Fragrance Terms

Aquatic/Ozonic/Marine/Oceanic/Fresh


This fragrance category is another one in which the language of perfumery is somewhat muddled and confusing. Many writers combine all of these notes together into one family and call all of them by a single name such as 'Aquatic' or 'Marine' or 'Oceanic,' while others separate them into different groups. And still others divide this Aquatic lineage into several subgroups depending upon their dominant characters, such as Aquatic Aromatic, Aquatic Woody, Floral Oceanic-Aquatic, Aromatic Oceanic-Aquatic, and Woody Oceanic-Aquatic.

These fragrances generally provide a watery, fresh-citrusy, limpid sense with a subtle beginning and a feeling of lightness and what might be termed timidity. The tone frequently is characterized by a combination of 'watery fruit' (watermelon, cucumber, rhubarb) and gentle florals like water hyacinth, along with touches of citrus and mint or peppermint.

Because there is so much confusion and overlap regarding these categories of scent, I will try to discuss them in a way that approaches from specific different angles or viewpoints. Some of the same pefume fragrances appear in more than one area because of this, but I think the overall meanings will be clear.

Aquatic


A general description of aquatic fragrances is that they "take the feeling of that perfect beach day and put it in a bottle, capturing the essence of waves crashing on the shore," evoking a sense of a water environment, but not all of them salty. They are clean, light and crisp, helping you to feel cool on hot summer days. They have fragrance notes simulating aromas of seawater or freshwater, with a slight suggestion of mint.  Their aromas mix in a complex manner to provide a smell that is a 'balanced combination of lightness and heaviness.' Some aquatic fragrances can have tremendous sillage and longevity due to their marine-based accords. They generally do not follow the traditional pyramid structure and are much more linear in their life cycles.


Aquatic colognes first appeared on the market with the release of Davidoff Cool Water (1988) and Christian Dior Dune (1991), heralding a wave of new fragrances which used recent advances in synthetic technology to create scents distinguished by marine-like tones. They were created primarily to have androgynous properties, appealing to both sexes. This ability to mimic salty, oceanic smells was due to new chemicals such as calone 1951, discovered and synthesized by chemists at a division of Pfizer in 1951 and first marketed in 1966. Calone had a fresh, green, metallic smell, a scent of watermelon and sea spray, with notes of geranium and amber and a light touch of oyster. For the next 20 years, while people preferred perfumes with powerful and opulent notes, calone was just a marginal perfume ingredient, used mainly in trace amounts for floral accords. However, when its patent expired, other perfumers started working more creatively with it and other similar synthetics, and their use in fragrances exploded. In 1992, Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, wanting "a fragrance that smells like water," created l'Eau d'Issey, a marine fragrance which very quickly became a global success.


Other more recent aquatic-marine synthetics include helional, used in soaps and laundry detergents as well as perfumes; aquozone, a scent created by Firmenich and included as a top note in Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio Profundo, melonal from Givaudan (described as "green, sweet, oily, powerful, melon rind-like, with cucumber and floral nuances"), floralozone ("fresh, clean, aldehydic, with jasmine, reminiscent of ocean breezes"), algenone (with white flower, watery-soapy, and animalic facets), and transluzone (a calone derivative, somewhat less marine and more floral). Similar newer synthetics include cascalone (ozonic, aldehydic, more intense than calone), aldolone (also ozonic and aldehydic and easier to use because it balances easily), and azurone (stronger and more diffusive). Compounds quite similar to the original calone but with a much more intense odor include calone 124 (fruity and with no oyster note) and calone 219 (greener and metallic).

However, synthesis is not the only way that aquatic facets are added; some natural plants, such as lotus, blue cypress, sea fennel, algae, and oakmoss, provide marine-salty notes to compositions, and fruits are sometimes added to bring an additional aqueous touch.

