Regency Fragrance by Collette Cameron

Hi, everyone! First I wanted to convey my thanks to the many people who have been there for me these past weeks, since my friend, Amy, passed away. With all my heart, thank you!

Now, I have Collette Cameron on my blog again! She’s writing about fragrances, which I am particularly drawn to. I’ll never forget smelling my grandmother from Washington for the first time and her Chanel No. 5. As I grew up, playing dress up entailed lots of perfume too. I’m still in love with perfumes and experiment with different scents often. However, I always use No. 5 for special occasions. For this post, I’ve inserted some relaxing yet fun music for your enjoyment. If you’d like, please click here while you read Collette’s post. And now, here’s Collette!

“Smell is a word, perfume is literature.”

Jean-Claude Ellena, perfumer to Hermès

Regency Fragrances

By

Collette Cameron

This week I found myself researching perfume and perfume bottles. I always give my Regency Era heroines a distinct fragrance, but I also try to stay period accurate. And, I don’t always want them smelling like roses or lavender, two popular scents of the period. Yes, I know lavender is soothing, but it always reminds me of sheets.

I’ve used scents that are slightly citricy, but they are always combined with another fragrance, say, Lily of the Valley or lilac.

I thought I might try to use heather, since Virtue and Valor is set in Scotland, but found that the musky scent was actually more commonly used as a base for men’s colognes.

Since I personally can’t abide the scent of violet perfume (and it reminds me of old ladies) I can’t force my heroines to dab that fragrance behind their ears even if all the other ladies of the ton are.

Jasmine is a favorite of mine, as are apple and orange blossoms. I’ve never used a spicier perfume like mint, rosemary, cloves or cinnamon based fragrances, though they were common ingredients in some nineteenth century perfumes too. Sandalwood was immensely popular with the gentlemen, and I confess, I do like the smell myself.

The art of perfume making was introduced around to Europe around the 14th century, and France became the epicenter for perfume production. Originally, only those very wealthy could afford the costly fragrances, and their use was intended to cover body odor (remember, bathing wasn’t all that popular) rather than attract the opposite sex.

It wasn’t uncommon for noble women to create their own signature scents or have one created for them. I can understand that. I’ve worn the same perfume for over twenty years, and people often tell me they know it’s me before they see me, because the can smell me coming.

I do hope they are referring to my Jessica McClintoch and not some other odor!

Floris of London, still in business by-the-way, is a well-known shop whose original owner, Juan Floris, was a barber. He began tinkering with various mixtures producing scents that were favored by Beau Brummel himself.

Perfume bottles ranged from very simple glass (even clay) with a cork stopper, silver flasks, and to incredibly elaborate cut crystal covered with vermeil overlay.

So do you have a favorite fragrance you like characters to wear? Do you have a signature perfume that you wear? Or are you someone that doesn’t like perfume at all?

Resources:

http://historicalhussies.blogspot.com/2011/04/regency-fragrancesand-what-does-she.html

http://www.janeausten.co.uk/scent-sational-regency-perfumes-and-the-man-who-made-them/

http://michellestyles.blogspot.com/2008/04/regency-scents.html

http://janitesonthejames.blogspot.com/2009/08/floris-and-scents-of-times-past.html

Watch for Collette’s latest release in May!



The Earl’s Enticement: (This is my May 2014 release)

She won’t be tamed.

A fiery, unconventional Scot, Adaira Ferguson wears breeches, swears, and has no more desire to marry than she does to follow society’s dictates of appropriate behavior. She trusts no man with the secret she desperately protects.

He can’t forget.

Haunted by his past, Roark, The Earl of Clarendon, rigidly adheres to propriety, holding himself and those around him to the highest standards, no matter the cost. Betrayed once, he’s guarded and leery of all women.

Mistaking Roark for a known spy, Adaira imprisons him. Infuriated, he vows vengeance. Realizing her error, she’s appalled and releases him, but he’s not satisfied with his freedom. Roark is determined to transform Adaira from an ill-mannered hoyden to a lady of refinement.

He succeeds only to discover, he preferred the free-spirited Scottish lass who first captured his heart.

Check out Collette’s other books, Highlander’s Hope and The Viscount’s Vow too! Click here for an Amazon tour of Collette’s books.