Vague Souvenir c1912

Vague Souvenir was launched by Guerlain in 1912, a time of social, artistic, and cultural transformation in early 20th-century France. The name, French for “Faint Remembrance” (pronounced "vahg soo-veh-neer"), evokes subtle nostalgia, memory, and the delicate power of scent to transport one back to a fleeting moment. Guerlain may have drawn inspiration from Léo Delibes’ song “Vague Souvenir” from his 1881 opera Lakmé, in which the stanza goes: “What vague souvenir brings down my thoughts.” The opera tells the story of Lakmé, a young Indian priestess, and her tragic love for a British officer in colonial India—a tale of forbidden romance, tenderness, and ephemeral beauty. The perfume’s name and its literary-musical reference evoke the emotional resonance of a fleeting memory: the faint trace of a woman’s perfume on a man’s clothing, a whisper of intimacy, or the delicate imprint of a past encounter.

Created by Jacques Guerlain, Vague Souvenir is classified as a fruity floral tobacco fragrance for women, a bold and evocative combination for its time. The inclusion of tobacco was particularly daring: the early 1910s saw the beginnings of changing social norms around women and smoking, influenced by the suffrage movement and broader cultural shifts toward independence and self-expression. Tobacco in a perfume suggested warmth, sophistication, and subtle sensuality, offering women a fragrance that hinted at confidence and a nuanced, modern femininity while maintaining elegance. The fruity and floral notes provided softness and charm, balancing the deeper, more assertive tobacco, creating a scent that was simultaneously alluring and intimate.

The perfume was launched during the Belle Époque, an era renowned for artistic innovation, opulence, and refinement. Fashion favored intricate gowns, lace, and delicate accessories, while societal trends increasingly embraced leisure, cultural pursuits, and refinement of taste. In perfumery, there was a growing fascination with complex compositions that combined florals, fruits, resins, and increasingly, bold notes such as tobacco or spices. Vague Souvenir was both aligned with these trends and distinctive in its daring combination of feminine florals with a subtly assertive tobacco undertone, offering women a fragrance that was both modern and emotionally evocative.

In scent, the name Vague Souvenir translates directly to the experience it evokes: the fleeting, intimate memory of a fragrance encountered once or twice, leaving a lingering trace that evokes tenderness, nostalgia, and emotional depth. The delicate florals and fruity highlights capture the light, airy beauty of memory, while the tobacco base provides warmth and subtle sensuality, making the perfume feel personal and enveloping. Women of the era would have related to the fragrance as both a private indulgence and a statement of refined modernity, a perfume that could quietly enchant, captivate, and leave a lasting, sophisticated impression.

Fragrance Composition:

What does it smell like? Vague Souvenir by Guerlain is classified as a fruity floral tobacco fragrance for women.

• Top notes: aldehydes, anise, jasmine, absinthe, lavender, bergamot, peach, plum  
• Middle notes: gardenia, carnation, jasmine, rose, orange blossom, ambrette, clove, marjoram, tobacco
• Base notes: musk, ylang ylang, tonka bean

Scent Profile:

From the very first spray, Vague Souvenir announces itself with a sparkling, almost ethereal brightness. Aldehydes lift the composition immediately, creating a clean, effervescent shimmer that amplifies the florals and fruits, giving the opening a luminous, airy quality. Layered over this are the crisp, aromatic notes of anise and absinthe, lending a delicate, green-licorice bite that is at once invigorating and slightly mysterious. The jasmine, likely sourced from Grasse, France, adds a creamy, heady floralcy, while lavender from Provence contributes its familiar herbal freshness, slightly camphorous and subtly sweet. Bergamot, traditionally from Calabria, Italy, imbues the fragrance with sunny, citrus brilliance that balances the herbal and floral notes. The fruity elements—peach and plum—introduce a soft, ripe sweetness, their gentle juiciness blending with the florals to evoke the sensual, fleeting quality of memory itself, like recalling a delicate moment from the past.