With the popularity of aquatics in the 1990s, perfume houses saw an opportunity to dilute their fragrances with cheap alcohol and call them 'aquatic' variants to appeal to the prevailing taste of the time, while charging the same high prices. But in the first decade of the 21st century, their popularity was overtaken by the 'gourmands' and 'fruity florals,' and over the last 10 years of increased economic hard times they have definitely become less popular. Many of the aquatic fragrances have now been reformulated to decrease their 'marine freshness,' and some of them, such as Calvin Klein Escape, have lost it entirely.

Subgroups:

- Aquatic Aromatic scents, with fresh watery accords, are quite numerous.  Aromatic Oceanic-Aquatic fragrances are similar but have stronger tones of ocean seawater and beach, with nuances of drying seashells and sea grasses.


These groups include Abercrombie & Fitch Summer and Fierce Blue, Al-Rehab Orient, Avon Homem Acqua and Exploration, Azzaro Chrome Aqua and Aqua Frost, Brut Aquatonic and Oceans, Burberry Sport Ice for Men, Bvlgari Aqva pour Homme, Calvin Klein Eternity for Men Summer 2006 and 2016, Carolina Herrera Aqua, Cartier Declaration l'Eau, Davidoff Cool Water (and variations), Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Swimming in Lipari, Ermenegildo Zegna Z Fresh, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio (and variations), Givenchy Insense Ultramarine Wild Surf and Pi Neo Tropical Paradise, Hugo Boss Iced and Now, Joop! Homme Sport, L'Occitane en Provence Verdon and Bois Flotte, Lacoste L.12.12 Eau Fraiche and Live, Louis Cardin La Viola Homme and Screen, Nautica Aqua Rush and Blue, Pecksniff's Aquamarine, Penhaligon's Blasted Heath, Perry Ellis Aqua, Ralph Lauren Polo Deep Blue, Rasasi Hawas for Him, Tommy Bahama Maritime for Him and Set Sail Martinique, Truefitt & Hill Clubman, Williams Aqua Velva Ice Blue and Ice Sport, Yardley Legacy, Yves St. Laurent l'Homme Cologne Bleue, Zara 10.0 and Deep Blue Sea, and many others.

- Aquatic Woody compositions also are common. They include wood notes in addition to the aquatic ones and often are rich and exotic, with tints of sun-warmed wet, decaying woods. The related Woody Oceanic-Aquatic have additional accords of seawater and sometimes seaweed. Common notes in the latter group include lemon and bergamot, as well as amber, cedar, and sandalwood.


Those for men in these groups include Dunhill Desire Blue Ocean, Antonio Puig Agua Brava Sea Power,  Aramis Always for Him, Avon Aqua for Him, Azzaro Bright Visit and Chrome Sport, Bentley for Men Azure, Brut Revolution, Burberry Brit Splash for Men, Bvlgari Aqva Amara, Calvin Klein Eternity for Men Summer 2013, Carolina Herrera 212 Men Aqua, Cartier Declaration Bois Bleu, Davidoff Cool Water Wave, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense pour Homme, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio Absolu Instinct and Acqua di Gio Blue Edition, Guerlain l'Homme Ideal Sport, Hugo Boss Pure, Issey Miyake l'Eau d'Issey pour Homme, Jil Sander Sun Bath Men, Lalique Encre Noire Sport, Nautica Voyage, Paco Rabanne Invictus, Pino Silvestre Mediterraneo, Ralph Lauren Holiday Bear Edition Polo Blue, Rasasi Hope Men, Thierry Mugler Alien Man Mirage, Tommy Bahama Very Cool, Versace Man Eau Fraiche, Yves St. Laurent Kouros Energizing 2010 and Kouros Tattoo, and Zara Dark Crude.

- Floral Aquatic compositions have notes of aquatic flowers (such as water lily, pickerel weed, water hawthorn, and lotus) and herbs (watercress, pennywort, mint, water spinach) in addition to those of water. Floral Oceanic-Aquatic perfumes also have seawater tones.


Fragrances in these two groups are much more common in women's products, but the few for men include Ajmal Blu, Atelier Ulric Classic for Men, Nadia Z Japanese Spring, Ottaniqo Falconer Forest, Phytoderm Domini, Reminiscence Rem pour Homme, Roberto Capucci Nuance, Royal Hawaiian Kane Sport, and VFiles Homme.

