The scent legend: the most popular women's perfume in the world

What woman doesn't like fragrances? They can highlight your personality or even completely transform your style. Some perfumes can only be used in the evening and on going out - they are sweet and spicy, while others can be used during the day, and they will even suit a sporty look. But there are definitely such perfumes that have already become not just a classic, but a real legend. We offer you the top 5 most popular perfumes, probably of all times and peoples!

"Chanel No. 5" by Chanel - the most famous in the world

Indeed, who does not know the name of this iconic perfume ?! Coco herself invented them as much as 90 years ago, with the help of a perfumer who had previously worked for the royal court in Russia. Chanel ordered "the most feminine perfume in the world" from him, which would not smell like a single flower and would not imitate nature, but would be "quite artificial, but complex and mysterious."

Ernest Bo presented as many as 10 compositions to Coco's court - they were similar, but still different. He did not give them names, even the initial ones, "workers", but simply numbered them. The name of the chosen one was to be given by the customer herself. And Coco chose the fifth song. And yes, I also decided not to complicate my life and not come up with a name, but just leave the number. This is how the legendary "Chanel No. 5" appeared.



What is contained in the original bottle in the form of a simple parallelepiped, which was originally invented and is used to this day? The floral scent of iris and violet, as well as jasmine and lily of the valley is quite harmoniously combined with ylang-ylang and bergamot, vanilla, musk and patchouli. Such a complex composition, consisting of many elements, not two or three, was hardly used for the first time in the history of perfumery.



Interesting fact:
The unchanging bottle of "Chanel No. 5" is captured not only in photos, videos and films, but also in the sketches of the legendary Andy Warhol. And in the advertising of these women's perfumes, who just did not act: starting from Coco Chanel herself and Catherine Deneuve and ending with Nicole Kidman, and even a man - Brad Pitt!

Opium by Yves Saint Laurent - the most persistent

Someone thinks they are quite heavy and harsh, but “Opium” by Yves Saint Laurent can either be loved or not loved, but certainly not ignored. And first of all, really for their endurance. Why? Firstly, thanks to a well-chosen deep and bright composition with an abundance of spices (musk, amber, vanilla and cinnamon, black pepper and bay leaf, and even incense!), Flowers (rose and carnation, jasmine and lily of the valley) and fruits (plum and peach, orange and tangerine).

And secondly, Opium had the highest concentration of alcohol among all known perfumes, and it was thanks to her that the sillage from the aroma remained for a long time, even up to several days. Initially, this fragrance was positioned as "a perfume designed to break the rules." Released in 1977, it has become a symbol of oriental beauty, astringency, sweetness and sexuality.



Since then, more than 44 Opium flankers have been produced - updated versions of the fragrance. The latest hit can be considered "Black Opium" - the perfume is "younger" and fashionable, sparkling with notes of lemon, pear and white flowers, but the same sweet, juicy and oriental "Black Opium" from Yves Saint Laurent. The original shape of the bottle was rather laconic, and since 2009 it has been practically unchanged, with the exception of the coating: transparent glass is replaced with red varnish or shining black glitter.

"Shalimar" by Guerlain - the most popular in the last century

By its "age" Guerlain Shalimar did not overtake "Chanel number five" - ​​this perfume was created in the same year 1921. But the general public was presented only a few years later, when the composition was brought to perfection. Rather, he brought it.After all, if now different perfumers create for the Guerlain fashion house, then the creation of Shalimar was the handiwork of Jacques Guerlain himself, the legendary founder of the brand.

He was inspired by the story of the legendary Taj Mahal, which the sultan built for his beloved wife. From Sanskrit "Shalimar" is translated as "temple of love". But Jacques Guerlain did not want to make his perfumes look like many others, because in the 1920s Paris was covered with a real "fever" of oriental scents.



That is why the main note in "Shalimar" is sandalwood - a traditional oriental note, but they also include juicy fruits (tangerine, lemon), spices (patchouli, vetiver, tonka beans) and flowers (jasmine, rose, iris). At one time, these perfumes even surpassed Chanel No. 5 in terms of sales. They are popular today, although many consider them quite heavy and sweet. In general, we can say that these perfumes are evening, not daytime, real oriental, aimed at sophisticated connoisseurs.

"L'Air du Temps" by Nina Ricci - the best selling

“Really good perfumes are those that perfectly match the time of their creation, his mood and his soul” - this is how perfumer Stefan Jellinek writes about famous fragrances in his book “Perfume - a dream in a bottle”. And if not the same can be said about "L'Air du Temps" by Nina Ricci, then it is better to be silent at all. They were created in 1948, when the whole world was just beginning to recover from a long war.

Nina Ricci's son Robert, who was more into the perfume line of the family business, rather than the catwalk, set a really difficult task for the perfumer Francis Fabron. The scent needed to embody the spirit of the times: calmness and tranquility, the joy of the world and confidence in the future.

And I must say, the perfumer succeeded in full! Delicate blooming jasmine, violet and rose, warm sandalwood and cedar create a unique composition of these perfumes, giving a feeling of confidence, harmony, peace and well-being. This is precisely the secret of the marketability of the perfume "L'Air du Temps" from Nina Ricci.



The final chord: the beautiful bottle is topped with a cap in the shape of peace doves. That is why these perfumes were literally snatched from the shops: everyone wanted a new life with the hope of a cloudless future that would not be darkened by war. In addition, the perfume was quite modern, and this is confirmed today: "L'Air du Temps" are sold with quite great success to this day. The exact formula of the fragrance has been kept secret by the creators for over 60 years.

"Poison" by Christian Dior - the sexiest

And this is not an exaggeration - they are indeed considered very sexy, seductive and arousing in the opinion of both men and women according to statistical surveys. It seems that "Poison" is a very "young" perfume, but they were created already in 1985, and since then they really have not lost their popularity. The name "Poison", which is translated from English as "poison", was given to the fragrance in honor of the famous French poet Paul Valery. He once said that "perfume is a real poison for the heart."

Christian Dior perfumer Edouard Fleshet tried to create something not quite ordinary, going beyond the fashionable and popular in the 80s fragrances. This was dictated by the fact that the fashion house Dior needed a "second wind" in terms of perfumery, because the brand's fragrances have remained practically unchanged since the late 40s. And they succeeded 100%: the aroma was not only surprising, but simply “unsettling”. In one of the US states at the time, women who had perfumed "Poison" were prohibited from appearing in public.



Isn't it surprising that many modern oriental and sweet compositions are lost next to this scent? The real magic potion itself consists of exotic equatorial flowers and sweet fruits (raspberries and black currants). The perfume is very persistent, perfectly adheres to the body, but it reveals itself on each woman in its own way, showing more strongly one note of aroma, then another. It is recommended to use it as an evening one, but the most daring can use it during the day.

Author Tatiana Maltseva