Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain’s decision to dedicate a perfume to Empress Eugénie was as much a gesture of artistry as it was of diplomacy. Guerlain, already a renowned perfumer of the Parisian elite, had been appointed the official supplier to the Imperial Court. In naming this fragrance Bouquet de l’Impériale Eugénie, he not only honored the Empress’s personal charm and beauty but also aligned his house with the glamour and prestige of the French Empire itself. The word bouquet in perfumery referred to a structured floral composition — a harmonious blend of multiple flowers rather than a single-note scent. It suggested refinement and balance, echoing the grace and femininity associated with Eugénie’s public image.
The mid-19th century, particularly the years of the Second Empire (1852–1870), was a time of renewed opulence and cultural revival in France. After decades of political upheaval, Napoleon III’s reign brought stability and grandeur back to Paris. This era saw the rise of Haussmann’s reconstruction of the city, turning it into a modern capital of light, luxury, and elegance. Fashion, under Eugénie’s influence, became a matter of imperial taste — corseted gowns with crinolines, elaborate hairstyles, and jewels glittering beneath gaslight. She was a style icon whose influence extended far beyond the court, shaping trends across Europe.
In perfumery, the floral bouquet was the prevailing fashion. Perfumes were designed to mimic the scent of an idealized garden — lush, sweet, and meticulously composed. Bouquet de l’Impériale Eugénie fit perfectly within this aesthetic, yet its title and imperial dedication set it apart as something regal and aspirational. It is classified as a white floral oriental fragrance, a description that suggests a heart of luminous, creamy blossoms — perhaps orange blossom, jasmine, or tuberose — supported by warm, resinous or musky undertones. The oriental nuance would have added depth and sensuality, aligning with the romantic and exotic fascinations of the age, when travel, trade, and colonial expansion introduced Europe to new raw materials and olfactory experiences.
To the women of Eugénie’s time, a perfume bearing her name would have embodied the ideal of refinement, modernity, and social aspiration. To wear it was to align oneself, even subtly, with the Empress’s grace and the elegance of the imperial court. The name Bouquet de l’Impériale Eugénie conjured an image of white flowers in an ornate vase on a marble table, their fragrance mingling with powder and silk — a vision of cultivated femininity.
In scent, the title could be interpreted as a refined floral symphony, where soft, radiant petals meet the warmth of amber and musk. It would have carried the duality that defined Eugénie herself: delicacy combined with strength, grace entwined with imperial poise. Within the broader context of 19th-century perfumery, Bouquet de l’Impériale Eugénie followed the established trend of multi-floral compositions, yet it distinguished itself through its association with royalty and the unparalleled craftsmanship of the Guerlain house.
In essence, it was not merely a perfume — it was a portrait in scent, capturing the refinement, luxury, and cultivated femininity of an era that defined French elegance for generations to come.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? Bouquet de L'Imperatrice Eugenie is classified as a white floral oriental fragrance for women.
- Top notes: bergamot, cassie
- Middle notes: jasmine, Turkish rose, tuberose, orris, licari, angelica
- Base notes: civet, musk, tonka bean, coumarin, vanilla, benzoin, musk ambrette, ambergris
Scent Profile:
Opening Bouquet de l’Impératrice Eugénie is like stepping into a candlelit salon in Second Empire Paris — the air heavy with silk, flowers, and faint traces of powdered perfume. The fragrance begins with a luminous shimmer of bergamot and cassie, a pairing that immediately evokes refinement and poise. The bergamot, most likely from Calabria, is famed for its balanced profile — not too sharp, not too sweet — thanks to its high concentration of linalyl acetate and limonene, molecules that impart both sparkling freshness and a velvety floral undertone. It lends the perfume an elegant radiance, like sunlight glancing off crystal. The cassie (acacia farnesiana), with its golden blossoms, introduces a soft powdery sweetness and a faint green, honeyed note. Rich in benzyl alcohol and methyl salicylate, cassie deepens the citrus brightness with a subtle warmth, suggesting the touch of sun-warmed petals in spring. Together, they create an impression of sophistication and quiet luxury — an olfactory prelude to the opulent floral heart that follows.
At the core blooms an exquisite white floral bouquet, befitting its imperial namesake. Jasmine, opulent and intoxicating, lends its indolic richness — that faintly animalic sweetness that gives life and sensuality to the composition. Its key aroma compound, benzyl acetate, gives the perfume its lush, creamy character, while traces of indole deepen its allure, creating the illusion of petals warmed by skin. Alongside it, Turkish rose unfolds with stately grace. The rose of Isparta and Damascus, cultivated in Anatolia for centuries, yields an oil noted for its complexity — the perfect equilibrium between fresh dewiness and velvety richness. Its natural citronellol and geraniol lend a crisp rosiness that harmonizes with jasmine’s languor, creating a floral duet both pure and regal.
