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?

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Veritable Graisse D'Ours

A touch of either Veritable Graisse d'Ours or Graisse d'Ours Liquéfie, a pommade made of bear's grease, would help keep that jaunty cowlick from popping out from a coiffure in addition to strengthening and prevent color fading of the hair.




Baume de la Ferté c1830

Baume de la Ferté was created around 1830 as an emollient balm to be used by nursing mothers and wet nurses to relieve their dried, cracked and sore nipples from breastfeeding. It contained tannins left over from Bordeaux wine production, benzoin, beeswax & almond oil. This moisturizing balm was also used to soothe chapped lips as well. The earliest pot lids are marked with the 15 ru de la Paix address (1840-1914), then in 1914, it was marked with the 68 Champs Elysees address.

The earliest pots were made up of stamped tin. The later pots were made up of galalith I believe. Newer formulas are housed in plastic tubes.






c2010

c2013



Eau Lustrale

Eau Lustrale, a liquid hair groom which would clean it, degrease it but also give it it a lustrous shine.

It was made up of Castor oil (deodorized), strongest alcohol (deodorized), cantharides powder, oil of bergamot and otto of roses. To soften the hair, and prevent baldness.

 It was made sometime before 1853 and continued to be sold into the 1960s.

Eau Lustrale was available in the following sizes and prices in 1941:
  • 4 oz $1.00 
  • 8 oz $3.25 
  • Pt. $6.60 
  • Qt. $12.75 
Harper's Bazaar, 1935:
"There are a couple of Guerlain things that will make your trip to the hairdresser's far more pleasant. The first, Eau Lustral, which is used after the shampoo, is delightful as a setting lotion. It is as light and thin as water, and dries quickly."


Eau Lustrale bottle c1845. Rectangular, 6 1/4", graduated top, no panels, O.P., olive green, side: "GUERLAIN" side: "EAU LUSTRALE", manufactured by Pochet et du Courval . Photo from Hair Raising Stories.


c1914, emerald green bottle, cork top, manufactured by Pochet et du Courval, photo from museu del perfum.


c1931 emerald green bottle, black bakelite cap, manufactured by Pochet et du Courval. Photo from delcampe.










c1930-1950. Green glass bottle, black bakelite screwcap. Photo from ebay seller chiquita_tuli

Backside of bottle, c1950. Photo from ebay seller chiquita_tuli



Mini bottle of Eau Lustrale. Photo by www.ventesuroffres.com



c1960s. Photo from delcampe




Sunday, November 3, 2013

Ebay Find! Candide Effluve in Lyre Flacon

Ebay Find! Candide Effluve in Lyre Flacon

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-RARE-CANDIDE-EFFLUVE-GUERLAIN-FLACON-BACCARAT-LYRE-SEALED-/181253487244?pt=fragrance&hash=item2a338cba8c



Candide Effluve: Created by Jacques Guerlain in 1921 but only launched the following year; in USA by 1924, it was intended to connote the innocent touch of a Virgin or young woman.

So what does it smell like? Notes include bergamot, lemon, ylang-ylang, lilac, muguet, styrax, hyacinth, lilac, orris, rose, amber, jasmine, iris, angelica, patchouli, vetiver, benzoin, tonka bean, heliotrope, thyme and vanilla.

The perfume was presented in a ‘Lyre’ bottle and the Flacon Brun Fume, made by Baccarat, starting in 1933.

Discontinued, date unknown, still being sold in 1946.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Weird Shalimar Bottle - Fake Seal - Alert!!

Ok, so on ebay this week I found this vintage bottle of Shalimar, so it is sealed ....but...it is not a genuine Guerlain seal, nor is the thread that is wrapped around it correct. Guerlain never used red wax seals imprinted with Asian language characters. Also Guerlain's Shalimar extrait bottles are always sealed with baudruchage that has a small gold metal seal with the "G" for Guerlain attached and a fluffy tassel which was brushed out by hand by the "dames du table".

