Napoleon and Josephine's Favorite Perfumes

A portrait of Josephine

After his return from exile in Elba, Napoleon resumed his large orders of his favorite Eau de Cologne and for white Windsor soap. He seems to have preferred the scent of rosemary as it was in his cologne, and in his soap, which also contained otto of caraway, thyme, and clove – all plants which grew in the south of France or French-possessed countries.

He also bought almond cream, presumably for his wife Josephine. Josephine was born the daughter of a creole merchant from New Orleans, where, at the time, fragrant oils and creams of coconut and almond were used. In 1810, Napoleon and Josephine’s marriage was declared null and void and she lived in Malmaison, where she died four years later. During her lifetime, she was known to love the scent of violets and Napoleon had her grave covered with them, and even wore a locket of the flowers around his own neck.

When she was alive, Josephine followed the fashion of keeping scented flowers in her rooms. She loved hyacinths and mignonettes, and kept them in pots, to fill the room with fragrance. During one of his campaigns, Napoleon sent her some mignonette seeds from Egypt, and the plants were grown in the nursery gardens around Paris, to make posies for evening wear and for their scent to waft into the streets to cover the offensive odors of the time.

Source: Genders, Roy. Perfume Through the Ages: Scent – What It Is, How It Works, Its Effect on Man and Animals - Including the Science of Perfumery. New York, 1972. Pp. 134 - 135.

Black Patches and Eyebrows Under Charles II

Under Charles II in 17^th century England, ladies wore black patches of varying sizes and shapes to add beauty to their features and disguise ugly blemishes. Spots, stars, moons, suns, and other shapes were applied to pure white skin. Pepys in his Diary, recalls the Duchess of Newcastle “wearing many black patches because of pimples about her mouth.” Butler, in his Hudibras, writes:

“The sun and moon, by her bright eyes

Eclipsed and darken’d in the skies,

Are but black patches that she wears,

Cut into suns, and moons, and stars.”

In one drawing of the time (see above), a lady wore a patch in the shape of a horse and carriage on her forehead! Grammont, in his memoirs, writes that patches became so popular that one would always find them, along with rouge, on a lady’s toilet.

It was also the fashion for men and women of the time to blacken their eyebrows. Shadwell, in his “Humourists”, writes:

“Be sure if your eyebrows are not black, to black ‘em soundly. Ah! Your black eyebrow is your fashionable eyebrow. I hate rogues that wear eyebrows that are out of fashion.”

Rimmel, Eugene. The Book of Perfumes. London, 1867. pp 207 - 208.

Jean’s Heirloom Hand Cream

Jean came in some time ago, bringing with her a handwritten recipe of hand cream that had been in her family. She wanted a modern recipe of what had been in her family for so long. I made scans of the recipe and immediately got to work. (Unfortunately, my desk monster ate her recipe.) One of the difficulties I faced was that the recipe used both volume and weight. I decided to weigh the materials that were measured in volume so the hand cream would be consistent every time Jean made it. I really like this heirloom cold cream. It is very soft, smooth and hydrating. Between summer activities and playing with Sadie, my hands are rough, scratched, scabbed and calloused. If I could I’d bring back the fashion of wearing gloves. My hands are a disaster. This Heirloom Hand Cream not only helps my hands retain their moisture but my hands are soft, smooth and velvety! My skin is dewy and it feels as though my skin has been rejuvenated. No oily skin here! I may not be able to compete with my Grandmother for the softest skin but with this cream on my side, I am a very far cry from having the worst. Come join me for this delightful cream that is sure to become an heirloom recipe in your family for generations!

I really enjoyed how simple this cream was to make. It was a breeze. I am super impressed with the cream as well. A nightly regime of this on my hands and you might not be able to tell that I am a working girl! I lightly scented this cream with lavender. It is polite and gentle. Due to the fact it is so light in scent, this cream does not smell medicinal. It remind me of going through a box of my grandmother’s hats and handkerchiefs with a small sachet of lavender tucked among the many treasures. A gentle perfume helping tell the history of these grand articles. I think this cream could be paired beautifully with lilac or any other gentle floral odor.

Recipe in Ounces
20 oz Glycerin
6.575 oz Stearic Acid
24 oz Water
2.528 oz Emulsifying Wax
.53 oz Optiphen
.25 oz Lavender 40/42
Q.S. Premixed Color

Recipe in Grams
567 grams Glycerin
186 grams Stearic Acid
680 grams Water
71 grams Emulsifying Wax
15 grams Optiphen
7 grams Lavender 40/42
Q.S. Premixed Color

Recipe in Percentages
37% Glycerin
12% Stearic Acid
44.5% Water
5% Emulsifying Wax
1% Optiphen
.5% Lavender 40/42
Q.S. Premixed Color

Weigh everything except Optiphen, Lavender 40/42 and premixed color into a microwave safe container. Heat gently until everything is liquid. Using an immersion blender mix everything well. Allow the solution to cool below 120° F before adding the Optiphen, Lavender 40/42 and premixed color. Mix well. Pour into jars. Cap and enjoy!

