PERFUME THROUGH THE AGES

Just like everything in life, fragrances have gone in and out of fashion throughout periods of history. Art movements and a shift in societal values both have a profound effect on the popularity of a scent. Today, we will be giving you a whistle-stop tour of perfume throughout history.

Origins

The word ‘perfume’ is derived from the Latin word, per fumus, meaning through smoke. In the early days, fragrances were typically incense based and the art of making perfumes was first refined by the Romans, Persians, and Arabs.

The 50s

The 50s were epitomised by Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, with a tendency towards mood and colour over traditional mediums and forms. Nica Ricci L’Air du Temps became a defining fragrance of the era. The floral perfume captures a moment in time and remains popular to this day.

The 60s

The Swinging Sixties was the decade of counterculture and love. The fragrance, Aramis, represents masculinity with notes of citrus, leather, and oak moss. It embodies the casual approach to life of this period and was notably worn by The Beatles.

The 70s

The dubbed, Me Decade, represents a period of individualism and is associated with the rise of the band, Queen. Paco Rabanne Homme rose to popularity as an aromatic and airy fragrance. It has a clean and natural feel and is still very popular to this day.

We hope you enjoyed learning briefly about the history of perfume. If you want to explore the scents we mentioned in this article, then check out our collections on the site. We have free delivery and a 100% refund policy on all orders. What scent do you think is epitomised by this current period of history?