The giants who divided the perfume market. Pre-revolutionary scent

* The calculations use average data for Russia

From 580,000 ₽

Starting investments

300,000 ₽

60,000 - 100,000 ₽

Net profit

10 months

Payback period

Cosmetics are a popular product on which you can always make money. This is an excellent option for a women’s business that even a beginner can handle. What do you need to open a cosmetics store?

Selling cosmetics and perfumes can be a profitable business. Every year the beauty industry develops and popularizes, new cosmetic products appear - all this contributes to the growing demand for cosmetics and perfumes. According to sociological surveys, women are willing to spend 15% of their income on cosmetics every month.

Russian cosmetics market in last years has expanded significantly: today the number of trading and production organizations segment is growing not only in large cities, but in small towns. This entails increased competition, and therefore you need to consider many factors before opening your business.

To open a cosmetics store from scratch, you have to, firstly, choose a specialization, and secondly, solve all the main stages that all retail entrepreneurs face. Namely: register a business, find a suitable premises, arrange a retail space and purchase equipment, form and purchase an assortment, hire employees. Next, we will consider all the tasks in detail.

How to choose the specialty of a cosmetics store

At the preliminary stage, you need to decide on the direction of the store and its assortment. This choice directly depends on the amount of investment, location and ability to supply a particular product. Some stores offer a wide range, while others, on the contrary, choose a narrow segment and specific products. In large cities there are not only single cosmetics stores, but also entire retail chains. Therefore, it is better to open a store there with a narrow focus, forming an assortment of unique offers. This will allow you to compete with large chains. If you are planning to open a cosmetics store in a small town, then it is better to give preference to the classic store model in order to cover a wide range target audience.

What else you need to pay attention to when choosing the direction of a cosmetics store:

Location. For example, if retail outlet located in a residential area, it is more advisable to focus on a wide selection of products and affordable prices. In the city center you can open a luxury cosmetics and perfumery store.

Competition. Trade in unique goods will be successful only in the absence of direct competitors.

Main formats of cosmetics and perfumery stores:

• Elite cosmetics and perfumery store. The target audience is clients with above-average income. The products offered must be of high quality and belong to famous and luxury brands. Therefore, such a store will require serious investment. It is best to open a luxury cosmetics store in the city center or in prestigious areas.

Professional nail cosmetics store. Target audience: nail design studios and private manicurists. To open, you will need a small area, even an island in a shopping center will do, and minimal costs. Such a retail outlet can be part of a salon where manicure and pedicure services are provided or located next to them.

Natural cosmetics store. Natural cosmetics are in very high demand due to the popularity of environmental friendliness and healthy image life. But in order to win your buyer, you will need to pay special attention to advertising. The topic of environmental friendliness is popular.

Brand store of decorative cosmetics. You can become an official representative of a famous brand. Today, many cosmetic brands offer cooperation. The advantage of this idea is that from the very start your business receives recognizable name and good reputation. However, the downside is dependence on a partner and competition - if you want to cooperate with any brand, you may find that there is already a representative in your city. To open such a store, you need to enter into an official agreement confirming the dealership.

Shop medicinal cosmetics. Such stores specialize in pharmaceutical and medicinal cosmetics. A retail outlet will require a small room or department in a large pharmacy supermarket. It is recommended to locate a medical cosmetics store near pharmacies, health centers, cosmetologist’s offices, and dermatological clinics.

Shop of Arabic or oriental cosmetics and perfumes. Recently, cosmetics from a certain country have been gaining popularity. For example, Korean or Japanese cosmetics stores, an Arabic perfume boutique, etc. Trade in specific goods requires the availability of appropriate suppliers. This is the main difficulty. The advantage is the opportunity to stand out in the market among competitors and attract your target audience.

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Professional cosmetics store for makeup and makeup artists. The retail outlet focuses on highly specialized specialists providing makeup and make-up services. It is advisable to locate a professional cosmetics store next to beauty salons. You can expand your range with professional equipment and tools.

Handmade homemade cosmetics store. Handmade goods always attract the interest of buyers. But due to the specifics of production, the choice of means is often limited. Product certifications should also be carefully checked. Therefore, some difficulties may arise in this direction. The most popular product in this segment is soap making.

Store of natural ecological or organic cosmetics. Today, ecological and organic cosmetics are very popular. Natural products are often unreasonably expensive, but are still in high demand. Therefore, the sale of such cosmetics is considered a profitable business.

As you can see, there are many directions to open a cosmetics store. Choose what you understand and where competition is minimal. Today, the surest way to win over your consumer is to sell cosmetic brands that are not represented or are almost unavailable in Russia. You need to offer the consumer something exclusive, and then he will be interested in your store. A well-defined target audience and assortment is the basis of your success.

Legal issue in opening a cosmetics store

Before taking any action to open a store, you should understand the legal nuances. The first step in opening a cosmetics store is registering a business. You can register as an LLC or individual entrepreneur. For a small store, an individual entrepreneur will be enough, but for large ones it is better to choose an LLC. When registering, you will need to indicate the activity code according to the OKVED-2 classifier: 47.75.1 “Retail trade in cosmetics and perfumes, except soap in specialized stores.”

As for the taxation system, the simplified tax system or UTII is suitable. The last option is convenient if the area of ​​the room is no more than 150 sq.m. But for a cosmetics store you won’t need any more premises.

No special permits are required to conduct retail trade. To open a store, you need to collect a package of documents, which includes a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion from Rospotrebnadzor, permission from the fire inspectorate, and regulatory documents for the store. The entrepreneur must prepare a lease agreement or property documents, a sanitary passport of the premises, an act from the BTI confirming the commissioning of the premises. Contracts for the removal of solid waste, disinfestation and deratization of the premises will also be required. In addition, you need to open a bank account and purchase a cash register, which is subject to mandatory registration with the Tax Inspectorate.

