The first recorded use of perfume was by the ancient Egyptians. Their religious rituals called for the use of incense and the application of scented balms and unguent or ointment.

Not until the New Kingdom 1580-1085 BC was perfume used in a secular way as perfumed creams and oils and cosmetics and as pre-sex massage oils.

From Egypt the use of perfume spread throughout the ancient world of the Greek and Roman Empires and to the Islamic world. The advent of Christianity saw the decline in the use of perfume as a vain decadence with immoral sexual undertones and it was in the Islamic world that the skill of perfume making was kept alive and continued to develop.

The Crusades in the 12^th and 13^th centuries saw the reintroduction of perfume to the Christian world brought back by the returning crusaders. Simple floral, herbal and fruit extracts were used to disguise the more unappealing aromas caused the universal distrust of bathing. Perfume was also thought ward off infections and an orange stuffed with cloves was often carried by the wealthy as a protection against the plague.

Perfume making, particularly in France, had developed and grown into a skilled industry by the seventeenth century and the Guild of Glove and Perfume makers was established.

The court of King Louise XV was named The Perfumed Court as it became all the rage to apply perfume to clothing, fans and furniture as well as to the skin. Baths were still an annual occasion in seventeenth century France, even for royalty, so perhaps this was a blessing for all.

The 18^th Century saw the creation of Eau de Cologne, a refreshing blend of rosemary, neroli, bergamot and lemon. It was the latest fashion and was used in every way imaginable, mixed with wine, eaten with a sugar lump or as a mouthwash, an enema, or a poultice. It was also added to bath water as by this time the wealthy were overcoming their distrust of washing and cleanliness was becoming the vogue.

The popularity of perfume coincided with the development of decorative glass and perfume was kept in beautiful faceted bottles as a fashion accessory.

The advent of the industrial era in the late 18^th century saw the craft of the perfume maker turned into a science. New fragrances and mass production were introduced with France still the major centre of production. This is the time when the famous names in the perfume industry began to emerge, Houbigant, Lubin, Roger & Gallet, Guerlain and Coty.

In 1921 Couturier Gabrielle Chanel launched her own brand of perfume called Chanel no 5, still probably the world’s most famous and popular fragrance.

The 1930s saw the arrival of the floral fragrances with Worth’s Je Reviens, Caron’s Fleurs de Rocaille and Jean Patou’s Joy. After World War 11 the major fashion houses such as Christain Dior, Jacques Faith, Nina Ricci and Pierre Balmain all rushed to develop and market their own brand.

The 1970s saw the arrival of the inexpensive mass market perfume with the creation of Revlon’s Charlie. Now there are many perfumes in all price ranges to suit everyone.