Molinard is a French perfume house founded in 1849 in Grasse. This region in the south of France is considered the birthplace (and today, cradle) of the modern perfume industry. Molinard is one of the oldest family companies in continuous existence, and remains an entirely family-run business even today.
Molinard originally manufactured Eaux de Fleurs (flower-scented waters) and Eaux de Cologne, marketing them from their small store in the heart of Grasse.
In 1860, Molinard gained attention with two new perfumes—"Jasmin" and " Rose." Both were introduced in elegant crystal bottles designed and produced by Baccarat. This same strategy was used later for perfumes "Mimosa" and "Violette." Versions of three of these soliflore fragrances are still produced by Molinard today. Queen Victoria was rumored to be a devotee of Molinard Eaux de Cologne.
In 1900, Molinard expanded with the purchase of an old perfume factory whose structure had been designed by Gustave Eiffel (designer of the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris). This site remains their headquarters today. The new space allowed Molinard to open a formal showroom, decorated with a magnificent collection of 17th and 18th century furniture, for receiving important customers. Molinard's beautiful showroom and striking fragrances were favorites of many wealthy English and Russian travelers in the early 20th century.
1921 was an important year for the house. Molinard created two products that are still popular even today: Habanita, a perfume originally developed as a cigarette flavor/fragrance, and which would become an actual perfume that would go down in history as one of the greatest creations starting in 1924. The other significant development of 1921 was the production of Molinard's "Concréta," the world's first solid perfume compacts, which incorporated natural flower wax as a fragrance component.
Bottle design has long been an important component of the Molinard aesthetic. In 1920, Viard, a famous bottle designer, created some beautiful scent bottles for Molinard. In 1930, with the successes of Habanita and the Concréta under its belt, Molinard hired famous master glassmaker René Lalique, who created and signed for Molinard the stunningly beautiful bottles for Iles d'Or and Madrigal in 1930 and Le Baiser du Faune in 1932. Later in the 1930s, the Baccarat crystal workshops created and produced for Molinard the perfume bottles for a number of their fragrances. The legacy of Molinard's beautiful bottles continues today, with the ornate vessels of Molinard de Molinard and the current Habanita bottle.
World War II was as challenging a time for Molinard as for all of France. Molinard invented "the Prisoner's parcel" to help bring comfort to French prisoners. The company endured and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1949.
Molinard today produces perfumes, soaps, body care products, candles and aromatherapy products. The company offers stores and tours through its Grasse, Nice and Lille locations, and markets products through secondary outlets throughout France and the rest of the world. The 160th anniversary of this esteemed house was celebrated in 2009 with the launch of a commemorative perfume, 160, a floral scent with both classic and modern touches. The president of Molinard today is the fourth generation of his family to oversee the company, Jean-Pierre Lerouge-Benard.
Designer Molinard has 46 perfumes in our fragrance base. Molinard is an old perfume house. The earliest edition was created in 1921 and the newest is from 2012. The nose who worked on Molinard fragrances is Molinard.
My favorite perfume from Molinard : Habanita eau de parfum (1921) . Main accords : woody, leather, powdery and floral.
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