The Guerlain Perfume House Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1828, Paris

A genuine Chic Parisien, the House of Guerlain was founded in 1828 by Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain. The first store was located in 42, rue de Rivoli, Paris. The Guerlain family owned the House until 1994 when it was sold to the LMVH group, the French luxury goods giant. As of 2008, Jean-Paul Guerlain, a fourth generation perfumer of the family, is still active as an adviser.

Answer: All of these

It is said that at a certain stage Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain produced custom-made fragrances for half of Europe's royal houses. The first recorded one is "Eau de Cologne Imperiale" (1853) concocted for empress Eugenie of France, the spouse of Napoleon III. By the way, it is still part of the Guerlain range.

Answer: Jicky

Aimé Guerlain, Pierre-François Pascal's son, inherited him as chief perfumer of the House. Jicky (1889), a hallmark fragrance to date, is considered by many as the first oriental fragrance. It was designed as a homage to his unfulfilled love to an Englishwoman whom he was forced to leave upon returning to France. Although it was always tagged a women's fragrance, it is also widely worn by men. To stress this fact, there is a claim that the name Jicky is not the lost lover's name, but rather a nickname given by Aimé to his nephew Jacques.

Answer: Shalimar

Shalimar (1925) was created by Jacques Guerlain (Aimé's nephew). As its name suggests it is an oriental fragrance. In the Guerlain website it is described as a voluptuous, sensual and bewitching perfume (quote: "wearing Shalimar means surrendering control to the senses").

Ode (1955) was the last creation by Jacques Guerlain.
Habit Rouge (1965) by Jean-Paul Guerlain is, allow me to confess, my favourite men's perfume.
Samsara (1989), also by Jean-Paul Guerlain, is an oriental perfume launched a century after Jicky, the forefather of oriental fragrances.

Answer: True

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is best known for "The Little Prince". "Vol de Nuit" (1931, "Night Flight" in English), an autobiographic record of his days with the French airmail service in South America, is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Accordingly, the Guerlain website describes the perfume as "rare, daring and enigmatic".

Answer: Guerlinade

In the world of fragrance, "Guerlinade" refers to that which makes Guerlain perfumes unique as they truly are. Some even say that the "Guerlinade" is not a general atmospheric attribute but an actual chemical X-factor common to all of the house's products.

Answer: Obsession

Mitsouko (1919), Vetiver (1956) and Insolence (2006) are three more Guerlain classics. Obsession (1985) is by Calvin Klein.

Answer: Haute couture fashion

Unlike many perfume houses which expanded into fashion (and some which went vice versa), Guerlain chose not to wander astray from their authentic expertise. This was a strategic decision which contributed to its positioning as a world leader in perfumery.

Answer: Aqua Allegoria

The Aqua Allegoria line includes scents from all parts of the "fragrance wheel" - floral (e.g. lilac, iris), oriental (e.g. vanilla, ylang ylang), woody (e.g. patchouli, vetiver) and fresh (e.g. herbs, citrus).

Answer: Around 700

According to the LMVH website the number is 760 and according to the Guerlain website it is 626. This implies a remarkable average of about four fragrances per year over the house's 180 years of history.