You wear it regularly or occasionally, but you don’t know everything about it: the perfume. This perfumed accessory that comes with our outfit of the day is both famous and mysterious. We will decipher some of it for you.
Let’s talk about his story. The perfume comes from the Latin “Per Fumum” , which means “By the smoke”, because the latter was burned to come into contact with the gods . It took the form of small pieces of resin or wood and bore no resemblance to today’s perfume.
Over time, it evolved and began to transform into aromatic oils, balms and scented waters. Our ancestors macerated aromatic plants such as thyme or lavender and used them to perfume their bodies, their hair, their homes, and even their animals! This ritual has become much more present and has taken an important place in the field of cosmetics. The term “perfume” only appeared late and only after the use of colognes, considered the beginnings of perfumery. Did you know that they were originally medicine to drink? It was not until 1706 that eau de cologne, in its perfumed version, conquered noses and hearts.
It was in 1820 that perfumery experienced spectacular progress thanks to the arrival of synthetic notes and coumarin. A revolution that pushed perfumers to surpass themselves and to formulate iconic perfumes that we all know today.
