Does the name "La Vie est Belle" ring a bell? Of course it does: it's the best-selling perfume in the world. In 2017, a bottle was sold every 5 seconds! And if you think that Julia Roberts' smile is the only reason for its success, you might have forgotten the other main actress in the perfume's advertising... the Eiffel Tower.
When it comes to fragrances, France sells! There are countless fragrances whose names, looks or advertising allude to our beloved country: YSL's Mon Paris, Jean-Paul Gaultier's Mâle marinière, Guerlain's Champs-Elysées... and, of course, Bastille here. We plead guilty!
But in fact, where does the perfume come from?
Before the French perfume industry became the child of the country, perfume had time to travel a long way. It has crossed several centuries, and many borders!
Let's start at the beginning: the origin of perfume goes back to ancient times. Initially used to give thanks to the gods and for its therapeutic virtues by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, perfume was above all sacred. In fact, if you have ever wondered where the expression "to be in odour of sanctity" comes from, it is simply because perfume is in most religions a symbol of the purity of the soul.
Except that in a few centuries, perfume has also become an object of hygiene, seduction and elegance! Originally oriental, its use gradually spread to Europe during the crusades - the knights brought back rose water in particular, which Europeans were fond of - while trading posts multiplied between Europe and the Middle East. In short, perfume travelled, and finally settled in Europe in the 12th century.
Let's be honest: if we say Middle Ages, we bet you don't immediately think of the most refined fragrances. For in those days, people washed less and less (yes, yes), but they compensated by impregnating their clothes and flats with perfume. Perfume thus became a product used for its medicinal virtues - a bit like today's holistic rituals or essential oils. Materials with mysterious names were burned: storax, benzoin, Rhodes wood, cyperus... This use increased at the end of the Middle Ages, when the plague and diseases terrified the population, and water was suspected of opening the pores to diseases. It was no longer a question of washing but of smelling good, to guarantee that one was not ill. Doctors therefore advised people to use perfume rather than water to clean themselves, so that during the Renaissance, smell came to be considered the "soul of the medicine". In short, a contemporary Sephora would have made an excellent pharmacy at the time...
The origin of perfume made in France
Now widely assimilated to France, the influence of the art of French perfumery owes its origins to an Italian perfumer: Renato Bianco, commonly known as René le Florentin (which is the opposite of football, invented in the Middle Ages by the French and now conquered by our transalpine neighbours. You can't have everything).
It was in 1533, with the arrival of Catherine de Medici and her great Italian master perfumer at the Paris court, that perfume became prized by the French aristocracy.
Renato Bianco's fame soon enabled him to open his perfume (and poison!) shop in the capital, bringing in his wake the arrival of many Italian perfumers.
At the same time, in the South of France, the city of Grasse shines and becomes famous for its perfumes, with a rather surprising history.
Originally, the town was known for its tanneries. The only problem was that working with leather gave off a nauseating odour, similar to that of urine, which bothered the local nobles. In the 18th century, the use of fragrant plants was developed to cover up these emanations, and the profession of perfumer was born. Grasse then became famous for the cultivation of perfume plants and the production of fragrant essences. It owes its fame to the unique know-how of local perfumers.
This development of French perfumery was reinforced during the reign of Louis XV. At a time when France still smelled mainly of dung, the courtiers competed with each other in the use of perfumed scents to signal their presence to the king. The court of Versailles was nicknamed "the perfumed court", and no expense was spared: from feet to wigs, gloves and handkerchiefs, everything went through it! Queen Marie-Antoinette, a lover of perfume, launched the fashion for floral fragrances and made their use inevitable. At the time, perfumes were much less gendered: since marketing had not yet dominated the market, men could wear rose and violet perfumes, and no one had any problem with that!
The excitement around fragrances reached a turning point in the 19th century. New extraction and manufacturing techniques were introduced, new master perfumers appeared in Paris and many specialised Parisian shops opened, foreshadowing the niche perfumeries of today. French perfumery radiated throughout the world and became a symbol of elegance, wealth and refinement.
Why is French perfume the best?
If France is today considered the world reference for a beauty product that it did not even invent, it is simply because it has established itself with its unique know-how, its talented master perfumers and its territories full of wonderful raw materials.
A significant turning point in the history of French perfumery can be observed in the 19th century. This period saw the emergence of modern perfumery with the hygienist period led by Baron Haussmann: the clearing and tidying up of the urban space allowed Paris to breathe again. As a bonus, this favoured the marketing of perfume!