Among the perfumes with an oceanic tone are some that could be termed 'cool oceanic,' a relatively new variety with a wider scheme that might include the scent of fresh linen or suggestions of clean, snowy mountains. Examples are the various Davidoff Cool Water editions, Narciso Rodriguez Essence, Creed Himalaya and Silver Mountain Water, and Abdul Samad Al Qurashi Oceanic Fresh.

Ozonic

Another group that is similar to Aquatics is the Ozonic fragrances. The word 'ozonic' is used to describe aroma chemicals that are meant to mimic the smell of clean fresh air, frequently described as the smell of the air right after a thunderstorm. They have light, somewhat elusive, marine but earthy notes suggesting recent rain or fresh morning dew. Usually they are included among the base notes of a composition, where they provide crispness and coolness that often simulates sea air. They typically are mixed with floral, fruity, or woodsy notes to accent, brighten, and lift them. Ozonic perfumes have gentle, alluring scents that are not overpowering even during warm times when the perfume evaporates easily. They are extremely versatile, appropriate for either casual or formal occasions.


There are three major components to the classic ozonic smell.


First is ozone chemical itself, an unstable molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. It is created when an electrical charge from lightning splits atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen molecules into separate atoms, some recombining into dinitrogen oxide or nitric oxide, which in turn reacts with other atmospheric chemicals to produce O3.


The second factor is petrichor, an earthy aroma produced when rain falls on dry soil. This smell comes from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, during which the oil is absorbed into clay-based soils and rocks. During rain striking the ground, this oil is released into the air with the petrichor odor. 


And finally, the third component is the musty aroma of geosmin, a metabolic by-product of bacteria or blue-green algae in damp earth. Together these three factors produce the distinctive overall ozonic scent.


The term ozonic is somewhat divisive, with some experts proposing that it is just the same general group as the Aquatic family and Oceanic group. Others distinguish among them, saying that Aquatic and Oceanic refer specifically to beach, watery, or 'wet flower' notes, reminiscent of a pond, lake, or sea (usually due to inclusion of a synthetic like calone, such as in Acqua di Gio and Bvlgari Aqva); while ozonic scents, on the other hand, are more airy, often with a piercing dry note that is like inhaling very cold air or oxygen (a quality of Lanvin Oxygen or Aqua Quorum). In addition, increasing numbers of people object to any use of the term 'ozonic' in perfumery since ozone itself, at high enough concentrations, is harmful to the respiratory tract and actually has nothing to do directly with fresh, clean air. In fact, the smell of the air after a thunderstorm has passed over a city has more to do with chemical reactions with air and ground pollution than with factors from the earth.

Masculine fragrances with significant Aquatic/Ozonic/Marine accords:
(with the predominant character in parentheses)

