Recipes for Distilled & Colored Waters, from 1868
Historical recipes for obtaining scented and colored waters from Orange Flower, Cherry Laurel, Bitter Almond and more.
Scentscapes, Smelling History & More
Learning & Culture
Theophrastus "Concerning Odours" from Enquiry into Plants
Often considered the 'father of botany', Turtamos was given his nickname, 'Theophrastos', by his teacher Aristotle, which meant "divine style of expression". 'Concerning Odours' was Theophrastus treatise on the fragrance of...
Perfume Recipe for 'German Sweet-Scented Water', from 1772
Excerpt from The Toilet of Flora by Pierre-Joseph Buc'hoz, 1772 "Begin with infusing for eight days in two quarts of Vinegar, two handfuls of Lavender Flowers, as many Provence Roses picked from...
Hungary Water with Recipes
Hungary water, sometimes called "the Queen of Hungary's Water", Eau de la Reine de Hongary or "spirits of rosemary”, was one of the first alcohol-based perfumes in Europe. Its exact...
Perfume Recipes for Honeysuckle, Narcissus, Ambergris and more, from 1868
Excerpt from A Practical Guide for the Perfumer by Professor H. Dussauce 1868 "Volkameria. - An exquisite perfume is sold under this name, supposed to be derived from the volkameria inermis - a...
Perfume Recipes for Myrtle, Sweet-brier, Cedar Oil & Verbena, from 1868
Excerpt from A Practical Guide for the Perfumer by Professor H. Dussauce 1868 "Oil of Myrtle. - A very fragrant oil may be obtained by distilling the leaves of the common myrtle. The...
Perfume Recipes for Violet, Heliotrope, Jonquil, Lilac, Lily & Magnolia, from 1868
Excerpt from A Practical Guide for the Perfumer by Professor H. Dussauce 1868 "Violet Oil is obtained from the viola odorata. It is a fugacious oil. For commercial purposes, the odor of violets...
Perfume Recipes for Lavender & Rosemary, from 1868
Excerpt from A Practical Guide for the Perfumer by Professor H. Dussauce 1868 "Oil of Lavender. - Lavender is grown to an enormous extent at Mitcham, in Surrey, England, and at Hitchin,...
Perfume Recipes for Orange Flower, Orange & Lemon, 1868
Oil of Orange Flower. - Two distinct odors can be obtained from the orange blossom, varying according to the methods of extraction. When orange flowers are treated by maceration, the...
Perfume Recipes for Roses, from 1868
There are six modifications of essence of rose for the handkerchief. They are - the spirit of treble rose, essence of white rose, essence of tea rose, essence of moss rose,...
Perfumed Hair Oils for Men, 'Macassar Oil', from 1868
One of these hair oils was 'Macassar Oil', a compounded oil popularised by celebrated London barber, Alexander Rowland. In 1793, it became one of the first nationally advertised products, boasting extravagant claims...
How To Make Rose-Water, from 1772
Excerpt from The Toilet of Flora by Pierre-Joseph Buc'hoz, 1772 'To make Rose-Water To make an excellent Rose-water, let the Flowers be gathered two or three hours after sun-rising in very fine...
Perfume Recipes for Verbena, from 1857
Excerpt I from The Art of Perfumery, and the Methods of Obtaining the Odours of Plants by G.W. Septimus Piesse, 1857
Hair Styling in the 1800s with 'Bandoline'
Bandoline was a kind of hair fixer very popular in Western Europe during the 19th century. Contemporaneously they were referred to as "fixatures" along with other products like wax pomatum....
How to Make Incense 'Pastils', from 1772
Pastils (or Pastilles) are a form of granulated or powdered incense material that is mixed with a sticky binder like as dried fruit, honey, or a soft resin, that is then formed...