Source: Howard, Taylor. "Jean's Heirloom Recipe." 2011. JPG file

The History of Razors

Prehistoric cave paintings and engravings suggest that as far back as 30,000 years ago, people were using razors made of sharp flint blades. These would have to be disposable, as the blade would blunt with use. Similar razors made of volcanic glass obsidian were still being used by the Aztecs as late as 1500 AD and in Africa as late as 1900 AD.

With the invention of metalworking, permanent razors were made out of copper as early as 3,000 BC in Egypt and India. Ancient Egyptians generally saw facial hair as a sign of personal neglect and men would shave – unless the trend at the time called for neatly groomed mustaches or goatees. Wealthy Egyptians would keep a barber on staff, but some barbers “sacrificed” themselves to serve the poor.

In Ancient Mesopotamia, barbers belonged to a guild and would line a particular street with their shops. Male clients were shaved with a razor and pumice stone, then their cheeks were rubbed with perfumed oils.

In Scandinavia, from 1500 BC onwards, razors took on elaborate shapes and designs. One such razor, found at a burial site, was made of bronze and was enclosed in a leather case. It had a horsehead-shaped handle and its blade was engraved with mythological scenes. It was buried with the dead, presumably, to meet his needs in the afterlife.

According to Julius Caesar, the Britons, who favored a large mustache, “shave[d] every part of their body except their head and upper lip.”

Source: James, Peter and Thorpe, Nick. Ancient Inventions. New York and London, 1995. P. 263-264.

Simple 19th Century Citrus-Rosemary Perfume

Take of

Oil of bergamot… 1 fluid drachm

Oil of orange… 1 fluid drachm

Oil of rosemary… 1 fluid drachm

Neroli (or petitgrain)… ½ fluid drachm

Rectified spirit… 1 pint

Mix. Very excellent

For reference, 1 fluid drachm is approximately 0.125 fluid ounces. "Rectified spirit" refers to perfumer's alcohol. I have not personally tried this perfume, but the blend of citrus fruits and flower in addition to the rosemary sound as though it would be fresh and uplifting. Please let me know if and when you try it!

Source: Cooley, Arnold James. The Toilet and Cosmetic Arts in Ancient and Modern Times. London, 1866.

Skin Lightening in the Age of the Stuarts

A portrait of Queen Anne

When England was ruled by the Stuarts during the 17^th century, Gervase Markham developed a skin lotion, which was famous at the time and sold commercially throughout England. It was distilled from rosemary, featherfew, fennel, violets, and nettle leaves, then diluted with milk and applied to the face. It was introduced during a time when white lead and lime were being applied to the skin, permanently disfiguring faces, and this was a natural alternative for skin lightening.

Another alternative to skin whitening with lead was to make a concoction of white mercury, lemon juice, powdered white egg shells, and white wine. This caused a burning sensation of the face, but was nevertheless used by ladies who sought pure white facial skin.

“Ceruse” was used during special occasions to cover blemishes – it consisted of white lead mixed with the white of an egg. The cheeks were tinted red with Spanish wool and black beauty spots were applied. During Queen Anne’s time (1665 – 1714), a beauty spot on the right side of the face meant that you were a Tory supporter, while a lady who wore one on the left side of the face showed favor for the Whig party.

Source: Genders, Roy. Perfume Through the Ages: Scent – What It Is, How It Works, Its Effect on Man and Animals - Including the Science of Perfumery. New York, 1972. P. 161 - 162.

The Use of Perfumery in Greek Religious Ceremonies

Alexander the Great’s tutor objected to the excessive and wasteful use of incense in the sacrifices that Alexander ordered. He said:

“It would be time for him, so to worship when he had conquered the countries that produced the frankincense.”

So basically: conquer the countries that make the incense instead of importing them, so that they're cheaper. Alexander must have remembered his tutor’s words, because when he had taken possession of Arabia, he sent a shipment of frankincense and myrrh to his old teacher.

Incense and perfumery were almost always used in ancient Greek sacrificial ceremonies. When the Greeks sought the guidance of the Gods or wanted their luck in an undertaking, they sacrificed the animal associated with that particular God or Goddess. For example:

Zeus (Greek) / Jupiter (Roman) – an ox

Hecate – a dog

Aphrodite / Venus – a dove

Poseidon / Neptune – a fish

Demeter / Ceres – a sow

The animal victim was laid on a bed of fragrant flowers and herbs, and garlands of flowers were placed around its neck while frankincense was burned. Libations of wine were poured out of flat vessels and fragrant, edible plants were consumed by those present.

Hesiod described the scene:

“Let the rich fumes of od’rous incense fly,

A grateful savour to the powers on high;

The due libation nor neglect to pay,

When evening closes or dawns the day.”

In more ordinary sacrifices, incense was still burned, filling the air with its scent.

Sources:

Piesse, George William Septimus. The Art of Perfumery and the Methods of Obtaining the Odours of Plants. London, 1862. pp. 4.

Rimmel, Eugene. The Book of Perfumes. London, 1867. pp. 78.