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In general, registering a cosmetics store is quite simple, and at this stage no difficulties should arise. It is also necessary to remember that all cosmetic products must be certified, and when concluding contracts with suppliers, it is necessary to check documents and pay attention to the products’ compliance with current requirements.

Since July 2012, the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union have been in force, which detail the procedure mandatory certification cosmetic and perfumery products, as well as requirements for the preparation of documents for goods, and the application of labeling to products. It also describes the requirements for packaging, which should contain comprehensive information about the product.

Product certification is carried out by special state laboratories under Rospotrebnadzor. The general range of goods subject to mandatory certification is as follows:

cosmetic products - products that help care for the skin of the face, body and hands, hygiene products for the oral cavity and teeth, hair and scalp care products;

decorative products - everything used for makeup, nail cosmetics

perfumery - perfume, eau de toilette, deodorant, cologne;

toilet soap - liquid, solid, soap paste or powder;

Any cosmetics store is required to have a complete package of documents for each batch of products.

How to choose a premises for a cosmetics store

As for any establishment engaged in retail trade, the location of the cosmetics store plays a factor important role. A favorable location determines 70% of the success of a retail outlet. When assessing a location, you need to take into account the characteristics of the area, ease of parking, intensity of pedestrian traffic, visibility and notability, and proximity to similar businesses.

The main selection criterion is the location of the retail space. It definitely needs to be in an area with a lot of foot traffic. What are these places? City center, densely populated residential area, shopping centers, etc. As a rule, stores rent premises on the ground or first floor of an apartment building or space in a shopping center. An excellent option would be to open near beauty salons, because your target audience is concentrated there. The advantages of locating a store in a shopping center: high traffic, concentration of the target audience. The advantages of locating a store in a residential area: savings on renting retail space, walking distance for residents of the houses.

Before making a choice in favor of a particular premises, be sure to monitor competitors: it is better to avoid proximity to cosmetic hypermarkets, branded cosmetics stores and your direct competitors. Also study the operational characteristics of the room. There are no special requirements for premises for a cosmetics store.

The minimum area for rented premises is 40 sq.m. if you are planning to open a store with a good assortment. For a small retail space, 25 sq.m. will be enough. It is important to remember that in addition to the sales area, the rented area should be enough for a warehouse and premises for household items. needs. Renting a retail space with total area 40 sq.m. on average in Russia it costs about 30-40 thousand rubles per month.

Average rental value of commercial premises of various sizes in Russia, rub.*

*according to an analysis of advertisements on the Avito website as of September 20, 2018

You should pay attention to the layout - shopping room should be square or rectangular in shape, without unnecessary bends - this will make it more convenient to place the display case and make the most efficient use of the available space. It will be a huge plus if the room has large display windows. This will allow you to design a store window that will attract customers from the street. It is also recommended to look for renovated premises to speed up the process of launching the project and save on finishing work. There are no special requirements for repairs - the room needs to be clean and tidy. But there must be high-quality lighting.

How to design a retail space for a cosmetics store

The retail space should be well lit and have a pleasant interior that would highlight the product. Also, if the room allows the creation of a glazed showcase, you should design it too.

Basic principles of cosmetics store design:

island zoning of the retail space - each brand has its own stands, decorated in the appropriate style;

color gradation of prices for goods (for example, super offers are highlighted with green price tags, economy positions are highlighted in yellow, etc.);

contrasting colors in the design (white and black, red and white, etc.). But at the same time, it is undesirable to use too bright and flashy shades, which will distract and irritate buyers.

What equipment is required for a cosmetics store?

The main element in the design of a cosmetics store is retail equipment - racks, display cases, shelves, a cash counter, a cash register. When determining the amount of required commercial equipment, it is necessary to rely on the volume of goods. It is not recommended to place them too close to each other so that a potential buyer can easily see each sample. The most popular models should be placed in the most prominent places in the display case.

All products are arranged according to the type of product (racks with decorative cosmetics, shelves with perfumes, etc.) or sorted by brand. If the store operates in a self-service format, retail areas should be equipped with open display cases, island-type and wall-mounted shelving. If you plan to have a classic store format, you will need to install special glass display cases.

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In order to equip a trading floor with an area of ​​30 sq.m., you will need to spend about 150 thousand rubles. Keep in mind that, according to statistics, losses from theft can range from 5 to 10% of a retail outlet’s turnover, so if possible, it’s worth investing in anti-theft equipment.

Basics of product display in a cosmetics store:

position the product so that it is clearly visible;

create organized product compositions;

take into account the compatibility of products, take care of a successful product neighborhood;

use retail space, display cases and equipment wisely and rationally;

Monitor the availability of the entire list of goods, as well as its quality (content in proper conditions, compliance with expiration dates, etc.).

When arranging products, remember that products that are located at eye or hand level are purchased unconsciously. Therefore, it is worth placing more expensive goods there, and lowering the cheapest ones to the lower shelves. It is also beneficial to create display cases and shelving that offer seasonal products to visitors. For example, in the summer it will be deodorants, tanning products, and in the winter - hand creams, hygienic lipsticks, etc.

How to create an assortment in a cosmetics store

The assortment of a cosmetics store is determined based on the format of trade and the size of the premises. The main condition is that the display cases are completely filled, but there is no clutter of goods. Half-empty stands can scare away customers, and cluttered display cases can be very difficult to navigate. The first batch of goods should not be too large. Until you know how much demand a particular product will be in, it is better to purchase a small batch and analyze sales. Based on the specifics of demand and the conditions of suppliers, it will be necessary to purchase additional goods. The main thing in this matter is to correctly calculate the required volume of goods in order to diversify the assortment, but to avoid oversaturation of product shelves.

