Mouchoir de Monsieur

This tradition originally came to us from the Orient where, in harems, the Sultan would let a square of veil fall before the woman he had chosen! What is more, women also took the opportunity to soak their handkerchief in perfume, as if to reveal their most sensual side at the same time. Yet Guerlain took the opposite approach to this trend and created a perfume named Le Mouchoir de Monsieur. It is among the oldest fragrances of our contemporary history and was born in 1904.

Le Mouchoir de Monsieur, a journey through time

Through this ancestral perfume, Guerlain offers us a kind of historical testimony. Indeed, until the early twentieth century, perfume was inseparable from beauty rituals, and no man worthy of the name considered going out without being accompanied by his favorite scent. However, perfume was not yet worn directly on the skin. It was customary to sprinkle it on the linings of one's clothes or gloves. In tribute to the traditions of that era, Jacques Guerlain decided, in 1904, to craft a pair of fragrances for a couple of his friends who were getting married that same year. These two perfumes were named Mouchoir de Monsieur and Voilette de Madame. What is more, Jacques Guerlain showed remarkable boldness. Indeed, men of that time generally wore fragrance mainly in the form of Eau de Cologne. Yet Mouchoir de Monsieur is in fact an Extrait de Parfum. It is far more elaborate than the usual fragrances of its time and, above all, displays much greater tenacity. In this sense, many perfumery specialists consider Mouchoir de Monsieur to be the first masculine perfume in the history of modern perfumery.

Guerlain's innovative perfume

Of course, Le Mouchoir de Monsieur is not diametrically opposed to the other perfumes of its time either. Thus, it opens on something reminiscent of a Cologne. At first it displays an invigorating freshness built on bergamot and neroli. However, an unexpected ingredient immediately gives this perfume more depth. Absinthe enters the scene and creates a striking contrast by immediately pairing with the aromatic facet of lavender, one of the most emblematic ingredients in masculine perfumery. At this point, jasmine and rose assert the sophisticated and elegant character of men in the early twentieth century. Cinnamon, for its part, adds spice to the whole. The warmth of this ingredient is then balanced by the powdery, noble character of iris. This refined plant is paired with a resolutely masculine patchouli as well as oakmoss and amber. Finally, the whole is wrapped in the more sensual warmth of vanilla and tonka bean.