Among the perfume stars of the time, we find Jean-Marie Farina, official supplier and creator of Napoleon Bonaparte's first Eau de Cologne, Pierre François Pascal Guerlain (complicated, we grant you), the founder of the house of Guerlain, but also many others such as Bourgeois and Molinard, which are still perfume brands today... The list is long!
The arrival of these many talents can be explained in particular by a swarming of innovations: from the invention of the vaporiser to the appearance of new techniques of natural extraction (while more and more plants are cultivated in the sun of the South of France), while passing by the development of raw materials of synthesis which take part considerably in the widening of the field of the possibilities. At the same time, perfume became a myth in French literature: Proust and his famous madeleine anchored the mysterious and emotional force of perfume in our collective imagination; Baudelaire celebrated it in the Fleurs du Mal...
In the 20th century, French perfumery schools were established and became famous for the talent they nurtured. The Givaudan school, founded in 1946 by Jean Carles, the Institut Supérieur International du Parfum de la Cosmétique et de l'Aromatique alimentaire (ISIPCA) created in 1970 by Jean-Jacques Guerlain and, much more recently, the École Supérieur du Parfum (ESP) saw the birth of the world's greatest perfumers: Jean-Claude Ellena (Hermès), Thierry Wasseur (Guerlain), Jacques Polge (Chanel), Mathilde Laurent (Cartier), Francis Kurkdjian (Jean-Paul Gaultier) and Anne Flipo, who created Pleine Lune for Bastille.
If in the 21st century France is still the undisputed home of perfumery, it is thanks to its artistic and technical wealth: its talented perfumers, its cultivation of perfume plants in Provence, Grasse and its raw material distillation plants, and of course Paris, the capital of elegance.
How do I know if my perfume is made in France?
Now that you know all about the history of French perfume, let's focus on the tips you can use to avoid mistakes and buy genuine made in France products. Beware of blue washing!
First of all, you should know that marking the origin of a product is not mandatory in Europe (except for food and agricultural products, which are subject to stricter rules). However, it is up to the manufacturer to decide whether or not to affix the words "made in France", "produced in France", "of French origin", etc.
Beware, however, because although this label exists, it does not guarantee that your product is truly French. Indeed, it does not ensure that 100% of the product's manufacturing steps were carried out in France, but that at least a "significant part" of it was carried out in France. Thus, a perfume brand can claim to be French and therefore use the term "made in France" after having simply manufactured, for example, its cardboard box in France, even if all the other components come from China. This is the"non-preferential origin" rule.
So to help guide you, check out the brand's website: the more they tell you about their manufacturing process, the better. Labels can also give you an additional clue as to the origin of the products (for example, the Origine France Garantie label, round in shape on a tricolour band). These labels highlight the origin of the product and, above all, are subject to strict specifications, and their attribution is verified by an independent third-party organisation.
So, let's recap:
- A product can be labelled"made in France" without having been produced exclusively in France.
- The presence of a French flag, a blue, white and red hexagon or any other French symbol does not guarantee that the product was made in France. Do not confuse them with labels!
- Ask the manufacturers, seek the information yourself: if the brand shares its production process with you in full transparency, it's even better.
The example of contemporary French perfumery: Bastille
We are all increasingly aware of the traceability, transparency and environmental commitment of the products we buy. And that's why made in France is essential: in perfume, it's a guarantee of quality and a reduced environmental footprint. It's also our philosophy at Bastille, which is why we've chosen such a French name!
Bastilleis a different way of perfuming: original fragrances, 95% natural ingredients, total transparency (zero hidden ingredients, whereas the general rule is absolute secrecy), and responsible, artisanal manufacturing. We're made in France, and you can read Bastille like an open book! Here's exactly how we produce our products:
- Our raw materials are not all made in France: although we use magnificent French ingredients in our perfumes, it is impossible for us to grow Damask rose, Madagascar vanilla, Haitian vetiver in France... However, all our perfume concentrates are made in Grasse. The raw materials are distilled and assembled there to create our perfumes.
- The bottles: after searching the French market without finding what we were looking for, we chose to buy from an Italian glassmaker renowned for its quality and who allowed us to have a very light bottle, to minimise the environmental impact of its manufacture. A minimalist and light bottle = less glass to recycle!
- The decoration: our bottles are silk-screened by a craftsman from the Val-de-Marne.
- Filling: our perfumes are bottled in Chartres.
- Our packaging: made of recycled cardboard, they are all manufactured in a Parisian workshop.
If you are looking for confidential, transparent perfumes whose aspirations are the enhancement of French know-how and the search for excellent raw materials, you are in the right place. All you have to do is find your favourite:
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Photos: Inconnus | Nick Prideaux
Source: Fashion network, economie.gouv.fr
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