Before forming an assortment, you should conduct a thorough analysis of the market, suppliers and assortment of competing stores. This will allow us to determine consumer demand and select products in such a way as to create a unique offer on the market. A competent approach to choosing an assortment will allow you to avoid excess inventory, reduce the likelihood of illiquid stock, increase turnover, create competitive advantages and attract potential buyers. Carefully study reviews of suppliers and the quality of their products. According to statistics, about 30% of all cosmetic products are contraband or counterfeit.

Forming an assortment may seem difficult, but don’t worry. Over time, you will find the most successful combination of goods on store shelves, but first you should focus on proven and popular products of mass demand and advertised new items.

The initial purchase of goods will require about 300 thousand rubles. The assortment should include products of various price categories, here is their approximate ratio:

Cheap goods – 50%

Average cost – 30%

Expensive goods – 20%.

The percentage depends on many factors, for example, the location of the store, population size, economic situation in the country, etc.

decorative cosmetics (lipstick, mascara, powder, eye shadow, etc.);

skin care;

body care;

hair care;

perfumery.

As for trade margins, for cosmetic products they are usually 20-50%, for perfumes - 50-100%. In addition to the cosmetics and perfumes themselves, you can sell various accessories - this will increase your profits. You can diversify the assortment with jewelry, glasses, cosmetic bags, hair accessories and more.

Another important point when purchasing goods - searching for suppliers. The ideal option would be to cooperate with large wholesale suppliers who have already proven themselves in the market. You can find everything on the Internet necessary information: terms of cooperation, catalogues, reviews. Work only with those suppliers who can provide you with a quality guarantee. In addition to well-known brands that are widely available on the market, try to find a brand that is not listed in other stores. A unique offer can become your competitive advantage.

How to choose cosmetics store staff

Competent staff is the key to the success of a cosmetics store. Therefore, the selection of personnel should be approached with special responsibility. The main personnel in the store are sales assistants. The number of sales consultants depends on the size of the store and its work schedule. For example, for a small store with an area of ​​40 sq. m., four sales consultants working two after two will be enough. In addition, to ensure business processes, you will need an accountant, personnel officer, and merchandiser. These functions can be performed by the entrepreneur himself, if necessary.

Portrait of a sales consultant: a young girl, smiling and polite, knowledgeable cosmetics and able to convey information to the buyer in an understandable form. Practice shows that it is this type of seller that inspires the greatest confidence among the average buyer. The key criteria when selecting personnel are communication skills, responsibility, politeness, and the ability to work with people. Before starting work, sellers must undergo training, familiarizing themselves with the range of products, their characteristics and sales technology.

To help the buyer, consultants must know the product, its characteristics, and be able to correctly answer various questions. Therefore, staff training may be required. If there is financial opportunity, you can send your employees to various trainings. During the training, personnel not only become familiar with sales technology, but also receive highly specialized knowledge on types of perfumes and cosmetics products. Well-known cosmetics brands regularly conduct trainings and seminars for employees of the beauty industry. Some of these events are free to attend.

The preparatory stage lasts about two months, during which it is necessary to go through registration procedures, establish partnerships with suppliers, search for suitable premises, select personnel, purchase equipment and goods, as well as design a retail space.

How to promote a cosmetics store from scratch

Tools for store promotion are selected depending on the advertising budget. What methods can be used to promote a cosmetics store from scratch:

Use a special SMS messaging service that will notify potential customers about the opening of a new store.

Place information about the store in city electronic directories.

Attract visitors using discount and rebate programs.

A designed store window, which will attract the attention of potential customers, also acts as an advertising tool. According to marketing research, 70% of customers enter a store because they are attracted by a beautifully designed display. The cost of window dressing is on average 25,000 rubles.

Some distributors provide support to their partners and even partially cover advertising costs. The advertising budget of a cosmetics store in the first months of operation should be at least 30 thousand rubles. Afterwards, you can reduce advertising costs to 10 thousand rubles per month.

It will take an average of 2 to 5 months to promote the store and reach the desired sales volumes - during this time, customers have time to learn and get used to the new outlet.

How much does it cost to open a cosmetics store from scratch?

To open a cosmetics store, you need to calculate the amount of initial investment. To do this, you need to determine the costs of purchasing equipment, the initial purchase of goods and advertising promotion. The main items of initial costs are shown in the table.

Initial Investment

Also, as part of the business plan for a cosmetics store, it is necessary to calculate the approximate amount of monthly expenses. They are divided into variables and constants. Variable costs consist of the costs of purchasing goods and transporting them. Fixed expenses consist of rent, utility bills, payroll, advertising costs, taxes and depreciation.

Fixed costs of a cosmetics store

Thus, fixed monthly expenses will amount to 177,000 rubles.

How much does a cosmetics store make?

The calculation of future income is based on the fact that the trade margin for cosmetic products and perfumes is 30-100%. Be prepared to operate at a loss or with meager profits for the first few months, as it will take some time to attract buyers.

The store's daily income is 10 thousand rubles per month. With an average check of 700 rubles, for such a volume of revenue, 14-15 clients are needed. Then your monthly income will be 300 thousand rubles. From here we subtract monthly expenses and the cost (purchase cost) of goods. We get a net profit of 60-100 thousand rubles.

Monthly income – 300,000 ₽

Net profit – 80,000 ₽

Payback – approximately 10 months

The average level of profitability of this business is 10%, that is, you can recoup the initial investment of 600 thousand rubles in about 10 months.

It should also be noted that before holidays (March 8, February 14, New Year), revenue will be significantly higher. Popular stores can earn quarterly revenue in the two-week pre-holiday period. Take this into account when drawing up a business plan for a cosmetics store to open shortly before the holidays, when sales are expected to increase.