Abercrombie & Fitch First Instinct (watery/airy)
Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Fico di Amalfi (marine), Arancia di Capri (watery/airy)
Amouage Portrayl Man (ozonic)
Avon Maxx, Wild Country Musk, 015 London (ozonic)
Azzaro Chrome Intense (ozonic), Chrome United (watery/airy)
Bath & Bodny Works Ocean (ozonic)
Bentley Azure (ozonic), Silverlake (watery/airy), Momentum Unlimited (watery/airy)
Bvlgari Aqva Atlantiqve (marine), Aqva Marine (marine), Aqva Amara
By Kilian Roses on Ice (ozonic)
Calvin Klein Eternity Air (ozonic), One Summer 2019 (watery/airy), Eternity, Eternity Aqua
Caron Nuit Fraiche (ozonic)
Christian Dior Balade Sauvage (ozonic)
Creed Green Irish Tweed (ozonic), Virgin Island Water (marine), Millesime Imperial
Davidoff Cool Water Wave (marine), Cool Water
Diesel Fuel for Life He Summer (ozonic)
Dior Fahrenheit (ozonic)
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Sun (ozonic), Light Blue Intense (watery/airy)
Dunhill Pure (watery/airy)
Ermenegildo Zegna Uomo (ozonic)
Faberlic Favorite
Fendi Fan di Acqua
Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio Profondo, AdG, AdG Essenze, AdG Profumo
Hugo Boss Bottled United
Isssey Miyake l'Eau d'Issey Sport (watery/airy)
Jil Sander Sun Men Fizz (ozonic)
Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt (marine)
Lalique Hommage a l'Homme (ozonic)
Lanvin Eclat d'Arpege (watery/airy)
Michael Kors Extreme Sky (ozonic)
Narciso Rodriguez (ozonic)
Nautica Voyage
Paco Rabanne 1 Million Luck (ozonic), Invictus Aqua
Paul Smith Essential (ozonic)
Porsche Design Palladium (ozonic)
Ralph Lauren Polo Blue (watery/airy), Polo Sport
Rasasi Hawas (watery/airy)
Salvatore Ferragamo Uomo Urban Feel (ozonic), Acqua Essenziale
Tom Ford Oud Minerale
Tommy Bahama St. Barts
Versace pour Homme (watery/airy)
Yves St. Laurent l'Homme le Parfum (ozonic), l'Homme Libre (watery/airy)
Zara Aquatic Mind (marine), Night (marine), Unbreakable

These are just some of the most popular ones. In addition, there are a lot of unisex fragrances, too many to list.

Fresh

A closely related fragrance family - or simply a different approach to classification - which many incorporate into the Aquatic family, is the Fresh family. It is quite varied and somewhat poorly defined, ranging from fruity, green, aquatic, and citrus through aromatic. Unlike other categories, it is not based on a single defining characteristic but rather on its overall fresh, lively, invigorating quality. Many but not all of the accords in this family are found primarily in summer perfumes.


Types of notes:
- Fresh fruity notes often include those of peaches, pears, apples, guava, mango, pineapple, melon, and passion fruit, lusher than citrus notes. Their freshness is softened with a light, sensual touch of sweetness.


- Fresh green notes include green leaves (such as violet leaf), tea leaves, vines, and fresh cut grass. Clean and like a breath of fresh air through an open window, occasionally with a whisper of fruit, they evoke the sense of a cool, shaded spot. They are longer lasting than others in the Fresh family.


- Fresh aquatic notes include marine, calone, seaweed, and driftwood. The most refreshing of the groups, these are the ones most often also termed 'ozonic,' displaying synthetic ingredients identified and developed through headspace technology. The majority of these scents are created for men.
- Fresh citruses include lemon, neroli, mandarin, lime, bergamot, and grapefruit. With simple elegance and crispness ('like a perfectly-ironed white shirt in a bottle'), these are often used in unisex compositions. They tend to be short-lived on the skin, especially on warm days.


- Fresh aromatic notes include thyme, tarragon, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, and sage. Airy and outdoorsy, more masculine than feminine, these notes blend well with citruses.


Popular examples of fragrances that might be included in the Fresh group (some in other families, as well):
Acqua di Gio Profumo
Azzaro Chrome Legend
Bath & Body Works White Citrus
Burberry Weekend
Bvlgari Man in Black, Wood Neroli, Aqua Amara
Byredo Mister Marvelous
Calvin Klein Eternity Aqua, CK One
Chanel Bleu, Allure Sport Extreme
Christian Dior Sauvage
Creed Orange Spice, Aventus, Virgin Island Water
Diesel Only the Brave
Dolce & Gabbana The One Royal Night, Light Blue Intense
Dunhill Icon Absolute, Desire Black
Giorgio Armani Code Ice
Gucci Guilty
Hermes Terre d'Hermes
Hugo Boss The Scent Absolute, Hugo Element
Jimmy Choo Man
Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir
Kenneth Cole Mankind
Kenzo 'Eau pour HommeLanvin l'Homme
Lanvin l'Homme
Liz Claiborne Curve
Nautica Voyage
Nikos Sculpture pour Homme
Paco Rabanne 1 Million Intense
Prada Luna Rossa Sport, l'Homme
Puig Yacht Man Blue
Ralph Lauren Polo Red Extreme
S.T. Dupont pour Homme
Shisedo Zen
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Aqua
Versace Dylan Blue
Yves St. Laurent Y, l'Homme Ultime

Fragrance Vessels - Part 1

I started reading about scent bottles and found the topic to be quite interesting. Nearly all of the information available pertains to perfume bottles, but generally the evolution of the vessels for holding perfumes includes men's cologne bottles as well. I hope a few of you find this interesting, too.

