Guerlain, Champs Élysées, 30 ml. or 1 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, 1914, 1996, Paris, France ..

The House of Guerlain is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world. It was founded in 1828 when Pierre-Francois Pascal Guerlain opened up his first perfume store on 42, Rue de Rivoli in Paris.

Pierre-Francois composed and manufactured custom perfumes with the help of his two sons, Aime & Gabriel. His unique approach was to personalize perfume for a specific person, place or event. Honore de Balzac commisioned his own eau de toilette during the writing of Cesar Birotteau, and the periodical La Sylphide, le Journal des Elegances, scented each issue with a different fragrance by Guerlain.

Guerlain catered to the high society of Paris, and obtained a very loyal following. The perfume house was so successful that Guerlain decided to open a flagship store at 15, Rue de la Paix in Paris in 1840. The house was at its peak in 1853 with it's fragrance Eau de Cologne Imperiale. This perfume gained Guerlain the prestigious title of His Majesty's Official Perfumer of France. This in turn led him to create perfumes for other royals such as Queen Victoria of England, the Empress Sissi of Austria, the Queen of Belgium and Queen Isabella of Spain as well as other crowned heads of royalty.

Pierre-Francois passed away in 1854 and his sons inherited the perfume house. Aime became the master perfumer, a tradition that would be upheld for the next master perfumer in lineage. Gabriel managed and further expanded the house. Aime, created several fragrances for the perfume house, these include Fleur d'Italie, Rococo, and Eau de Cologne du Coq and his greatest creation, Jicky.

Originally launched in 1914, and then relaunched in 1995, Champs Élysées was presented in the most exquisite Baccarat turtle shaped flacon. The turtle-shaped bottle .. flacon tortue .. was created by Jacques Guerlain in 1913 in honour of the opening of his “new temple of Beauty” at 68, avenue des Champs Élysées in Paris, and is a playful nod to the unhurried pace of the construction work that delayed its inauguration.

"When at the beginning of the twentieth century Guerlain decided to open a sumptuous new house on the Champs Élysées boulevard, it had to be marked as a triumph of luxury. Designed by Art Nouveau architect Charles Mewès, the house would contain a shop as well as offices and apartments for the Guerlain family. Hard work and high quality had made it possible for founder Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain to open his first shop on the rue de Rivoli in 1828 and move it to the more elegant rue de la Paix eleven years later. But, to have a boutique on the Champs-Elysées, in those days the most fashionable address of Paris, was so extraordinary that Jacques Guerlain decided to celebrate it by naming a perfume after it. A few years later, his brother Pierre made a perfume named after the rue de la Paix.

Guerlain Champs-Élysées Parfum Extrait from 1996 is a luxurious, highly concentrated floral fragrance celebrating Paris with a focus on mimosa and lilac. Created by Jacques and Jean-Paul Guerlain, it features a rich blend of almond, blackcurrant, and rose, often described as a radiant, "yellow" solar perfume. It is floral and fruity, dominated by solar mimosa, lilac, and almond blossom.

Top Notes are Almond, Melon, Peach, Violet, Black Currant, and Anise
Heart Notes are Lilac, Mimosa, Lily-of-the-Valley, Peony, Rose, Almond Blossom, and Hibiscus
Base Notes are Benzoin, Almond Tree, Cedar, Sandalwood, and Vanilla

Part of Guerlain’s "Les Légendaires" collection, it honours the iconic avenue and the brand's flagship store. The Extrait is the most concentrated, intense version of the Parfum, known for being a warm, vibrant floral bouquet. The fragrance is praised for its ability to evoke youthful memories and its sunny, joyous personality. It is characterised by a "yellow" floral bouquet where the mimosa and lilac notes are prominent, creating a delicate balance of flowers and fruits like peach and melon with a subtle almond undertone.

Offered here is a lovely one ounce bottle of this iconic and beloved perfume in the parfum extrait format. These were issued in gorgeous crystal flacons and housed in sumptuous luxury boxes. This comes in its original inner and outer presentation boxes.

A lovely treasure .. !!