After you have thought through all the stages of launching a project and drawn up a business plan, where you calculate how much money will be needed for implementation, you need to draw up a calendar plan. This is done in order to understand exactly when you can open a cosmetics store. Typically, it takes 4-5 months to launch such a project.

What risks can a cosmetics store owner face?

When planning a business, you must take risks into account. The main threat to this business is high competition. Since the cosmetics market is quite saturated and highly competitive (particularly from large retailers), the behavior of competitors can have a strong influence. To minimize it, you need to create your own client base, constant monitoring of the market, competent and flexible price policy, the presence of a customer loyalty program, exemplary service, the formation of competitive advantages and the creation of unique selling propositions.

Another risk is associated with increased purchase prices for goods from unscrupulous suppliers. In the first case, there is a risk of increased costs and, as a consequence, the selling price, which may negatively affect demand. In the second case, the risk is associated with interruptions in the trade process due to a shortage of goods. It is possible to reduce the likelihood of these threats by choosing suppliers wisely and including in the contract all the necessary conditions that provide for financial liability of the supplier in case of their violation.

The next risk - insufficient level of demand - is one of the most likely and can arise both because of the low solvency of demand and because of high distribution costs. It is possible to reduce the risk with careful planning of store activities and financial results, competent formation of the assortment and selection of retail space, holding various promotions and discounts, stimulating repeat purchases, and flexible pricing.

If you are leasing a retail space, you must consider the risk of your retail space being rejected or the cost of rent increasing. Loss of space threatens losses: firstly, these are the costs of moving equipment; secondly, the move will take a certain time, during which the store will not function and, therefore, will not make a profit; thirdly, the loss of a place familiar to customers and additional advertising costs to promote a new place. All these consequences can lead to significant losses. To reduce this risk, you must enter into a long-term lease and choose your landlord carefully. In the future, it is worth considering the possibility of purchasing your own retail space.

Since good staff is the key to trading success, you should pay special attention to the formation and management of personnel. There is a risk of problems with employees, which may arise due to low qualifications, staff turnover, and lack of motivation. The easiest way to reduce this risk is at the recruitment stage by hiring employees who meet all the requirements. It is also worth considering improving the qualifications of employees and their bonus motivation.

Another risk is a decrease in the store’s reputation among the target audience due to errors in management or a decrease in the quality of services. It is possible to mitigate the risk by constantly monitoring the quality of goods and service, receiving feedback from store customers and taking corrective measures. By knowing about possible risks and taking measures to prevent them, you can avoid serious financial losses and build a stable, profitable business.

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Every person knows about the existence of such a subtle matter as perfume. Almost everyone, at the level of their sense of smell, imagines exactly what we are talking about - a pleasant aroma enclosed in an elegant bottle, hidden in elegant packaging, which is sold for a very considerable amount... Not everyone, but many have at least once tried to “try it on” on yourself any of the many perfume aromas... But almost no one knows how perfume is made and where exactly its production begins...

The path of the “dream in a bottle,” so elusive and invisible, the history of any of the many thousands of perfume compositions that currently exist begins in the perfumer’s workshop. Before starting his work, the creator of fragrances has a detailed conversation with the customer or his representative and, carefully asking about all the many wishes of his client, draws up a “brief” for the fragrance.

Almost without exception, perfume and cosmetic brands obsessed with the idea of ​​making perfume turn to specialized laboratories such as the Creassence laboratory, located in the municipality of Louveciennes near Paris, to develop the formula for a new fragrance.

Creassence was founded in 2000 by perfumer Sylvie Jourdet. The laboratory positions itself as the “House of French Perfumery”, whose mission is to create and produce unique fragrances to order. Moreover, any client can order the development of perfumes from Creassence for any purpose: for themselves, for a loved one, as a gift or for sale, for any holiday or event. In addition, “Creassence” specialists conduct many seminars and conferences on perfumery and perfume-related topics, in particular: “Fragrant plants”, “The art of composing fragrances”, “Classification of perfumery”, “Modern trends in the production of perfumery” and others.

Today, perfumers have a fairly wide range of aromatics in their arsenal - more than 6,000 types of raw materials. A single perfume can contain from 30 to 80 different components. Naturally, the price for each of them, depending on the complexity and labor intensity of obtaining, fluctuates in a very wide range.

For example, to extract one kilogram of rose oil, you need to collect tons of petals, and to obtain iris oil, you must first tan its roots for two years.

Plant raw materials are alcohol infusions, solutions and oils obtained from fragrant parts of plants: leaves, seeds, fruits, roots, as well as some mosses and lichens. Plant resins and balms are also used. Raw materials of animal origin most often refer to amber, beaver stream, musk and civet. By themselves, they emit odors that cannot be called pleasant, but thanks to them, perfumers add more sensuality, attractiveness and voluptuousness to their creations...

But let's get back to how perfume is made. To develop a fragrance, depending on the wishes of the customer, an experienced professional perfumer needs from two weeks to three months hard work. In fact, it is not so important what classification the fragrance is and for whom it is being developed. Whether it's women's perfume "Nina" or "L" air du Temps" from "Nina Ricci", men's perfume "Paco Rabanne Pour Homme" or "Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet Man" from "Paco Rabanne" - the technological production process is always the same : the perfumer, guided by information from the “brief” for the aroma, his own flair and intuition, composes a new perfume composition from various essential oils... Drop by drop...

And now, about three months of work on the fragrance are behind us. The time has come to select the most successful options. There is also a certain testing system: out of about 30 samples, about three or four perfumes should remain, maximum five, which are destined to be presented to the client. The following photo captures a typical working moment in the work of perfumers at the Creassence laboratory - testing, evaluating and discussing perfume samples created within the walls of the laboratory at the request of one of the clients.

