Guerlain

History

The House was founded in France the year of 1828, with a small perfume storefront managed and owned by Pierre-Facois Pascal Guerlain. The successes of his custom creations quickly grew and were requested by some of the highest members of French culture, including royalty. As the company grew and expanded, the role of perfume master always remained within the tradition of the Guerlain family.

Unlike most of the rest of the designer fragrances that were actually an addition to a line of fashion apparel, the House of Guerlain is one of the few fragrance houses that began solely as a manufacturer of perfume. Over the years they have released more than 600 individual scents including several masterpieces. Examples of some of the most renowned classics are:

• Jicky in 1889 – A completely revolutionary perfume for its time, it was the first to use modern synthetic components.
• Shalimar in 1925 – Named after a beautiful garden, this flagship perfume was one of the first to use large amounts of vanillin. It offers the nose a delicately deep and velvety scent.
• Ode in 1955 – Recently reissued in 2005 as part of the celebration around the renovated flagship store in France.

House of Guerlain Today

In 1994, the family organization was acquired by the Moet Hennessy - Louis Vuitton Group, commonly referred to as LVMH. A French holding company, LVMH owns predominately luxury goods. Their child companies, like the House of Guerlain, are allowed to run relatively independently.

The House has also enhanced its product line to include makeup and skincare in addition to their historical fragrances. The current perfume master is a fourth generation family member, Jean-Paul Guerlain. Some of his most significant past accomplishments in fragrances have been:

• Habit Rouge in 1965
• Samsara in 1989
• Coriolan in the 1990s

Since the acquisition by LVMH, more outside perfumers have been brought into the company and there is talk that the tradition of the master perfumer being a member of the family may actually die with Jean-Paul’s pending retirement.

Currently headquartered in France, the House of Guerlain has made a strong statement worldwide. Due to their significant presence and an effective network of French stores, the original company still passionately controls the brand and product. They have shown the way to walk the fine line between the richness of tradition balanced with the ability toward innovation.

Products

Due to the strong roots in fragrance, perfume still dominates the product line. They have more recently released both makeup and skincare, providing the customer with the same time-honored stamp of quality expected from the brand.

Perfumes

The essence of Guerlain breathes quality and this is not lost in any step of their fragrance production. Perfumes are manufactured with the highest quality of raw materials and babysat every step of the way by their masters. Similar to the design of a fine wine or meal, the perfumer carefully selects and smells each ingredient. Vanilla and amber are common notes within the perfume selection, labeling their scents a sweeter style fragrance. In addition to the superiority appeal of the fragrance, the packaging is designed with the same level of class. The perfume bottles from the House of Guerlain are timeless works of art.

Makeup

The makeup line was launched in 1987 with their first ingenious product, Meteorites. Still available for sale today, these multicolored little pearls of powder provide a unique blend of colors to create a perfect complexion. Each pearl is a small ball of powder, which generates the effect of a loose powder, but is actually not loose at all.

In their current assortment, you can also find a standard display of quality makeup products for the face, eyes, lips and nails. Their existing summer line is referred to as Terracotta, with the cosmetic basics known as Divinora. They even provide a product specifically designed for men – bronzing powder.

Where to Buy

The House of Guerlain still favors the boutique style of distribution. Their retail outlets provide the ultimate hands-on experience to enable the shopper to truly test the delights their products have to offer. Luckily, you don’t have to visit France to find a sampling of these boutiques – as they are scattered around the globe hidden in the upscale department stores or along the most prestigious streets. To find the location closest to you or for more product information visit their website:

• Guerlain.com

If you prefer to buy it online, check out these retailers:

• NeimanMarcus.com
• StrawberryNet.com
• Sephora