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Shalimar-by-Guerlain-1-2-oz-Made-in-France-with-threads-and-hang-tag-/321241591829?pt=fragrance&hash=item4acb7db015

I have no idea whether the contents in this bottle are even authentic Shalimar. I do not like the idea of the FAKE seal on the bottle either, this really pisses me off.





Emily X has posted that the red seal belongs to Revlon's Xia Xiang perfume bottles. Here is a photo of one of the Xia Xiang bottles with it's red seal intact:


Thanks Emily X!


Thursday, October 31, 2013

Ebay Find! Liu in Quadrilobe Flacon

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Ebay Find! Guerlain Sachet with Dali In Venice Record

Altered Glass Perfume Bottles

Occasionally one might come across an unusual colored perfume bottle. One might be inclined to think that this might have been a special limited edition or even perhaps a prototype. More than likely, the bottles have been artificially induced via radiation (sometimes done with the aid of a microwave or industrial good sterilizer). This would cause some glass to be a deep shade of purple or amber. from what I have read online, this appears to devalue a bottle, but some people collect these flacons for their aesthetic beauty rather than their investment value.

In the case of these Guerlain flacons, they have been intentionally artificially induced to an amber shade and older bottles are also artificially altered into the purple shade.

Please do not purchase these bottles in the hopes that it is "rare" or a "limited edition".






the same ebay seller (iluvjax) is irradiating old bottles hoping to get higher prices for these very common bottles.



Irradiated Carre flacon, with wrong stopper.

 Ebay seller (clancy_kid) is irradiating old bottles hoping to get higher prices for these very common bottles.



Ebay Find! Vintage Jicky in Lanterne Flacon

Ebay Find! Vintage Jicky in Lanterne Flacon. This bottle was used from 1935-1943 only. A very rare presentation comes with its equally rare presentation box.

30ml/1 oz Flacon. Approximately 15ml of parfum extrait remain in this cobalt blue lantern bottle. The bottle stands 7.3cm/2.87". This size was reserved for export.





Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Ebay Find! Chamade Sucrier de Madame

Ebay Find! Chamade Sucrier de Madame

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Guerlain-Chamade-Perfume-Bottle-Holder-Display-rare-has-some-left-1-5-in-bottle-/321233228706?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4acafe13a2



Le Sucrier de Madame c1980 - 2008?

Le Sucrier de Madame (Madam's Sugar Shaker/Muffineer) was made for express usage in the Guerlain boutiques to demonstrate the eau de toilettes. Sometimes they were often given as "rewards" to those who spent an exorbitant amount of money in the French boutiques.

The cases are of gilded brass and the domed tops are intricately pierced in a filigree pattern featuring the Guerlain G logo, hearkening back to the ornate muffineers of the 19th century. The bottle was designed by jeweler Robert Gossen.

Each bottle holds 200ml/6.7 oz of eau de toilette or 2.8 oz Parfum. I have seen these marked Chamade, Shalimar, Parure, Nahema, Chant D'Aromes, Chamade, Apres l'Ondee, Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleue, Vol de Nuit, Samsara and Jicky. Others are not marked with a name. Each case held a bottle that when emptied, a new refill could be recharged into the case.

In 2008, a Guerlain SA told a member of beaute-test.com that the manufacturer of the Sucrier flacons had just passed away and the flacons would be discontinued as he was the sole manufacturer. Whether not this is true, please let me know.

Ebay Find! L'Heure Bleue in Borne Flacon c1940s

Ebay Find! L'Heure Bleue in Borne Flacon c1940s

This is a bottle of Guerlain Paris France L'Heure Bleue no.623. Comes in a glass bottle that measures about 4 1/4" tall with stopper and 3" wide. Bottle is over 3/4 full. This is a 2.7 oz bottle.