Earliest Perfume Vessels

The earliest examples of perfume containers have been found in archeological digs in the Mideast, including those of Egypt and Mesopotamia. It appears that perfume compounds were used mainly in burials, both as a 'mask' for the smell of the deceased and to help preserve the body, subsequently becoming used also by the living. The Egyptians created vessels out of wood, alabaster, and clay to hold resins, fragrances, plant materials, and embalming ingredients, because the containers were water resistant. From around the 6th century BC, these often were formed in the shapes of animals such as ducks, cats, or rams, or gods and goddesses.


Subsequently, glass was invented and proved to be much easier with which to work. The date and location of glass discovery is debated: some records from Pliny claim that the Phoenicians inadvertently invented it by observing that shiny solid substances were created when silica combined with other chemicals under the extended heat of their beach campfires. Others contend that glass making began in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Syria). It is known definitely that the Egyptians began using glass around the time of the late Bronze Age (about 1500 BC). Initially, they just used it for protective glazes on clay and tiles and for making small objects such as beads. Eventually glass containers were made by core-forming, created by dipping a core of clay and animal dung into a small pot of molten glass, so that the glass fully encased the core. When the layer of molten glass was solid but still hot, trails of glass of contrasting colors were wound onto the vessel as decoration. After the glass cooled and hardened fully on the core, the core material could then be scraped out, leaving a hollow glass vessel. These containers worked relatively well at protecting the materials from light, temperature extremes, and oxidation, but they were labor intensive to create, so they were available only to the wealthiest.


Sometime later in this period the technology was improved to permit roping of threads of glass around poles and smoothing them out into what would then become small vessels.



Glass Blowing

During the first century BC, the technique of glass blowing was invented in the eastern Roman Empire (probably Syria), and small, personal-sized bottles blown into mold shapes became more common for use in carrying scents. Roman glassmakers also created luxury glass bottles using techniques such as cameo glass, which remained affordable only by the wealthy. Cameo glass was produced by fusion of layers of differently colored glass, which were then carved to make designs, usually with white opaque figures and motifs on a dark-colored background. This was an alternative to luxurious engraved gem vessels that used naturally layered semi-precious gemstones such as onyx and agate. During the 3rd century, the use of glass objects spread throughout the Mediterranean, and they became larger, used as holders for other liquids such as wines. At this same time, the use of clay vessels also continued.


The Greeks provided a particular flair for creative glasswork, sometimes using blowing techniques that are non-reproducible even today. Advancements in glasswork created greater competition for the markets, along with sharp decreases in the price of glass. In the 4th century, silver, gold, and cobalt were added to glass to produce rich, deep colors, while advances were made in material enhancement for greater strength, resilience, and clarity. 

Fragrance Vessels - Part 2

The Middle Ages and Islamic Glass

After the Western Roman Empire collapsed around 476, Europe entered the Middle Ages, characterized by the rise of Christianity and a sharp decline in the production of luxury glass, including perfume bottles. The art of perfumery and of glass perfume bottles was only kept alive during this period by the Middle Eastern Islamic world, with its flourishing international spice trade. Early Islamic bottles often were covered with indented, crimped and wavy coils, disks, and other types of applied decorations. Their designs included geometric patterns, depictions of plants and animals, and texts in Arabic script and arabesque (interweaving and scrolling of flowering plants). Islamic glass design reached its peak during the 13th and 14th centuries, but it experienced a decline after the invasion of Syria by the Mongols.