On the left is Sylvie Jourdet - perfumer, professor and honorary chairman of the French Society of Perfumers (SFP), founder of Creassence. Sylvia received her perfume education at the famous French Institute of Perfumers "ISIPCA" ("Institut Superieur International du Parfum, de la Cosmetique et de l" Aromatique alimentaire" - "International Institute of Perfumery, Cosmetics and Food Flavorings"). On the right is Katell Plisson. Plisson) - perfumer, teacher at the French Institute of Perfumers "ISIPCA", received an education in chemistry and fine analysis at the University of "Le Havre".

If the client is satisfied with the work of the perfumer, he orders the laboratory to produce a concentrate of the invented perfume. In perfumery slang, such a concentrate is called “juice”. Those fragrances that are not suitable for the client will remain in the laboratory’s archive, “under the cloth of the perfumer’s table.” It happens that in the future such fragrances are still released. To be fair, it should be noted that customers (including large brands) very rarely buy recipes for created fragrances from the laboratory. Therefore, it is perfume laboratories that are the owners of such recipes.

In the next photo, Katel Plisson, perfumer of Creassence, is in the process of making a concentrate. Just imagine how fragrant the atmosphere reigns within the walls of the laboratory at this moment! However, professionals know how to abstract themselves from the cacophony of aromas and even focus on one of them in such a way that others are simply “not heard” during work.

What is the cost of the future perfume concentrate and how much will it cost a potential customer to produce the “juice”? Naturally, the lion's share of expenses is due to the cost of the ingredients included in the perfume. And, by the way, many of them are purchased in French Grasse - the historical capital of perfumes, the Mecca of world perfumery.

How much does it cost to make perfume?

Here are just a few facts for example:

● 1 kilogram of musk deer musk costs about 60,000 euros.
● 1 kilogram of iris essential oil costs about 40,000 euros.
● 1 kilogram of the purest rose essential oil costs more than 8,000 euros.

Such components are used only in the production of only the most exclusive perfumes. But, of course, not everything is so expensive:

Perfume factory

The Paco Rabanne perfume factory was built in 1976. Despite the fact that almost 40 years have passed since its construction, this production area of ​​more than 14,000 square meters is equipped with the most modern equipment, employing about two hundred employees of various specialties.

Factory " Paco Rabanne"is not the only one in the region. The Cosmetic Valley Association of Perfumery and Cosmetics Manufacturers has more than 130 large and small factories producing perfumes and cosmetics.

Only one factory, Paco Rabanne, produces perfumes for such prestigious brands as Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, Guerlain, Hermes, Lolita Lempicka, Nina Ricci, and of course Paco Rabanne. and many others. In total, the Cosmetic Valley perfume factories employ 16,000 people, annually producing a variety of fragrant products worth more than 2.5 billion euros.

Achievements of the Nina Ricci Nina fragrance

At the time the photographer took these photographs, the factory was in full swing producing a batch of perfumes “Nina” from the house “Nina Richie” and “Paco Rabanne pour homme” from the brand “Paco Rabanne”. To appreciate the production capacity of this factory, just try to imagine:

● The Nina fragrance from Nina Richie has been produced since 2005.
● 2006 - the beginning of sales and full-scale promotion of the fragrance - 3,000,000 bottles sold.
● In 2006, this “red apple of Nina” captured 3 percent of the global perfume market.
● Until now, the fragrance “Nina” from “Nina Richie” is on the list of world perfume bestsellers.

We invite you to take a look at how Nina perfume is made at the Paco Rabanne factory. During the production cycle, the future “Nina” concentrate from “Nina Ricci” will go through numerous high-tech stages of dissolving the perfume concentrate in rectified alcohol, allowing the resulting solution to stand, freezing, filtration, fine cleaning, packaging and, finally, packaging. And all this will happen under the constant supervision of highly qualified factory personnel.

Factory laboratory

The company has its own chemical laboratory. It is impossible not to say that there is a very important document - “Regulations on perfumery and cosmetic products”, which strictly regulates everything related to the production, quality and safety of the relevant products. Judging objectively, the six full-time laboratory assistants have a lot of work to do and they never get bored. Everything that is shipped from the finished product shops of numerous perfumery and cosmetic enterprises, all products that end up in stores and boutiques must comply with the above regulations.

In this regard, perfumes are made under the constant supervision of the factory laboratory. Tests are carried out by Paco Rabanne specialists at all stages of production. The first tests begin immediately upon arrival of the raw materials at the plant. In the photo below, a sample of a mixture of perfume concentrate and rectified alcohol arrived at the laboratory for control testing. And further, the entire technologically complex process of manufacturing perfumes right up to the completion of packaging of the final product also occurs under constant control.

Most likely, you don’t know or haven’t thought about the fact that despite the considerable cost of perfume, in fact only 20-25 percent, maximum 30 percent of their price is the cost of the perfume composition itself. (This refers to the final product of production - those same intricate bottles in beautiful cardboard boxes that are sold in perfume boutiques).

It is in the chemical laboratory of the enterprise that the final “finishing” of the concentrate of future perfumes takes place. The concept of “trade secret” is well known to perfumers and is respected by them no worse than by bankers in Switzerland. For this reason, the recipe for the perfume produced is not disclosed even among the employees of the Paco Rabanne factory. None of the numerous engineers, laboratory assistants and technologists knows it completely, not to mention ordinary employees of the enterprise. For many of them there are only numbers in various tables and forms. They thoroughly know the whole process from beginning to end and, accordingly, the secret formula of perfume, no more three people from the Puig industrial group.

Another equally important and responsible task faces the laboratory staff. They constantly monitor the stability of the finished perfume product, including issues of preserving color, other physical properties and aromatic qualities of the perfume over time. Simply put, perfume products released by the factory are stored and periodically tested for 3 years after release for their physical condition and olfactory properties.

