Hello and welcome! Please understand that this website is not affiliated with Guerlain in any way, it is only a reference site for collectors and those who have enjoyed the classic fragrances of days gone by. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
The main objective of this website is to chronicle the 200+ year old history of the Guerlain fragrances and showcase the bottles and advertising used throughout the years. Let this site be your source for information on antique and vintage Guerlain perfumes. Another goal of this website is to show the present owners of the Guerlain company how much we miss many of the discontinued classics and hopefully, if they see that there is enough interest and demand, they will bring back these fragrances!
I invite you to leave a comment below (for example: of why you liked the fragrance, describe the scent, time period or age you wore it, who gave it to you or on what occasion, what it smelled like to you, how it made you feel, any specific memories, what it reminded you of, maybe a relative wore it, or you remembered seeing the bottle on their vanity table), who knows, perhaps someone from the current Guerlain brand might see it.
If you have any questions, please send all images of your bottle and pertinent information directly to me at cleopatrasboudoir@gmail.com. I will try to assist you the best I can.
180 Ans de Creations 1828-2008: launched in 2008.
Guerlain's 180th anniversary was celebrated with a brand new limited edition perfume, composed by Jean-Paul Guerlain. A non-commercial perfume gift offered only to loyal customers and industry people.
"To celebrate an exceptional event, Maison Guerlain's 180-year anniversary, Jean-Paul Guerlain has composed a very contemporary fragrance which has been created in traditional Guerlain style. With sensual amber notes that stir the senses, and a bottle which has been hand-sealed by the "dames de table", this limited edition scent, which will NOT be available for sale, has all the rarity and uniqueness of a collector's item."
For its 180th anniversary in 2008 Guerlain issued a luxurious leather coffret called the "Guerlain Heritage Case", containing a collection of 18 of the house's fragrances best representing its perfume history since 1828. Only 205 copies of this limited edition case were made.
The labels on the bottles are inspired by historic Guerlain labels from the Art Deco period. This set looks similar to the case made the previous year, but the stoppers of these bottles are different.
"A precious and elegant leather showcase that opens to reveal 18 iconic fragrances. From Eau de Cologne Impériale, composed for Empress Eugénie in 1853, to Guerlain's newest scent, Cruel Gardénia, created in 2008. This case is a vision of elegance, a symbol of rare and refined luxury and a prestigious gift to celebrate a unique fragrance heritage."
The leather case includes:
- Angélique Noire (eau de parfum)
- Bois d'Arménie (eau de parfum)
- Cologne Impériale (eau de cologne)
- Cruel Gardenia (eau de parfum)
- Cuir Beluga (eau de parfum)
- Habit Rouge (eau de parfum)
- Insolence (eau de parfum)
- Iris Ganache (eau de parfum)
- Jicky (eau de parfum)
- L'Heure Bleue (eau de parfum)
- L'Instant (eau de parfum)
- L'Instant pour Homme (eau de parfum)
- Mitsouko (eau de parfum)
- Nahema (eau de parfum)
- Rose Barbare (eau de parfum)
- Samsara (eau de parfum)
- Shalimar (eau de parfum
- Vetiver (eau de toilette)
The case retailed for $3,500.
Eau de Fleurs de Cédrat—originally named Esprit de Fleurs de Cédrat—was created by Aimé Guerlain in 1870, during a time of elegance, restraint, and scientific fascination with nature. Its very name, rendered in French, translates to Spirit of Cédrat Flowers, and would have been pronounced by the fashionable women of the day as "es-PREE duh flur duh SAY-drah". The phrase evokes a delicate yet sparkling impression—something refined, ephemeral, and laced with light. Though “fleurs de cédrat” (citron flowers) are not especially fragrant in reality, this name poetically suggests a scent drawn from both the tree's blossoms and its fruit—capturing not just the physical material, but the very essence or soul of the plant.
The name Esprit de Fleurs de Cédrat calls to mind images of sun-dappled Mediterranean groves, golden fruits still clinging to branches, and petals trembling with dew. It suggests purity and clarity, with an underlying sophistication—a composition not heavy or ornamental, but lively and effervescent. In perfumery, the word esprit often referred to a distillation method involving alcohol and volatile oils, and the term reinforced the sense of capturing something light, fleeting, and essential.
Launched in 1870, the perfume emerged during the Belle Époque, a period of increasing wealth, refinement, and technological progress, especially in Paris. This was a time when fashion was transitioning from the more rigid silhouettes of the mid-19th century toward softer, more natural lines. Bustles were still in vogue, but fabrics became lighter, and women’s tastes leaned toward fresher, more wearable scents. In perfumery, heavy, animalic, and resinous accords dominated formal fragrance compositions, but colognes and citrus waters maintained popularity for daytime use and personal refreshment. Within this context, Esprit de Fleurs de Cédrat stood out for its sparkling lightness and clarity. It was both fashionable and functional—a nod to good hygiene, elegance, and a cultivated modernity.
