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.

Looking to Buy Vintage Fragrances?

Friday, September 4, 2015

ON EBAY THIS WEEK! UPDATED!

Looking for some real rarities to add to your collection? As a courtesy to my readers, here are some fabulous finds for you that I found on ebay this week. Good luck and have fun bidding!


Vintage Liu Parfum in Wartime Flacon




Thursday, September 3, 2015

Habit Rouge Dress Code c2015

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Guerlain: launched in 2015. Created by Thierry Wasser as a limited edition fragrance for men.




Flacon Etruscan c1900

The Flacon Etruscan was created in the early 1900s to hold Lotion Vegetale. The cap was made up of gilded metal cast with a foliate motif. The bottle was made by Pochet et du Courval. The luxury edition had gilding on the shoulders and the base of the bottle. The classic bottle has no gilding, except on the stopper.

The bottle was made in three sizes:

  • 80cc
  • 90cc
  • 250cc - 15cm tall


Some of the scents were: Heliotrope, Jicky, Chypre, Fleurs Ambrees, L'Ether Aromatique, Ultra Fresca, Violette, and others.













Monday, August 17, 2015

Flacon L'Urne Antique c1830

1830 Guerlain perfume bottle and stopper, used for various scents, clear glass, molded address label., edge chipping on stopper plug. Bottle stands 4" tall.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Faked Guerlain Perfume Bottle

I wanted to bring to your attention, a cleverly crafted fake Guerlain perfume bottle. While this may simply have been crafted by a hobbyist for their own benefit, it undoubtedly made it's way into the open market and was being offered for sale. A suspecting buyer had asked some questions to some of use on the IPBA members facebook group and we all chimed in with our opinions.




I for one immediately dismissed this as a fake bottle based on the sloppy baudruchage, the weird "label", the stopper, the overall look of the piece as a whole, as well as my own extensive knowledge on Guerlain's perfume bottles.

Let's talk about the baudruchage for a moment. On this bottle with see gold and white cotton baker's twine and red and gold sealing wax used to decoratively seal the bottle. We know that Guerlain did not use this sort of baudruchage cording - nor this type of sloppy sealing wax. Guerlain uses only the finest silk threads to finish the barbichage (bearding the silk threads), brossage (brushing the yarn into place), wax seal and signature Guerlain stamp - an art of bottling that the Dames de table craftswomen pass down from generation to generation, just like guildsmen.

The photos below illustrate the care that goes into Guerlain's baudruchage.







Ok, now back to the fake perfume bottle...the stopper. The stopper appears to be metal and embossed with an Art Nouveau floral pattern. While it is very pretty - Guerlain did not use this type of stopper.

The bottle shape itself. While the shape is similar to a bottle by Guerlain called the Flacon de Guerre (the wartime bottle), it is not exactly the same. The fake bottle features sharply sloping shoulders, while the flacon de guerre's shoulders have slight sloping and a ridge around the short neck of the bottle. Also the

Now let's get onto the label of the fake bottle. It does not follow any known form of an authentic Guerlain label. It is however most likely a header from a letter, advertisement, receipt or other sort of document. It is also from the 19th century as evidenced by the wording: "Guerlain Parfumeur Brevete de S.M. L'Imperatrice Des Cours de Russie, d`Allemagne et d 'Angleterre Paris Rue de la Paix ,15."


Please see the image below of an authentic Guerlain document:



Monday, August 10, 2015

Veritable Moelle de Boeuf

To condition the hair, Guerlain created the Veritable Moelle de Boeuf, a pomade made up of beef marrow to promote hair growth.




"True Beef Marrow " porcelain cosmetic box decorated with grisaille representing oxen and golden highlights.  Diameter: 6.8 cm. 

Thursday, August 6, 2015

$80,000 For Shalimar - Are You Kidding?

Ok, some ebayer has gone off the deep end here. They are asking $80,000 for this bottle of Shalimar Eau de Cologne, with the No. 90 label. A one litre Montre flacon.

Money laundering?




Click here to see the auction

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

This Weeks Guerlain Rarities on Ebay

LOOKING TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION? HERE ARE THE LATEST GUERLAIN RARITIES I FOUND ON EBAY THIS WEEK! ENJOY!

Guerlain Heritage Case from 2008.  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 were made. The labels on the bottles are inspired by historic Guerlain labels from the Art Deco period.  This has the authentication papers and is numbered at 186/205.

"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 Guerlain collectors set includes 18 of the best fragrances released by the firm since its founding, including: 
1853 Eau de Cologne Imperiale. 
1889 Jicky. 
1912 L’Heure Bleue. 
1919 Mitsouko. 
1925 Shalimar. 
1959 Vetiver. 
1965 Habit Rouge. 
1979 Nahema. 
1989 Samsara. 
2003 L’Instant de Guerlain. 
2004 L’Instant de Guerlain pour Homme. 
2005 Rose Barbare. 
2005 Angelique Noire. 
2005 Cuir Beluga. 
2006 Bois d’Armenie. 
2006 Insolence. 
2007 Iris Ganache. 
2008 Cruel Gardenia.


