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?

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Guerlain ad c1939

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 25 October 1939, page 3

Buckley's Present the Newest range of French Perfumes by GUERLAIN OF PARIS

Now is the time to buy French Perfumes while stocks are complete. The rare beauty and worth of Guerlain's needs no emphasizing. Come to Buckley's Perfume Dept at 5 or earliest for the most comprehensive range in Melbourne at pre-war prices.

Extracts: Jicky Perfume, Cuir-de-Russie, L'Heure Bleue, Rue-de-la-Paix, Champs Elysees, Mitsouko, Jasmin, Djedi, Shalimar, Liu, Sous-le-Vent, Vol-de-Nuit . .

From BULK-Special 1-Dram Jeweled Bottles of Jicky, Cuir-de-Russie, Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleue, Rue-de-la-Paix Violette.

Guerlain French Lipsticks. Lipsticks, chrome cases, in the scarce shades of Clair, Orange, Medium, Mandrin, Fonce, Sweet Pea, Tropical, Black Tulip, Caraïbe.

Face Powder Aux Balloons: Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue in the following colors-Rose, Ochre, Brune, Paille



Flacon Lanterne (Lantern) c1935-1943

Flacon Lanterne (Lantern) c1935-1943

Flacon created by Pochet et du Courval to hold extraits of:

  • Ambre
  • Apres L'Ondee
  • Cuir de Russie
  • Guerlinade
  • Jasmin
  • Jicky
  • Lavande
  • Liu
  • Pois de Senteur
  • Rue de la Paix
  • Sous le Vent
  • Vega
  • Violette

and others

The bottle was reissued in 1999 to hold a limited edition extrait of Guet Apens.
  • 10cc/10ml/0.338 oz - 5.4cm/2.13" (size reserved for export) 
  • 30cc/30ml/1 oz - 7.3cm/2.87" (size reserved for export) 
  • 80cc/80ml/2.7 oz - 9.7cm/3.82" (1935-1943) 
  • 125cc/125ml/4.2 oz - 11.5cm/4.53" (reissued in 1999 125ml/4.2 oz - 12cm/4.72" for Guet Apens) 
  • 250cc/250ml/8.4 oz - 14cm/5.51" (1935-1943)

c1938 ad





    Talcum "Lyre" Flacons c1923-1960s

    Talcum "Lyre" Flacons c1923-1960s

    Beautiful frosted glass talcum powder bottles were in the shape of a lyre or guitar. they held six scents: Shalimar, Mitsouko, Guerlinade, Rue de la Paix, Vol de Nuit, Liu, Fleur de Feu and L'Heure Bleue.

    The talcum powder in this frosted glass bottle was introduced in 1923, then it was being put up in a white plastic canister in the late 1960's, then it was sold in a turquoise canister in the 1980s.


    The original Lyre flacon, starting in the 1920s, was fitted with a metal cap and the label simply said "Guerlain Paris" and had a flower separating the two words. In the 1950s and 1960s, the bottle was then changed to a black plastic cap, the paper label was changed .




    c1925 advertisement



    c1940s advertisement







    Guerlain Perfumes Ad c1879

    The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Thursday 16 January 1879, page 2


    Wednesday, July 31, 2013

    Vaporisateur de Voyage (Travel Spray) c1930 - ?

    Vaporisateur de Voyage (Travel Spray) c1930 - ?

    Cylindrical shaped crystal travel spray bottle to hold various perfumes, used during travel, manufactured by Baccarat. Bottle was housed in small leather case offered in four different colors: black, red, green and blue.

    • 125cc /125ml/4.2 oz- 8.9cm/3.5" (without bulb)


    Guerlain


    photo by Lombrail-Teucquam

    Tuesday, July 30, 2013

    Guerlain Perfume ad c1937

    Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Wednesday 7 July 1937, page 5

    L'Heure Bleue, Jicky, Liu, Violette, Mitsouko, Jasmin, Shalimar, Sous Le Vent, Vol de Nuit.



    Guerlain Perfumes ad c1949

    Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Tuesday 11 October 1949, page 1

    Jicky, Shalimar, Mitsouko, Liu, Sous Le Vent, L'Heure Bleue.




    Guerlain Perfumes ad c1938

    Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Wednesday 8 June 1938, page 11


    Guerlain Perfume ad c1949


    1949 ad featuring the Guerlain perfumes in the Flacon de Guerre (Wartime bottle)...which housed Shalimar, Jicky, Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleue, Sous Le Vent, Dawamesk, Geranium D'Espagne, Coque D'Or, and others.


    The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Tuesday 13 December 1949, page 6


    Guerlain Lipsticks Ad c1938

    The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Saturday 24 December 1938, page 39

    Showing shades: Light, Medium, Dark, Orange, Tropical and Mandarine.


    Guerlain article c1993

    Guerlain article from the LA Times:

    Guerlain Knows Fragrance Is Applied to Pulse Points
    March 19, 1993 by |ROSE APODACA

    "When Robert Guerlain discusses his family's 164-year contribution to the art of fragrances, he wryly remarks in his heavy-coated French accent: "It certainly smells of success." 
    It's a great understatement coming from a member of the oldest family-owned fragrance and cosmetics company in the world. But it was in just that understated fashion that Guerlain spoke during a luncheon for 90 guests at Neiman Marcus Fashion Island last week. 
    Guerlain was in the United States to officially launch the opening of four new in-store boutiques in the Southwest, including the Newport Beach location. There are 27 boutiques nationwide. As director of special projects, he has devoted much of his energy toward educating the consumer about the Guerlain name and the fragrance industry. 
    In addition to signing bottles of Shalimar, Samsara, Imperial and other potions, he personalized copies of the English translation of the family biography, "Guerlain," by fragrance journalist Colette Fellous. 
    The sensually written coffee table book was originally released in French in 1989 to coincide with the launch of Samsara, a fragrance that has become the company's most popular worldwide. Shalimar, which debuted in 1925, continues to rank as Guerlain's best-seller in the United States. 
    The English-language version precedes the launch of a men's fragrance that will appear this fall in this country. Its name? Heritage."