As the perfume deepens, the heart unfolds with a complex floral-spicy tapestry. Gardenia and orange blossom bring creamy, sun-warmed petals, luminous and soft, while rose adds a velvet elegance. Carnation offers a slightly spicy, clove-like warmth, complemented by the true clove note itself, which deepens the floral bouquet with piquancy. Marjoram, aromatic and slightly green, enriches the composition with subtle herbal sophistication. Ambrette, derived from the seeds of the hibiscus plant, provides a musky, slightly sweet undertone that enhances the sensuality of the fragrance. Here, tobacco emerges—smoky, rich, and slightly sweet—its warmth echoing the soft allure of a memory, providing depth and grounding the bouquet while blending beautifully with the florals and spices. The inclusion of tobacco at this time was bold, reflecting both evolving social norms around women and smoking and a desire for perfumes that carried warmth, sophistication, and subtle sensuality.

The base notes provide a lasting, intimate resonance that lingers on the skin. Musk, possibly a blend of natural and synthetic elements, offers a soft, skin-like caress that ties the composition together, while tonka bean contributes a warm, nutty sweetness with hints of vanilla and almond, amplifying the gourmand quality of the tobacco. Ylang-ylang, with its creamy, exotic floral richness, adds a heady, slightly tropical depth, rounding out the fragrance with a sensuous glow. The careful use of synthetics throughout—aldehydes, musks, and tobacco enhancers—ensures that each natural ingredient is amplified without overwhelming, allowing the perfume to maintain clarity, luminosity, and lasting presence.

Overall, Vague Souvenir is an elegant orchestration of contrasts: bright, airy, and effervescent at first; warm, floral-spicy, and evocative in the heart; and richly intimate in the base. The combination of fruity florals with tobacco creates a fragrance that is both tender and sophisticated, like a faint remembrance of a cherished moment, lingering on the skin and in the mind. Guerlain’s artistry lies in balancing the bright, evocative top notes with the opulent, sensual heart and base, crafting a perfume that is simultaneously modern for its time, emotionally resonant, and deeply personal—a fragrance that truly embodies its name, Faint Remembrance.

Journal des Dames et des Modes, 1913:

"Thus, on the subject of perfumes, we learn that the year's new products from the Maison Guerlain are called 'Vague Souvenir', 'Pour Troubler', and 'Kadine'."

Harper's Bazaar, 1956:

"Vague Souvenir" — sweet and sun-blessed as a peach just ready to pluck. By Guerlain. 1/2 ounce, $86.50"

Bottles:

Presented in the quadrilobe bottle (parfum). In the mid to late 1920s, it was presented in the beurre flacon (parfum), created by Baccarat for the 1925 Art Deco Expo in Paris. The label represents the crystal fountain created by Lalique for the expo's Grand Pavilion. Vague Souvenir was also available in the Flacon Capsule (lotion vegetale). It may have also been presented in the Goutte flacon (eau de toilette).

photo by ebay seller katybgood1

Fate of the Fragrance:

Vague Souvenir was launched by Guerlain in 1912, during a period of refinement and artistic innovation in early 20th-century France. Its evocative name, “Faint Remembrance”, captured the imagination of women who sought perfumes that were both intimate and sophisticated—a scent that could linger in memory like the subtle trace of a cherished moment.

The exact date of discontinuation is unknown, but records indicate that Vague Souvenir was still being sold as late as 1960, demonstrating its enduring appeal across nearly five decades. Its longevity on the market reflects Guerlain’s mastery in crafting fragrances that transcended fleeting trends, combining complex floral, fruity, and tobacco notes in a way that remained compelling to successive generations of women.

Over the years, Vague Souvenir continued to be appreciated by those who valued both elegance and emotional resonance in their perfumes. Even after its eventual disappearance from regular production, the fragrance remained a notable example of early 20th-century perfumery, celebrated for its originality, sophistication, and ability to evoke memory and intimacy. Guerlain’s creation stands as a testament to the house’s enduring artistry and its talent for balancing innovation with timeless refinement.