Organization of production

The pace of work at the Paco Raban factory is quite intense and these requirements are dictated by modern business processes. Every day, the delivery service delivers dozens of concentrated perfume aromas and a colossal amount of rectified alcohol to the company’s warehouse, the mixture of which will soon turn into incredibly beautiful perfumes or eau de parfum. The organization of the work of this entire grandiose mechanism is planned in accordance with numerous requests coming from large wholesale and small trading companies.

One of the most important stages in perfume production is the process of mixing perfume concentrate with rectified alcohol. For these purposes, huge containers of various capacities made of high-quality inert stainless steel are used (pictured below - on the right).

In the photo below on the left you can see a flipchart - a special board on which plant engineers make notes on the progress of production processes: on which of the many production lines and what exactly is in given time is happening. Technologists at the Paco Rabanne perfume factory meticulously take notes on the progress of all production processes. This organization of work allows the Paco Rabanne factory to stay on schedule and fulfill the delivery plan for finished products on time, without letting down its business partners from France and other countries.

The production of high-quality perfumes today is a real team effort, requiring impeccably accurate and timely implementation of all necessary procedures and technological processes by all team members. Just the slightest error or inaccuracy at any stage of production can lead to colossal losses for the entire enterprise.

Preparing a perfume composition

In 2005, work was completed to automate the enterprise's technological processes. As a result of the technical re-equipment of factory equipment, new production lines are now controlled by computers that fully control all perfume manufacturing processes. But still, robots, supercomputers and all kinds of manipulators will never be able to completely replace humans in production. In this photo, a technologist controls the process of adding rectified alcohol and dye to a future perfume composition.

Ahead is “maceration”. Over the course of 15 to 20 days, future perfumes will “ripen” in a huge tank made of inert stainless steel, called “cuves” in perfumer parlance. The mixture in the tank will be stirred daily for one hour each day. This technological process fully automated: the computer will do all the work with its inherent accuracy, control over the operation of the computer is carried out by a person.

These “cuvees” do not yet contain perfume, but only a mixture of perfume concentrate, dye and rectified alcohol. In a stainless steel tank, which is located very first in the photo, in this moment The famous women's eau de parfum “Ultraviolet” from Paco Rabanne is “ripening”...

Giant industrial tanks hold about a thousand liters of a mixture of concentrate and rectified alcohol. The proportion in which they will be mixed in each specific case is precisely determined, is always very precisely observed and is usually not disclosed by perfume engineers. However, if we talk about perfumes, such a thousand-liter vessel at the end of the production process will produce about 6,000 liters of luxury perfume.

In this huge hall, with the help of powerful industrial air conditioners, the temperature is constantly maintained at 15 degrees Celsius. Here, not only the perfumes of numerous brands belonging to the Puig concern, but also the perfumes of the Christian Dior and Guerlain houses “ripen” before entering the bottles.

In huge stainless steel tanks for long period time - from 15 to 20 days - “maceration” of the mixture of perfume concentrate and rectified alcohol occurs. The production power of the Paco Rabanne factory at this technological stage cannot but impress:

● The price of one stainless steel tank is from 20,000 euros each.
● There are a total of 90 tanks in the factory, which are located on two levels.
● The capacity of stainless steel tanks varies and ranges from 500 to 6000 liters.
● When the factory is fully loaded, 280,000 liters of perfume are simultaneously produced in these tanks.
● Every day, on certain time, the mixture in each tank will be stirred for an hour.
● The Paco Rabanne factory in Chartres consumes 24,000 liters of rectified spirit per week.

After the “maturation” process, future perfumes enter factory production lines for further processing. Work at the factory does not stop even at night, and since several production lines are working at once, where the release of various perfumes is being prepared, it is very important to keep strict and thorough records. This is another component for obtaining excellent perfumes of excellent quality...

Three highly qualified specialists responsible for launching fragrances into production, like circus jugglers, skillfully manipulate thirty production lines simultaneously. It should be noted that these are only lines for the production of branded perfume. In addition, the factory regularly carries out many small orders for the production of seasonal and limited edition perfumes, produced in limited editions...

Perfume filtration

There is no way to do without a filtration procedure for a perfume composition when producing a “dream in a bottle”. After the future perfume leaves the cuvée, it undergoes careful filtration, the task of which is to remove the smallest impurities that could subsequently somehow manifest themselves in the finished product and spoil its impeccable appearance.

In the photo below, the popular men's fragrance “Pour Homme” from the house “Paco Rabanne” is undergoing a filtration procedure. The filtration system is quite complex, and the process itself takes place shortly before the perfume composition is supplied to the bottling line. Future perfumes will have to pass under pressure through 25 very fine filters, preliminary mechanical and fine cleaning, which will not let anything unnecessary into the high-quality product. And this is just the beginning of the cleanup...

Freezing out the spirits

The next process used after the pre-filtration stage of the liquid to further more effectively purify it, it is called "freezing" (perfumers say "glacage") and is used to remove wax-like substances from the perfume oil composition, which is ultimately done to increase the stability of the final product.

The mixture of rectified spirit and perfume concentrate is now cooled to 0 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, vegetable waxes that are poorly soluble in alcohol crystallize, precipitate and are subsequently removed from the finished product. Freezing makes future perfumes as transparent as possible and allows you to avoid the appearance of any clouding of the perfume composition during long-term storage.

The freezing process takes place in special devices - exhibitors or crystallizers. The cycle can be either continuous or periodic, and it is possible to send the perfume composition for re-filtration. In the photo above, with pipes covered with frost, is just one of these powerful and productive freezing units.

Bottles and packaging

It is not enough to produce a quality product - it needs to be wrapped in beautiful shape: pour into bottles and pack. To do this, the factory keeps a stock of a wide variety of components - bottles, spray bottles, boxes, decorative elements and plastic film, which, by the way, are individual in design for each perfume product.

