Perfume, both known and unknown…

You wear it regularly or from time to time, but you don’t know everything about it… Perfume is an accessory that accompanies the outfit you’ve chosen for the day and is both well-known and mysterious. We are going to pull back the veil on a part of it for you.

Let’s talk about its history. The word perfume comes from the Latin “Per Fumum”, which means “by smoke” because it was originally burned so it would rise up and touch the gods. It used to take the form of small bits of resin and wood, resembling nothing like the perfume of today.

Over time, it evolved and started to be transformed into aromatic oils, balms and scented water. Our forebears macerated aromatic plants like thyme and lavender and used it to perfume their bodies, hair, homes and even their animals! This ritual became more widespread and took on an important place in the domain of cosmetics. The term perfume only appeared later and only after the use of eau de cologne, considered to be one of the first instances of perfumery. Did you know that it was initially a type of oral medicine? It was only in 1706 that eau de cologne, in its perfume version, went on to win over noses and hearts.

In 1820, perfumery saw a spectacular development through the advent of synthetic notes, particularly coumarin. It was a revolution that pushed perfumers to try to outdo themselves and formulate the iconic perfumes that we all know today.

The brand Les Senteurs Gourmandes highlights this history by offering eau de parfums as well as its antecedent, eau de cologne. A brand full of history, driven to elevate the refinement and pleasure of our fragrances.