BeautyMake-upPerfumesCosmetics
25 February 2020

Guerlain, in the name of beauty for 190 years

by Eugénie Rousak


©Guerlain

Much more than a simple emblem of the House, the bee is a symbol of Guerlain’s almost bicentennial history. Sometimes landing on the vials of the iconic perfume Eau de Cologne Impériale, sometimes deriving their delicious nectar from the Abeille royale line, sometimes visiting the ten hives at the production site, they sprinkle pollen on the soft flower petals. The brand’s raw material, the latter are revealed in expert hands to reveal their unique aromas to the noses of the Guerlain dynasty. Thus begins the game of blends, weddings and divorces. So delicate, so subtle, so Guerlain.

“L’Abeille, alchemist of nature. And Guerlain, alchemist of beauty “

After a childhood immersed in the flavors of the family grocery store in northern France, Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain is passionate about the world of smells and colors. Initially a sales clerk in Paris, he quickly decided to venture to the other side of the English Channel to study medicine and chemistry. At the time, if Paris was not yet positioned as the Grail of couturiers-perfumers, it was to England that the most talented noses were turning for training. Back on French soil in 1828, the perfumer-vinegar maker settled directly on the ground floor of the highly prized Hotel Le Meurice. From then on, a hint of floral touches escaped from number 42 and wandered all over the rue Rivoli.

The dynasty of the Guerlains

That mysterious and unknown wonders are then presented in the store: the rose cream with snails, the pearl white skin care, the first lip balms nicknamed Baume de la Ferté, or the famous sapoceti, in other words the soaps with natural essences. Imported or manufactured, these cosmetic delights were proudly enthroned on the dressing tables of Parisian women. But what creates the real craze around the double-G brand is surely the olfactory creations of Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain. In a perpetual search for fragrances and scents, the perfumer composed his first blends, in honor of the two countries he knows so well: the Senteurs des Champs for France and the Bouquet du Jardin du Roi for England. If he is passionate about scents, he wants above all to provoke emotions, to create a real hypnotic journey with a few drops of nectar on the wrist. Pushing personalization to the extreme, he composes unique eaux de toilette for women and even special atmospheres. This is notably the case of the famous Eau de Cologne Impériale with lemony notes in a bee flask, specially made for the wedding of Empress Eugenie with Napoleon III. Moreover, it is thanks to this gift that Guerlain obtained the title of “Official Supplier to Her Majesty”. But the French court is not the only one to idolize the perfumer’s delicate and complex bouquets, which also appealed to Spanish, British, Romanian and Belgian crowns. And the Austrian Princess, Sissi, loves Strawberry Cream, specially created for her skin!

In 1862, the two sons of the founder join the family business: Gabriel takes care of the management, while his brother Aimé becomes the new nose. Influenced by the impressionists, the perfumer no longer wanted to reproduce nature, but to present a metamorphosis, a vision of it. He thus dashes in the creation of the first modern perfume Jicky. Marrying natural infusions to synthetic notes for the first time in the world, he provoked a coup in the industry, symbolically presented during the second edition of the World Fair! But the revolution of the double G does not stop at perfumery, also taking off in the sphere of skin care products and make-up. Women are discovering new and enchanting products to sublimate their natural beauty: the compact powder and the lipstick Don’t forget me. The tone is set!

At the end of the 19th century, it was the turn of Gabriel’s sons, the teenagers Pierre and Jacques, to join the family business. It is to Jacques that Aimé teaches the art of perfumery, passing on the best kept recipes and secrets of the House to the bee. Like an alchemist, the new nose experiments in the laboratory day and night. He imagines new blends and reworks the old ones. The result? The new reference to the Petit-Prince named Vol de Nuit and the oriental Shalimar. It’s no coincidence that the smell of the latter seems familiar to connoisseurs. Jacques Guerlain takes the scents of Jicky and merges them with synthetic vanilla and bergamot, while removing the lavender and woody aroma! This subtle and refined base, composed of bergamot, jasmine, rose, iris, vanilla and tonka bean, is affectionately called the Guerlinade, and will be used in almost all of the House’s new fragrances. So don’t be surprised if you are seduced by the whole range! At the dawn of the 20th century, the House did not neglect innovations in make-up, presenting two enigmatic products: Terracotta sun powder and a mixture of multicolored beads under the strange name of Meteorites. Although still little known to the public, they will nevertheless be deeply rooted in the history of cosmetics, to be revisited and modernized by creative director Olivier Echaudemaison. An emblematic character, to whom we also owe the Kiss Kiss lipsticks, and the little jewelry marvel that can be customized, the Rouge G.

Thierry Wasser, ©Guerlain

The last of the dynasty to take the reins of the House is the obstinate and passionate Jean-Paul Guerlain, grandson of Jacques. Nicknamed “Marco Polo of essences”, he developed an exceptional sense of smell, managing to recognize nearly three thousand shades. While the family business was purchased by the LVMH group in 1994, the last of the Guerlain family remained at the head of the company until 2008, choosing Thierry Wasser as his successor. The wager won, since it is to the latter that we owe the olfactory storm called La Petite Robe Noire.

A history of bottles

It is difficult to talk about Guerlain without mentioning the unique know-how developed over nearly two hundred years. A symbol of French-style elegance, the House remains faithful and committed to the art of bottling, beading and baudruching, which has earned it the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label. While Guerlain has always surrounded itself with craftsmen, glassmakers, engravers, jewelers and embroiderers, it is the Ladies of the table who create the magic around the products. True little bees, they complete the most beautiful bottles, embellishing them with cords and sophisticated knots before combing the silk threads according to ancestral techniques. Time stands still, only delicacy counts.

©Guerlain

With more than 1,100 olfactory creations since its birth in 1828, the House of Guerlain has traced the history of perfumery, sometimes guiding it towards modernity, sometimes returning to traditions. Driven by noses that are as bold as they are meticulous, it produces a million liters of “royal jelly” annually in its Made in France hive. And the flight of the bee with the double G is not finished yet.