Production cannot afford downtime due to shortages. Supplies and thereby let down customers. Especially when you consider the fact that for the release of many limited editions, packaging materials are ordered in separate batches or even one-time. Therefore, warehouse stocks are created taking into account possible appearance increased demand for a particular brand of perfume and work without frequent additional deliveries of components over a period of three to six months.

This is where perfume is finished being made - on these production lines where the labor-intensive packaging process takes place. The Paco Rabanne factory has six automatic production lines and four semi-automatic ones. Sixty people are constantly employed here packaging finished perfume products, working in 3 shifts of 8 hours each.

Bottles for the bottling lines of finished perfume products of the Paco Rabanne factory come from the Normandy glass factories located near the city of Le Tréport (Treport). The major suppliers of glass perfume bottles are the most renowned in this industry. First of all, these are the companies “Pochet”, “Bormioli” and “Saint Gobain Desjonqueres”.

Filling and packaging lines

The production capacity of just one conveyor on which finished perfume products are bottled and packaged ranges from 1000 to 1600 bottles per hour, and this figure depends on the complexity of the design of the bottle itself. Accordingly, from 24,000 to 38,400 vials leave the automatic line per day.

One more nuance should be noted. The company's conveyors are busy with intense work, and to prevent fragile bottles from breaking, they are moved along the conveyor in special stands, which in turn are also made specifically for the design of the bottle. In this photo, bottles of “Nina” from “Nina Ritchie” begin their movement along the factory conveyor.

The lines that bottle finished perfumes operate non-stop 24 hours a day. In total, the Paco Rabanne factory has four semi-automatic and six automatic lines for bottling and packaging perfume products. This photo (left) shows how six Nina bottles are simultaneously filled through special nozzles.

A special sensor is installed in the seventh nozzle of the finished product bottling line, which checks the filling level of the bottle, because the Nina fragrance from Nina Ricci is bottled in various bottles with a volume of 30, 50 and 80 milliliters.

A modern bottle of perfume is almost unthinkable without a spray bottle. Its use makes the use of perfume more comfortable for the consumer and allows the scent to be used in doses and more economically. Every day, the company’s production lines install thousands of sprayers like those in the photo shown.

The largest supplier of spray guns for the production lines of the Paco Rabanne factory is the Valois company, which today is a recognized leader in the development and production of high-quality spray guns and other spray systems for the perfume, cosmetic and medical industries.

The process of final installation of sprays is fully automated and takes place on a special pressing device. The operation is performed by manipulators without human intervention. First, thin plastic tubes through which the sprays will subsequently deliver the aromatic liquid are trimmed to required length. The need for trimming arises due to the fact that initially all sprays are made with tubes of standard length, and perfume can be bottled into bottles of different volumes and heights.

The time that each bottle spends on the device for pressing the spray gun is less than one and a half seconds. Just a few precise movements - and the elegant vessel is moved to the next stage of the packaging process.

The famous Paco Rabanne brand cannot allow any claims to the quality of its luxury products. In this regard, the requirements for quality control of finished products are very stringent. Since thousands of sprays are installed on production lines by automatic machines, one of the many verification tests is to control the quality of the functioning of the spray mechanism...

At the finished product control area, manipulators cannot yet replace human labor. In the photo above you can see that at the Paco Rabanne factory, each bottle of perfume is manually checked.

After the next check, it’s time to pack the bottles. The bottles are placed in cardboard boxes on new generation packaging lines that are characterized by high speed and productivity. The robotic device grabs the bottle and places it into the box with a precise movement. Another manipulator with a soft felt pad delivers the bottle to the very bottom of the cardboard box.

Nina bottles have a fairly simple design. Some other scents may have more complex shape and require more manipulation for your packaging, which will affect the pace of packaging. An automated line that packs perfume into cardboard boxes is usually programmed to run continuously for 12 hours. Naturally, the automated packaging process occurs under constant human control.

The robotic packaging line does more than just put bottles into boxes. The beautiful appearance of the packaged perfume is ensured by film packaging. Therefore, at the end of the packaging process, the production line closes cardboard box, covers it with film and secures it thermally.

It should be said that film packaging also has special requirements. Even at the packaging stage, the film must provide excellent physical properties, be stretch-resistant and puncture-resistant, and must fit tightly around the box of perfume so that its appearance is attractive and aesthetic.

Just one minute passes and 40 packaged vials come off the automatic line. The film-wrapped boxes are carried along special rollers to the end of the conveyor. It will take approximately another minute to manually move the 40 vials into the large shipping box.

Boxes of perfume are collected on transport pallets. Almost everything is ready to send the batch of perfumes to the customer. An employee at the Paco Rabanne factory makes the final marks on the boxes before the pallets are tied with plastic cord and covered with plastic film.

There is one more stage ahead, as a result of which the next batch of perfumes will be prepared for loading into trucks and will be sent to authorized sellers of the brand not only in France, but throughout the world. Finished products are not stored directly at the Paco Rabanne factory.

Large cardboard boxes, inside of which there are small boxes of perfumes, collected 24 pieces on special cargo pallets, are sent to an automated product transportation system. The pallets slide along the conveyor rollers further, where two robotic units distribute the products.

The enterprise's transportation system, operating at full capacity, can simultaneously serve up to ten production lines. Modern technology The control system gently starts and stops loads, so that even unstable and fragile loads such as perfume are reliably and safely transported and sent to the warehouse. The starting price for transportation systems of this class ranges from 200,000 euros and above.

In order to avoid theft of finished products, the Paco Rabanne factory follows a very simple security policy: never store finished products on its premises. Immediately from the stocks of the factory transportation system, the products are sent to the cargo terminal located in the suburbs of Paris.

