Regency cologne for men

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 4:43 am Post subject: Regency cologne for men

I'm just curious as to what you know about this subject Candice or anyone else who has done research on this topic.

I've read where valets would mix their master's scent for them. Usually I read about sandalwood being the most popular. What are some other scents that were popular for men during the time? I'm just curious Candice if you keep a bottle of scent so you can choose which to give/describe your hero with. LOL.

I bought a sandalwood candle to burn in my bedroom while reading....shhh....hubby doesn't know why. LOL! Laughing

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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:05 pm Post subject:

No, Di, I don't keep a bottle of scent nearby to inspire my hero. In fact, I personally dislike cologne on men. I much prefer their natural male scent! Very Happy

But I suspect that Regency men (and women) used more fragrance than we do. Remember that they still did not bathe as often as we do (except for Brummell, who was obsessive about it), and used perfumes to mask odors. Gloves for both men and women were still being perfumed at this time, as they had been for 200+ years. Pot pourri sachets were tucked into drawers to keep linen and underclothes smelling fresh. Scented herbs were tossed into the corners of rooms to absorb odors. Scent was everywhere, in constant combat with the noxious odors of overflowing gutters in the streets and masses of unwashed humans.

Because of my collections of perfume bottles and vinaigrettes, I have lots of research books on perfume. Men of our period are said to have worn attar of roses, sandalwood, ambergris, musk, or Hungary water (made from rosemary), among other scents. There was also a special Jockey Club fragrance, but I have found no information on what it was made of. Eau de Cologne, worn by both sexes, was not a generic terms as it is today, but a very specific scent developed in the early 18th century by Jean Maria Farina and still popular during the Regency years. It consisted of an alcohol and water base scented with essential oils of rosemary, lemon and bergamot. The theory was to have a formula that evaporated quickly leaving a soft citrus scent behind. Napoleon is said to have enjoyed Eau de Cologne rubdowns. (The original Farina formula is still used today by Roger et Gallet in their Eau De Cologne.)
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Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

A Scented Palace: The Secret History of Marie Antoinette's Perfumer
by Elisabeth de Feydeau is a great book on this topic.
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w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:44 pm Post subject:

Ooooo, nice info, Candice, thank you!

Now, as for this:

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:03 am Post subject:

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:22 am Post subject:

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:27 am Post subject:

Aromatic from both ends. Wow! I had no idea. What do their digestive systems do to produce fragrant byproducts?
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:24 am Post subject:

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:49 am Post subject:

Some very weird animal products have been used for perfumes over the years. And not only for their scent but for their fixative or stabilzing properties -- ie they evaporate at a very low rate, and so tend to equalize the different rates of essential oils contained in a perfume. This means the fragrant quality of the perfume remains stable long after the bottle has been opened.

The most popular animal product used in perfumes is musk. It is a secretion formed within an abdominal gland near the genital organs of the musk deer. Its staying power is legendary. Arab mosques built more than 1000 years ago with mortar containing musk still emanate its fragrance. Napoleon's Josephine used it lavishly, and it is said that in her appartments at Malmaison the scent of musk lingered for decades after her death.

Another popular animal product is civet. It is produced by a gland situated below the tail of the civet cat. The glands apparently are part of the cat's defense mechanism -- the evil smelling secretion can be squirted at will in the direction of an attacker. (There are interesting, and rather gross, ways of collecting that secretion, even today.) When diluted, the foul smelling civet becomes much more pleasant, and constitutes one of the most powerful and erotically stimulating fragrances in existence. Modern fragrances with a distinctly oriental note, like YSL's Opium, rely heavily on civet. It was also the most commonly used ingredient used for scenting gloves.

Ambergris is certainly one of the oddest animal products used in fragrance and long prized. Arabian traders over 1000 years ago made fortunes in it. In Medieval Europe it was said to be prized more than gold. It is known to be produced within the intestines of the sperm whale, but it is not certain how it is formed. One popular theory is that the sharp fins of cuttlefish, which are part of the sperm whale's diet, cause internal irritation and that the tissues react to this by secreting a waxy substance, which is eventually released. It is also assumed that the larger pieces come from decompsing carcasses. Ambergris is found drifting on seas in pieces ranging from less than an ounce to many pounds (like the one you guys read about recently). The perfumer uses ambergris in an alcoholic solution which has to be kept for several years before it acquires its characteristic aroma.

And yes, it does make one wonder who was the first person to figure out that ANY of these animal products would make a good perfume. Shocked

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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 2:39 pm Post subject:

Remind me to stick with my rosewater. It's easy to make and less ewwww to collect lol.

I personally like rose lavender water that I make. It's a mild scent and doesn't contain anything from animals.

Wonderful information Candice!

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:20 am Post subject:

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:55 pm Post subject:

Wow, considering the lack of bathinng they would have needed an awful lot of scent. Especially when they were all crowded into those balls they held. But I agree with Candice in the the natural scent of Male is the best. Rolling Eyes

Carol
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Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:35 am Post subject:

" There was also a special Jockey Club fragrance, but I have found no information on what it was made of. "

Well, the fragrance may not be the same, but the American company Caswell-Massey sells a men's cologne named Jockey Club.

http://www.caswellmassey.com/Jockey-Club-Cologne-Spray.aspx?DepartmentId=64

Caswell-Massey has been in business since 1752, and George Washington wore C-M's Number 6 cologne:

http://www.caswellmassey.com/Number-Six-Cologne-Spray.aspx

I can't guarantee if the current Jockey Club cologne is the same one as in the Regency period, but the C-M company existed then, and it was possible some English people bought American products.

Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:15 am Post subject:

Thanks, Linda! I wouldn't be surprised to learn that C-M's "Jockey Club" is the contemporary version of the 18th century fragrance. Now I have to go find some and see how it smells. Very Happy

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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:26 am Post subject:

ooooo yum, check this out from one of my fave History sites:

Peau d’Espagne