “Maîtres d’art” of the Institut National des Métiers d’Art of France. Giving them full artistic freedom to create whatever they could envision to centre around a one litre bee bottle. The resulting incarnations are truly the epitome of one of a kind masterpieces.

The unique bottles were on display at the Maison Guerlain, 68, Champs-Élysées, from the 10th of December 2013 to the 14th of February 2014 and were showcased in photo and video exhibitions in Guerlain’s Exclusive Line Doors in 2014. They will be sold to help fund the “Maîtres d’art – Students” project, in which master artists pass down rare and exceptional skills to apprentices, overseen by the Institut National des Métiers d’Art (INMA). You can read more about the INMA online.

Emmanuel Barrois, Maître d’art – Class of 2010. This talented glass architect works on varied projects, from the monumental to the smaller-scaled creations, always trying to exceed the most limited of possibilities. These adept glassmaking concepts, backed by an extreme technical, prospective and futuristic vision, range from the Beijing Opera to the next canopy of the future Forum des Halles in Paris, measuring almost 30,000 square metres.

“Le Trouble d’Eugénie” (“Eugénie’s Confusion”) 

“Eugénie will be crowned Empress in just a matter of hours. As she is getting ready, the bottle drops. The fragrance spills out in absolute shapes. She loses herself in the dark reflections of this sparkling pool. Blood pounds through her temples. She sees something. It’s time. She is caught in a breath…” The transparent bottle has been knocked over on an opaque black glass tray. Splashes of fragrance in singular and crystal-clear shapes stand out against the unfathomable base. This enigmatic mise en abîme is both illusion and realism. Through this piece, a drama takes form, echoing the destiny of the Empress Eugénie. Movement comes face to face with suspended time."

L’Envolée - 160 Year Anniversary of the Bee Bottle c2013

L’Envolée - was one of several special presentations created in 2013 to mark the 160th anniversary of the creation of the bee bottle, known as the Abeille flacon.

Guerlain commissioned nine “Maîtres d’art” of the Institut National des Métiers d’Art of France. Giving them full artistic freedom to create whatever they could envision to centre around a one litre bee bottle. The resulting incarnations are truly the epitome of one of a kind masterpieces.

The unique bottles were on display at the Maison Guerlain, 68, Champs-Élysées, from the 10th of December 2013 to the 14th of February 2014 and were showcased in photo and video exhibitions in Guerlain’s Exclusive Line Doors in 2014. They will be sold to help fund the “Maîtres d’art – Students” project, in which master artists pass down rare and exceptional skills to apprentices, overseen by the Institut National des Métiers d’Art (INMA). You can read more about the INMA online.

Etienne Rayssac, Maître d’art – Class of 2010. This accomplished woodcarver and ornamental craftsman, at first, sketches his inventive designs and then fabricates prototypes in plaster before carving the final sculpture. His proficiency in woodworking has made him well respected and sought after to create decorative elements, for use on buildings classified as historical monuments and contemporary pieces alike.

From Guerlain:

“L’Envolée” (“The Flight”) 

Draped pale sycamore wood partially envelops the levitating Bee bottle, making it evanescent. The work suggests incredible energy and the effect of curves and dips perfectly captures the light. Only hand craftsmanship with special chisels and scrapers makes it possible to alternate the flow of volumes and the sharpness of edges. The exterior design is delicately sculpted and echoes the intensity of the bottle and the richness of its intrinsic ornamentation.

Santal Royal by Guerlain c2014

Santal Royal by Guerlain: launched in 2014. According to the October issue of the Harrod's magazine, the fragrance was created to herald the opening of the newly finished Salon de Parfums at the upscale Harrod's department store in London on Oct 16, 2014.

Bouquet de L'Imperatrice Eugenie by Guerlain c1843

Bouquet de L'Impératrice Eugénie by Guerlain, launched in 1853, was named in honor of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. The choice of name reflects both admiration and an association with imperial elegance, power, and prestige. By attaching the Empress's name to the fragrance, Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain aligned his creation with royalty, conveying the notion of a scent fit for nobility. In naming the perfume "Bouquet de L'Impératrice Eugénie", Guerlain was not only appealing to the fascination with the imperial court but also emphasizing the refined femininity and grace of Eugénie herself. This was a rebranding of an earlier perfume, Bouquet de L'Imperatrice from around 1844.

The phrase "Bouquet de L'Impératrice Eugénie" conjures images of lush floral arrangements befitting an empress’s royal presence—delicate yet opulent. The word "bouquet" evokes a gathering of the finest, most exquisite flowers, arranged with care and elegance. When paired with the name "L'Impératrice Eugénie," the perfume’s title suggests regal luxury, sophistication, and timeless beauty. This blend of words might stir emotions of admiration, awe, and reverence for the French court and its luxurious lifestyle. The fragrance, by its very name, promises to embody the grandeur of the Second Empire and the refinement of the Empress herself.

Interpreted in scent, "Bouquet de L'Impératrice Eugénie" would likely represent a harmonious blend of soft, elegant florals—perhaps rich with roses, jasmine, or orange blossom—interwoven with warmer, sensual animalic or amber notes. The fragrance would be designed to project both delicacy and strength, reflecting the Empress's grace and commanding presence. It would feel comforting yet stately, delicate but enduring, much like Eugénie’s public image. For both men and women of the era, a fragrance with such a prestigious name would not only be aspirational but also a way of connecting to the glamorous world of the imperial court.

The time period in which this perfume was launched, the mid-19th century, was marked by an immense interest in the French aristocracy, luxury, and the lavish lifestyle of the imperial family. Napoleon III and Eugénie reigned over the Second Empire, and their court was known for its extravagance, opulent fashion, and keen patronage of the arts. Perfume, already a mark of distinction, became an even greater symbol of refinement, and perfumers like Guerlain sought to capture this luxurious world in a bottle. During this era, royal-inspired scents were in demand, as the public looked to these fragrances as a means of embodying nobility’s elegance and securing their own place within a higher social echelon.