Pomanders

Worn from the mid-10th century was the pomander (from French pomme d'ambre, i.e. apple of amber), a small ball made for perfumes, such as ambergris, musk, or civet. The pomander was worn or carried in a vase, as a protection against infection or merely as a useful article to mask the bad smells of unwashed bodies. The term "pomander" can refer to the scented material itself or to the container holding such material. The globular pomander cases, at times just a cloth bag but more often made of perforated metal such as gold or silver, were hung from a neck-chain or belt or were attached to the girdle. Sometimes they contained several partitions, in each of which was placed a different perfume. Even smaller ones were attached by a chain to a finger ring and held in the hand, and the tiniest versions served as cape buttons or rosary beads.



The European Renaissance

The perfume bottle industry as a whole did not rebound until the Renaissance sparked its re-emergence. At this time, in the early 15th century, the center of glass innovation had moved to Venice, especially its island of Murano. There are tales that the secrets of Venetian glass were so precious that glass makers were kept as virtual prisoners in Murano to prevent spread of their knowledge. However, soon their technology spread, and the glass of Murano was followed by that of Bohemia and Medieval France (eventually known for spectacular cathedral windows). Initially during this period, perfume and related fragrant substances were still considered to be a part of hygiene, and perfumes were sold in plain bottles with cork stoppers very similar to those used for medicines, and often in wooden boxes exactly like those of medical and dental products. The perfumes were then decanted by the consumer into smaller decorative containers in the home.


To differentiate fragrances from medicaments and avoid confusion, manufacturers became more creative with paper labels, which soon featured not just information about the product and company, but also had fancy decorations. (An important later paper artist of the 18th century, Pierre Paul Prud'hon, designed labels for Lubin, Houbigant, and other perfumers, and his ornate style was later adopted by many other perfumers, including Guerlain.)

Fragrance Vessels - Part 3

16th-18th Centuries

During the 16th Century the elaborate bottle making originating in Venice spread further through Europe and the Middle East, and decorations became more creative.

Fragrance Vessels - Part 4

By the late 17th century, the central perfume and glass bottle industries had moved to France and had become essential parts of the economy. Catherine de Medici introduced a trend for little bottles in gold, silver, or semi-precious stones; and in the 18th century, with the increased high-society pursuit of seduction and pleasure, artists competed to create small imaginative boxes, caskets, and bottles to contain the essential sweet smells. Their popularity was linked to the century's love of miniatures in other aspects of art and fashion. At this time the pomander reached its peak of design, many being virtual works of art made from the most precious of materials and using very innovative designs. During this 'Age of Enlightenment,' the court of Louis XV was described by Voltaire and Rousseau as the 'Perfumed Court,' and various perfumes - all in different types of containers - were worn at different times of day there. During this time, many perfume companies had their names and logos molded onto the surface of their bottles, generally on the back, perhaps to make production of counterfeit products more difficult. In the 17th and 18th centuries, French and English glass makers also became influenced heavily by archeological finds in Egypt; and the Egyptian fascination with colors, especially black, was reflected in European goddess- and sarcophgus-styled perfume bottles. Rococo design, known for its asymmetry of ornamentation, usually including flowers, leaves, shells, and scrolls, also became popular.


By the mid-18th century, England in particular was known for producing unique glass perfume bottles decorated with gilding and enameling. Many European perfume bottles resembled the shape of wine bottles (and usually were made of clear glass covered in paper, which was carefully folded to cover even the base, probably to conceal the generally poor quality of the glass). However, some bottles of that time were made of either crystal or porcelain and were much more creative. These sometimes were iridescent blue or ruby red and decorated with precious metals and gems, and some of them were kept in small leather boxes known as 'caves.' The bottles frequently took on the themes of love, music, dance, comedy, flowers, and birds. Some vessels, especially in England, were decorated in the 'chinoiserie' style (a romantic, theatrical perception of life in the Far East), designed to imitate Chinese porcelain.