 This is a vintage bottle that comes with the original box, still has the string tied around the stopper, box has been opened.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Guerlain-Extrait-LHeure-Bleue-No-623-in-glass-Bottle-2-oz-/181244256597?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a32ffe155



Flacon Borne (Boundary Stone) c1931- 1960s


Made by Pochet et du Courval to house extraits of Shalimar, Mitsouko, Jicky, L'Heure Bleue, Sillage and others.
  • 82cc/82ml/2.7 oz - 10,5cm/4.13" (1931), ground blue glass truncated stopper in the shape of a French policeman's cap 
  • World War II Version, all clear glass, without cobalt blue band.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Ebay Find! Baccarat Lyre Flacon

Ebay Find! Baccarat Lyre Flacon, later hand painted.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dramatic-Baccarat-Hand-Painted-Enamel-Art-Deco-French-Commercial-Perfume-Bottle-/380748416865?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a65fc761


photo by ebay seller decodaysgoneby



Flacon Lyre c1921-1959

Flacon created by Baccarat to house Candide Efflueve, A Travers Champs and Guerlinade. Also produced by Pochet et du Courval in a very small quantity for export to the USA. Baccarat flacon #475.

Baccarat:
  • 80cc/80ml/2.7 oz - 12.9cm/5.08" (1921-1959) 
  • 125cc/125ml/4.2 oz - 14.7cm/5.79" (1921-1959) 
  • 250cc/250ml/8.4 oz - 18.7cm/7.36" (1921-1959) 
  • 500cc/500ml/16.9 oz - 23.5cm/9.25" (1921-1952) 
  • 1 liter/1000ml - 29cm/11.42" (1921-1952) 

Pochet & the Courval:
  • 30cc/30ml/1 oz (1924) produced very limited quantities to the USA

Ebay Find! L'Heure Blue with Silver Fountain Label c1926

Ebay Find! L'Heure Blue with Silver Fountain Label c1926

Super rare find!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Superb-Baccarat-French-Art-Deco-Commerical-Perfume-Bottle-GUERLAIN-LHeure-Bleue-/380748402450?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a65f8f12




The Silver Fountain labels represent the fountains at the 1925 Art Deco Expo in Paris, they were used in 1928 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Guerlain. The perfumes were boxed in a blue and silver box and the perfumes were presented in a clear glass bottle called the "petit beurre" or little butter pat..

Flacon Petit Beurre (Little Butter Pat) c1916 - ?

Baccarat:
  • 40cc/40ml/1.35 oz - 7.7cm/3.03" (limited edition of only 500 in 1916)
  • 80cc/80ml/2.7 oz - (limited edition of only 500 in 1916)
Pochet et du Courval:
  • 20ml/0.676 oz - 5.5cm/2.17" (1929)
These were used for the following perfumes:
  • L'Heure Bleue
  • Mitsouko
  • Rue de la Paix
  • Candide Effluve
  • A Travers Champs
  • Fol Arome
  • Quand Vient L'Ete 
  • Kadine
  • Guerlinade
  • Une Rose
  • Pour Troubler
  • Vague Souvenir
  • Champs Elysees

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Ebay Find! Vintage Jicky in Huge Quadrilobe flacon

Ebay Find! Vintage Jicky in Huge Quadrilobe flacon, bottle stands around 6 1/2" tall. Most likely holds 500ml/16.9 oz!

Seller claims it is a Baccarat flacon. I didn't see a photo of the base.




Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Ebay Find! Savons de Jeune Age

Eau de Cologne Jeune Age c1953

Eau de Cologne Jeune Age: launched in 1953. Created by Jacques Guerlain.


What does it smell like? I have no published notes on this composition.




Guerlain Journees Particulieurs Video

Our friend Monsieur Guerlain shared the link for this video http://vimeo.com/76552991

I do not understand French, so I don't know what is being said, but the images are beautiful.

La Pyrommee - Guerlain's First Kohl Eyeliner

The more daring woman may have lined her eyes with La Pyrommee, an Arabian styled kohl powder for the eyes kept inside an ivory tube decorated with an eye motif. Advertising of the era told a story that Pierre-Francois-Pascal Guerlain learned the secret formula from an Armenian Pasha who gave it to the ladies of his harem.