Click here to see the auction



Lavande Parfum in Quadrilobe flacon in it's original box. c1920. 
So what does it smell like? It is classified as a classic fougere or chypre fragrance with a strong lavender note. 
Top notes: lemon, bergamot 
Middle notes: lavender, galbanum 
Base notes: labdanum, amber, sandalwood, oakmoss and vetiver

Click here to see the auction



A Travers Champs Parfum in Quadrilobe Flacon. c1940s. 
So what does it smell like? It is classified as a powdery floral amber fragrance for women based on flowers of the fields. 
Top notes: lily of the valley, violet, bergamot, petitgrain 
Middle notes: rose, orris, carnation, ylang ylang, sandalwood, clove, patchouli, benzoin 
Base notes: orris, vanilla, suede 



Click here to see the auction


Bouquet de Faunes Lalique Flacon c1920s.


Click here to see the auction


Limited Edition Muguet 1999, Guerlain 75 ml Eau de Toilette. 
So what does it smell like? It is a crisp green floral fragrance with a dominant fresh lily of the valley note.
Top notes: lemon, bergamot, lily of the valley
Middle notes: jasmine, Turkish rose, lily and carnation
Base notes: patchouli, oakmoss, leather, sandalwood


Click here to see the auction


Apres l'Ondee 30ml Parfum in Louis XVI flacon.
So what does it smell like? It is classified as a powdery floral fragrance for women with spicy and musk notes.
Top notes: rosemary, hawthorn, bergamot, lavender,
Middle notes:  jasmine, lily, orchid, orange blossom, violet, bouvardia
Base notes: orris and Tonkin musk

Click here to see the auction


Mouchoir de Monsieur in Quadrilobe flacon with wartime label.  


Click here to see the auction


Parure Eau de Cologne mini Bottle. c1970s.


Click here to see the auction


Elixir de Guerlain Antiseptic Dentifrice, mouthwash in 1 litre bee bottle...unusual...


Click here to see the auction


L'Heure Bleue 2/3 oz Parfum in Bouchon Coeur flacon. Sealed in original packaging, nice price!



Click here to see the auction


Mitsouko 7.5ml Parfum in Enameled Canister, from 1991. Quite rare!

Click here to see the auction

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Flacon Carré Plat Ruspini c1830

Ruspini's Elixir for the Teeth and Gums by Guerlain: launched about 1880. It was housed in the  The elixir was supposedly a cure for toothaches.

Glass bottle held a mouthwash originally created by surgeon dentist to King George IV, the Chevalier Ruspini.






Sunday, July 26, 2015

Magnum Import Perfume Bottles

The Magnum Import Company was an importer from New York who repackaged French perfumes for sale to the American market during the early 1920s.

You can find Magnum bottles with name of Caron, Guerlain, Coty, Grenoville, Rosine, D'Orsay, Roger et Gallet, Houbigant, Dedon

Magnum was wholly independent from these companies.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Vintage 1960s Counter Top Lucite Perfume Tester Rack

The display case is made of black and clear lucite. It measures 9" across,  2 3/4" high and 2 1/2" deep.




 It holds six perfume bottles, each 2 1/2" high. The back of the case is removable to gain access to the bottles. The bottles are glass with long glass daubers. The black screw on tops are black plastic. The white paper labels have the name of the fragrance and "TEST SAMPLE  NOT TO BE SOLD". Also on the label is the red Marly horse logo.

Two of the bottles contain Mitsouko, created in 1919. The others are: Chant d'Aromes (1962), L'Heure Bleue (1912), Vol de Nuit (1933) and Shalimar (1925).

Photos by ebay seller thingsnstrings

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

L'Heure Bleue Lotion Vegetale in Bee Bottle

Here is a rarity, L'Heure Bleue Lotion Vegetale in a bee bottle. Bottle stands 7.87" which means this is a 500cc/500 ml/16.9 oz size.

First used in  1947, the stopper, which the seller says is frozen in place, leads me to believe that it is ground glass and not covered with plastimeri.


Monday, July 13, 2015

Guerlain's Advice for Ladies c1902

Country Life, 1902:
"M. Guerlain who is an authority on all matters relating the uses and abuses of scents says that it is the greatest to imagine that sachet powder perfumes. According to him, the only pleasant way of perfuming "laces, linen and ladies" is with an extract and a vaporiser; nothing else is of any real use. It is also a mistake to adopt one perfume alone, for it is essential not only to vary one's perfume with the seasons, but for every occasion. We do not wear the same dress in the evening as in the morning, in a motor-car, or in the saddle, and a moment's reflection will show that the scent that is agreeable in the open air can be offensive at a dinner-table. If we once study this question, as it should be studied by all women of refined taste, we shall find that we cannot do better than follow the Parisienne, who never favours what are called extracts of flowers - carnation, lilac, mignonette, etc. She has learnt that the majority of these scents are made from petroleum or terpinol, and have nothing in common with the names they bear. Let us follow her in her selection for spring. She chooses "Tsao Ko" or "Zicky" [sic] for her perfume for her morning ride in the Bois "Fleur Qui Meurt" for a dinner party, and "Jardin de Mon Curé" for the Opera. If you are passing through the Rue de la Paix, call in at Guerlain's and judge how exquisite is her taste."