Fragrance Vessels - Part 5

As Europeans moved to North and South America, they found an abundance of sand of excellent quality for glass making, and the overall quality of glass began to improve. Glass production eventually became an important part of the economy of the U.S., particularly with the invention of the pressed mold (a new take on the Roman blown-mold concept) in the early 19th century, through which glass could easily be reproduced in many like-sized shapes and sizes. Soon entire forests were being depleted to keep glass manufacturers operating, which necessitated moves to new sites to meet the demand for timber.



[The Industrial Revolution[/i]

With the the Industrial Revolution, glass bottles became quickly and easily mass-produced using the new mechanical glass press. During this era, glass makers became intent on producing both affordable and unusual and unique glass and crystal vessels. The increased use of glass in perfume bottles led to evolution of crystal glass bottles with different flacon designs, resembling crystal whisky bottles. This new structure made the bottles look more elegant, and the thicker glass used in making the crystal cuttings improved the bottle stability. A cultural shift also occurred at this time: perfumes previously held in containers designed and created specifically for them by glass houses became part of the perfumers' whole process, and companies such as L.T. Piver began to make their own beautiful bottles, as well as packaging.

Fragrance Vessels - Part 6

Following the Industrial Revolution, different design trends emerged. Some perfumers brought new fragrances to market in distinct bottles that were part of the unique design and identity of the scent, while others streamlined their glass products to show a uniformity of creative vision, a sense of familiarity and comfort through repetition. Examples of this contrast in approach include the widely varying glass bottles of Guerlain versus the regimented proportions of Chanel and Serge Lutens bottles. Said one brand packaging designer, "There's something powerful and visually arresting to see a display of uniform bottles with clean graphics all lined up in a row." Part of this state of clean lines and simple elegance is based on economic forces: it is easier and more cost-effective to create a reusable bottle or box so that new items in a line can be added without the expense of creating a new container. And the Industrial Revolution's new technologies created for the first time an affluent middle class that was able to afford luxuries like perfume, once associated only with aristocracy.


In the late 19th century, with scent bottle popularity at an all-time high, there was a shift in how perfume was applied. For centuries fragrances had either been spread as incense smoke or applied to the body as a scented oils. With the advent of alcohol use as a solvent and carrier, it became possible to use the atomizer bub (invented in 1870) for creation of a mist that could be distributed as an even layer on the skin instead of  dabbed with the delicate glass applicator. 

Fragrance Vessels - Part 7

Beginning around 1890, perhaps partly in reaction to the mass production uniformity that followed the Industrial Revolution, artisans and glass factories began to produce elaborate cut or blown glass Art Nouveau perfume bottles with ornate caps, some of which had hinged silver stoppers and collars. Purse-sized conical bottles with very short necks and round stoppers were also made and often were decorated with gilt flower-and-leaf patterns. Some of these, including some from Tiffany's, were produced in cameo glass style in colors ranging from pink to purple or green, all encased in white. These Art Nouveau bottles were whimsical, floral, and delicate, with smooth curves. Adorned with gold lettering and brass caps, they often were corked with stoppers that acted as wand for application of the fragrance to one's wrists and neck, maintaining the old method. Said designer Robert Ricci at the time, "A perfume is a work of art, and the object that contains it must be a masterpiece." It was at this time that distinct schools of bottle design developed, some using vibrantly colored cut glass, others with porcelains, and some with very ornate crystals.




Early 20th Century

At the beginning of the 20th century, two famous crystal manufacturers began to craft exquisite fragrance bottles, René Lalique for Coty and Baccarat for Guerlain, meant to be displayed on a vanity table as a symbol of luxury. Lalique brought a jeweler's eye to this, even using a jewelry-casting process called 'cire perdue' (lost wax) for bottle making. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Lalique preferred a demi-crystal, without added lead, because it was easy to work and inexpensive and because it gave the bottles his trademark milky opalescence. He also made bottles for d'Orsay and Roger & Gallet, and later he made and sold empty vessels so that customers could transfer their own perfumes into his more elegant containers.
[Moser]

In 1907 the first spray bottles, called 'perfumizers,' appeared on the market. This change was significant in the evolution of the glass bottle because the previous bulb atomizer often took up a great deal of the size and visual profile of the perfume bottle. The new crimped spray top was compact and offered the chance for perfumers to use the cap as a new design element. Sometimes the caps were simply an extension of the bottle; at other times they were completely different and served as a 'finishing touch' to the perfume's presentation. At this point a new industry also arose, as manufacturers began to mass-produce decorative empty spray bottles.