    Guerlain's Tropical Lipstick Shade c1935

    The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Thursday 6 June 1935, page 12, talks about Guerlain's Tropical shade of lipstick, this was a shade for their Rose du Moulin lipstick range.

    "Guerlain has gone further afield. His newest lipstick is brown - quite brown - with a redding bases, and it is supposed to be worn by women who are careful to see that the rest of their make-up is suntanned to match. He calls it 'Tropical."



     


    Gift Ideas c1936

    The Land (Sydney, NSW : 1911 - 1954), Friday 20 November 1936, page 19, mentions Jicky (in the cobalt blue lanterne bottle), Sous Le Vent, Liu, Champs Elysees...


    Here is teh same article, but you might be able to read this one better.



    Scents that Match c1954

    The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 21 July 1954, page 8



    Rose du Moulin by Guerlain c1907

    Rose du Moulin by Guerlain: created in 1907, a rose tinted pomade that was used to rouge the cheeks but could also be used on the lips.



    La Poudre C'est Moi by Guerlain c1925

    La Poudre C'est Moi by Guerlain: launched in 1925. This ultra fine face powder was scented with Shalimar. Originally created as a tribute to the Sun King Louis XIV, who famously pronounced "L'état c'est moi puisque le Roi c'est Moi."






    A 1933 Guerlain ad states:
    "Thrice artful is the Shalimar Powder of Guerlain. The tint for you is so marvellously [sic] blended that your skin blooms afresh at its touch ... with its texture so soft, so flattering that even in the glare of day the years seem to melt away ... and it clings through the hours with a consistency that you will adore. Scented with the fragrance of Shalimar, it is the ultimate touch of elegance in the art of make-up. At all smart shops in six marvellously [sic] perfect skin shades"

    Monday, July 29, 2013

    Rouge de la Cour by Guerlain c1910

    Rouge de la Cour by Guerlain, introduced in the mid 19th century and was still being sold around 1910. This was sold as Court Rouge in the Guerlain catalogs, but was better known by the name rouge en tasse "pink saucers". It was item #434 in the Guerlain catalogs.

    The pink saucers, also known as rouge de theatre, consisted of carthamus rouge (rouge vegetal) or carmine  mixed with a few drops of almond oil, and with mucilage of gum tragacanth, and spread upon porcelain or glass disks, which would have then be brushed on the cheeks with the fingers, a small puff, a piece of flannel, swab of cotton or a brush.

    original image from a Guerlain catalog




    photo by Lombrail-Teucquam


    Cheek rouge, pressed into small glass pot. c1880-1915. Photo from imworld.aufeminin



    Lait de Roses by Guerlain c1910

    Lait de Roses ("Milk of Roses")- (c1910) Rare, clear pressed glass bottle molded oval cylindrical, oval belly ten sections,  and cork stopper with baroque styled label. Model created by Pochet et du Courval. Stands 18cm tall.










    The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness: A Complete Handbook, 1872:

    Creme Sid-Ous c1910

    Creme Sid-Ous, a skin cream by Guerlain, created around 1910. This almond scented, white colored hand and face cream was still being sold in 1970 as Creme Sid'Ous.


    photo by Lombrail-Teucquam










    Guerlain Cream Jar c1800s

    Rare cream or ointment jar, probably used in the Guerlain boutiques or at a an apothecary shop that sold Guerlain products, made up of cobalt blue glazed earthenware, handpainted in gilded enamel "Guerlain - 15 Rue de la Paix" - with its matching earthenware lid. Circa 1800s.

    photo by Lombrail-Teucquam

    Creme a la Fraise Pour le Teint c1880

    Creme a la Fraise Pour le Teint c1880

    "STRAWBERRY CREAM FOR THE FOUNDATION AND COVER"



    By massaging a small amount of Crème à la Fraise, in a white porcelain jar with a small strawberry molded on the lid, this would moisturize and freshen the face.


    Porcelain pot decorated with the Guerlain emblem of the "woman with flags" and titled "Guerlain Perfumer Patented SGDG" and "Rue de la Paix No. 15."

    Circular lid, topped with a figural strawberry finial. Measures 2.36" diameter. Introduced in 1880. Marked on the bottom "A. Pillivuyt Foecy - Made in France".




    photo by Lombrail -Teucquam



    photo from an old ebay auction

    Roselip by Guerlain, a tinted lip balm c1880-1910

    Roselip, a lightly rose tinted lip balm housed in a tiny Sevres porcelain pot. It was available in two shades, a pink tint (#449), and a coral red tint (#450). This product was introduced around 1879/1880 and sold up until around 1910.

    photo from original Guerlain catalog, the item on the left in the tin was Baume de la Ferte (#190), an ointment for chapped lips and nipples of mothers who were breastfeeding.






    A popular recipe at the time, the rose lip pomade/balm/salve was made up of olive oil, whale oil, sweet almond oil, white wax, roses and Balsam of Peru.

    from Perfumery and Kindred Arts: A Comprehensive Treatise on Perfumery, 1877




    GUERLAIN "Rose Lip" - (1880) Rare small warehouse cylindrical
    photo by drouot