Tuberose enters next — heady, narcotic, and sensual, its creamy sweetness layered with methyl benzoate and indole, molecules that give the flower its deep, almost carnal magnetism. In the mid-19th century, tuberose was a daring inclusion — beloved but considered dangerously voluptuous, a scent for women confident in their allure. The delicate orris root, derived from aged rhizomes of the Florentine iris, weaves through the composition with its powdery, violet-like softness, adding poise and a sense of polish. Its natural ionones bridge the floral heart with the powdery and balsamic base to come.
The rarer notes — licari (likely referring to the exotic wood Licaria cubeba) and angelica root — lend an herbal, spicy-green counterpoint. Angelica, with its slightly musky, earthy tonality, introduces an almost mystical depth, enhanced by its natural ambrettolide and angelic lactones, which smell like dry herbs and soft musk intertwined. This green, aromatic facet prevents the white flowers from becoming cloying, suggesting the Empress’s own cultivated restraint — a fragrance as intelligent as it is beautiful.
As the perfume deepens, it unfurls into a sumptuous and unmistakably oriental base, where warmth and sensuality dominate. The blend of civet, musk, and ambergris forms the heart of the composition’s animalic luxury. In the 19th century, these natural materials were prized for their fixative powers and the way they transformed floral notes into something alive and enduring. The civet, though used in minute quantities, adds a creamy, warm undertone — its characteristic muscone-like molecule amplifying the softness of the musks while deepening their sensuality. Musk ambrette, derived from plant seeds rather than animal sources, contributes a gentle, powdery warmth; its key compound, ambrettolide, gives a delicate sweetness reminiscent of warm skin. Ambergris, weathered by sea and time, provides a salty, marine smoothness that softens the heavier resins, allowing the fragrance to linger with a glowing, diffused quality.
Threaded through this base is the sweetness of tonka bean, coumarin, vanilla, and benzoin — the hallmark of Guerlain’s early mastery of the oriental style. Tonka, with its almond-like warmth and creamy richness, owes its scent to coumarin, one of the first naturally occurring aroma molecules to be synthetically reproduced in perfumery. Guerlain’s pioneering use of this synthetic element gave Bouquet de l’Impératrice Eugénie its remarkable smoothness and lasting power. Coumarin bridges the gap between nature and science — amplifying the tonka’s creamy sweetness and blending seamlessly with Madagascan vanilla and Siam benzoin, both renowned for their resinous, balsamic warmth. The result is a soft, enveloping finish that feels both comforting and opulent — like cashmere warmed by the body.
In its entirety, Bouquet de l’Impératrice Eugénie is not merely a perfume but a portrait in scent — a vision of imperial femininity rendered in white florals and golden resins. Its interplay of natural essences and early synthetics marks it as a turning point in perfumery: a fragrance where artistry met chemistry, where nature was perfected through science. To smell it is to imagine the Empress herself — radiant, poised, and enveloped in an aura of cultivated grace, her perfume trailing like the whisper of silk along a marble floor.
Fate of the Fragrance:
Bouquet de l’Impératrice Eugénie has long since been discontinued, though the exact date of its withdrawal remains uncertain. What is known is that it was still being sold in 1903, a full half-century after its debut, which speaks to both its enduring appeal and its significance within Guerlain’s early heritage. Its longevity on the market reflects the house’s deep respect for history and its ongoing tradition of honoring European royalty through refined and symbolic creations.
In the 19th century, Guerlain’s clientele included the most distinguished figures of European society — aristocrats, diplomats, and crowned heads who regarded fragrance not merely as adornment but as a mark of identity and prestige. By dedicating Bouquet de l’Impératrice Eugénie to the Empress of the French, Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain aligned his house with imperial sophistication and grace. The perfume thus became more than a scent; it was a statement of loyalty to refinement, culture, and the artistry of French luxury.
Its continued presence in the early 20th century shows how strongly this fragrance resonated with women who still admired the elegance of the Second Empire and the romantic ideals it represented. Even as fashions and perfumery trends evolved, Bouquet de l’Impératrice Eugénie retained a sense of timeless dignity — a fragrance that carried with it the aura of silk gowns, courtly manners, and an era when perfume was a language of social distinction. Its eventual discontinuation closed a chapter in Guerlain’s imperial story, yet the perfume’s legacy endures as a graceful reflection of the house’s devotion to commemorating European nobility through scent — a heritage that continues to define Guerlain’s artistic identity today.