Fragrance Vessels - Part 8

At the end of World War I, as soldiers brought back fragrances from overseas for their sweethearts and wives, perfume sales in the U.S. expanded, bringing about the growth of new fragrance companies and collaborations, with new bottle designs. This period saw a great variety of approaches to bottle design, boundless in their shapes and sizes, often whimsical or neoclassical in design. More fashion houses introduced their own perfumes with a total 'presentation' of bottle, label, name, and box; both the perfume presentation and the accompanying advertising were intended to sell an image rather than merely a fragrance. Design trends were strongly influenced by the lifestyle changes of the roaring twenties and the emergence of the newly 'liberated woman.'


During the 1920s and 1930s, glass perfume bottles also became inspired by the rising success and glamour of Hollywood and by the Art Deco movement, with the forms of natural, organic objects and then urban-inspired geometric shapes (such as zigzags, prisms, and hexagons, influenced by Cubism). Czech designers took this to extremes, creating sleek bottles with stoppers so large that the containers have the appearance of a showgirl wearing a top-heavy headdress. Although elaborate bottle designs remained the most popular throughout these decades, there was increasing popularity of simple rectangular vessels with a glass stopper and paper label, such as those of Coco Chanel, reflecting a growing trend of practicality and unadorned utility.


When the Great Depression hit, perfume sales dropped sharply and many manufacturers were forced to shut down, putting a temporary end to fanciful bottles. The intricate, handmade containers previously seen gave way for the most part to cheaper machine-made bottles. Some perfume houses 'cheated' around these inexpensive bottles by enclosing them in fancy outer packaging. One example is the Coty fragrances of the 1930s whose bottles were packed in boxes with glass-slipper high heels on them. However, one of the most unique fragrance collaborations did come about in 1935, when perfumer Jean Patou was commissioned to create a fragrance to mark the inaugural sailing of the Normandie cruise ship. Each guest on that initial cruise was presented with a bottle of perfume in the shape of the ship. During this interwar period, there were some fruitful collaborations, but they were the exception.

Fragrance Vessels - Part 9

Post-World War II

As World War II came to a close, there was once again a resurgence of perfume demand and of creative fragrance bottle design, yet still with a kind of uniformity. The war had ended the glass blowing industry, so perfumeries answered the demand by creating elaborately-shaped molds which allowed fanciful bottles to be mass-produced by machines. It became common to see the same bottle designs released from several different companies, who would personalize them with paint and enamel, as well as metal or plastic attachments. In 1946, couturier Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated with artist Salvador Dali to create a remarkable perfume bottle, Le Roy Soleil (The Sun King). Shaped like the sun, it was crafted by Baccarat with shapes of waves symbolizing the liberation of France from Nazi Germany. Dali also designed bottles for the fragrance company Marquay. Fashion designer Nina Ricci used a similar inspiration for his l'Air du Temps bottle designed by Lalique, featuring two intertwined doves that symbolized freedom and grace. Others artisans soon became involved, such as hat maker Rose Valois designing a set of miniature bottles for the perfume Marotte, each topped with a different tiny hat.


During the 1950s there was extensive use of colored glass, including pastels, but without much variety. In that decade, perfumes became increasingly affordable for the working classes, for whom cosmetic houses such as Avon and Max Factor produced fragrances. However, specially designed bottles produced as decorative objects continued to be produced by a few art-glass companies like Steuben and Baccarat and were sold in department stores.


In the 1960s, with a return to craftmanship and folk art, handcrafting bottle artisans and independent glass-blowing studios proliferated. Bottles were often inspired by fashions of the decade (angular shapes and bright colors).