Eau de Rose Distillee c1910

Guerlain - "Eau de Rose Distillee" - (1910)


Clear glass vial molded pressed oval section, model "Fame" and titled siglé embossed collar carnette, its square flat cap with the label shown in gray and titled - h:. 18cm


Guerlain Manicure Kit c1950

Guerlain (1950). Rare necessary manicure including: tweezers, file, two pots, four nail enamel bottles and a brush in their travel case in burgundy box titled. Dimensions: 11 x 11 cm






Guerlain Powder Compact c1920

Guerlain Powder Compact c1920. Mirror on base, made up of brass, puff is on underside of lid. Guerlain, Paris stamped on the side (see pix). Measures 1 3/8" in diameter.


Guerlain Rouge Compacts c1920s-1930s


"Rouge" - (1930) Rare white metal stamped medallion-shaped ovoid, its titrated reserve Guerlain Paris on black lacquered bottom cover. Diam. 5 cm

photo by Lombrail Teucquam

missing black enamel

brass compact


Eau de Guerlain c1973

Eau de Guerlain: launched in 1973, in USA by 1974. Created by Jean Paul Guerlain.



Guerlain Pocket Flacon c1850-1880

Guerlain- (années 1850-1880)

Rarissime flacon de poche en verre incolore pressé moulé en forme de médaillon gainé de cuir avec réserve sur chaque face, col gainé de laiton, avec son bouchon boule en laiton avec touche oreilles. signé en creux dans le cuir : «Guerlain Paris». h : 7,5cm

Rare pocket bottle, colorless pressed molded glass medallion shaped, wrapped in leather with reserves on each side, brass wrapped collar, with ball shaped cap with brass button earrings. stamped into the leather, "Guerlain Paris." h: 7,5 cm

photo by couteau bergarie

Garniture de Toilette c1993

Guerlain - «les Exclusifs de Guerlain» - (1993)

Série de 3 pots couverts faisant partie de la garniture de toilette Guerlain vendue exclusivement dans les boutiques Guerlain à Paris, en verre pressé moulé teinté bleu Bosphore de section cylindrique, forme cylindre à pans coupés, leur base cerclée de laiton, leur couvercle doté d’une prise en laiton de forme sphérique siglée à décor d’un motif écailles, 2 modèles avec leur coffret titré. signés sous leur assise. (supprimés au catalogue de la maison en 1999).




photo by couteau bergarie

Bouchon Cabochon Bleu Mini Perfume Bottles

Bouchon Cabochon Bleu mini perfume bottles for Guerlain, used in late 1970s-early 1980s.



photo by toutenparfum

Bouchon Blanc Mini Perfume Bottles

Guerlain's Bouchon blanc miniature perfume bottles, used during the 1970s.

photo by toutenparfum

Guerlain Pagoda Miniature Perfume Bottles

Guerlain Pagoda Miniature Perfume Bottles, Used from 1970-1978. Glass bottle with triple stacked jade green plastic cap, affectionately known as the "pagoda" mini bottles. These are some of the rarest and most expensive Guerlain minis to collect.

It was used for the following perfumes:
  • Shalimar 
  • Parure 
  • Chamade
  • Chant D’Aromes
  • Mitsouko 
  • Jicky 
  • L’Heure Bleue
photo from worthpoint

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Guerlain Goutte Flacon Miniatures

The first Goutte mini bottles appeared in 1970 and were used until 1991. The bottles have undergone many changes (silkscreen uppercase, lowercase, different order ...) so to differentiate their years of creation, they were assigned a code. G8 bottles were for export to Japan, the G10 bottles were for U.S. exports.

G1:G2:G3:G4:G5:G6:G7:G8:G9:G10:
1970197819801981198219831984198619881991


Photo by Lecythiofolie, a collector of miniature perfumes, check out their site at http://www.lecythiofolie.fr/accueil.html