When talking about high examples of perfumery art, we most often mentally transport ourselves to France, the birthplace of exquisite fragrances. But Russian perfumes, alas, are unlikely to evoke enthusiastic emotions among contemporaries. It’s hard to believe, but Russia was once a manufacturer of perfume products that competed with European products and were not just equal among equals, but the best among the best. Domestic perfumers received the highest awards at prestigious world trade and industrial exhibitions. Is it true, we're talking about O Pre-revolutionary Russia .

It should be recognized that the perfume industry in Russia began to develop much later than in Western Europe.

The prototypes of modern perfumery appeared in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, and were developed in Ancient Rome and Persia. Perfume appeared in Europe around the 13th century. In France at the turn of the 17th century- XVIII centuries began industrial production perfumes and cosmetics. And the most popular perfume product is cologne(translated from French “Eau de Cologne” - “Cologne water”) appeared in 1709 .

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian perfume and cosmetics market was filled with products from foreign companies, most of which were French. Russian companies competed with them quite successfully, except for very small manufacturers, there were a little more than 30 of them.

In the field of fashion and perfumes The main passion of the Russians was, of course, everything French. But, despite the enormous popularity of foreign products, Russian perfumers gradually proved that they are no worse and they managed to make a name for themselves not only in the domestic but also in the world market.

Studying the experience of their Western colleagues, Russian perfumers made an incredible leap at the end of the 19th century. The highest quality of perfume products produced in Russia is indicated by great amount international awards received at World Trade and Industrial Exhibitions. The title “Supplier of the Court of His Imperial Majesty” spoke of the highest quality of the goods. It was simply impossible to obtain such a title and permission to use the image of the state emblem on one’s products in Russia. Permission to use the state emblem could only be given by the Ministry of the Imperial Household. And before becoming a supplier to the imperial family, the manufacturer was obliged to produce exceptionally high-quality goods for at least eight years.
Among the Russian perfume companies, the suppliers of the imperial court were the partnerships of Heinrich Brocard, Alphonse Rallet, and Alexander Ostroumov.

Many perfumers came from European countries and settled firmly in Russia. Among the large perfume companies in Russia at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries were - the perfume laboratory of G. Gollender, the Tsar's Soap Factory, which began its activities with the production of pharmaceutical products by the partnership R. Köller and Co. and K. Ermans and Co., the perfumery products of Samuil Chepelevetsky's S.I. factory were very highly valued in Russia and abroad. Chepelevetsky with his sons." Large producers included perfume factory of the partnership "E. Bodlot and Co., (second name “Victoria Regina”). A native of France, Emil Stepanovich Bodlot was the creator of the favorite among admirers perfume cologne "Lila Fleury". The composer Oscar Knaub, popular in pre-revolutionary Russia, dedicated one of his waltzes, which was called “Lila Fleury,” to this aroma. Most of the famous perfume production facilities were located in Moscow. In St. Petersburg, two “set the tone” large enterprises. In 1860, the pharmacist and merchant of the first guild Fyodor Ivanovich Kal founded the “Petersburg Chemical Laboratory”, which produced all kinds of cosmetic novelties, as well as wonderful perfumes and colognes. Since 1890, the enterprise was called the St. Petersburg Chemical Laboratory Joint Stock Company. At this time, the father of the poet Sasha Cherny worked at the factory, heading the sales department. The partnership with an almost similar name, “St. Petersburg Techno-Chemical Laboratory,” included the “Vasily Aurich” division, named after the talented perfume manufacturer, chief laboratory assistant, or, as he was called at that time, the main “nose” of the factory, Vasily Aurich. The only Russian-French joint-stock partnership in Russia, Modern, was famous not only for its sophisticated aromas, but also elegant bottles that were produced at the famous glass factories of the Gribkov brothers and the factories of Ivan Riting.

Most people associate the surname Ferrein with the famous oldest Moscow pharmacy No. 1 on Nikolskaya Street. The son of Karl Ferrein, an honorary citizen of Moscow, the creator of the Staro-Nikolskaya Pharmacy, as it was then called, the outstanding pharmacist Vladimir Karlovich Ferrein did not just sell medicines, he created them. And, according to the testimony of many pharmacological authorities, Ferrein’s drug preparation technology was inaccessible to all other pharmacies.
But Vladimir Karlovich Ferrein, was also famous as a wonderful producer perfumes . In the largest European pharmacy of that time, which was the pharmacy on Nikolskaya 23, you could buy a wide variety of perfumes, colognes and other perfumery products. One of the famous creators of the “highest perfumes"was in Russia Alphonse Siou, a Frenchman who settled in Moscow in 1853, who initially became famous in the confectionery field. The Siu and Co. partnership, in addition to other perfumes, produced a large number of high-quality perfumes; this type of product exceeded the production of cheaper colognes. The company had its bases and luxury stores throughout Russia, the Baltic states and Poland. Another perfume factory belonged to the most talented pharmacist, the founder of world medicinal cosmetics and cosmetology in Russia, Alexander Ostroumov (“Ostroumov Partnership”). A special feature of Russian perfumery was its close connection with pharmacy. Many stars of Russian perfumery emerged from among pharmacists. The outstanding perfumer and cosmetologist Alexander Ostroumov began his journey as a simple pharmacist and called himself such, achieving enormous results. His perfume and colognes were very revered in artistic circles. Among the fans of Ostroumov's perfume products were ballerina Tamara Karsavina, singer Nadezhda Plevitskaya, ballerina Maria Petipa, Maly Theater actress Vera Pashennaya, Bolshoi Theater prima singers Antonina Nezhdanova, Elena Stepanova and many others.

One of the oldest and largest in Russia, was factory of Alphonse Rallet, French by origin. The Association of High Perfumes A. Rallet and Co. was created in 1843. For their excellent quality, the products of this factory received a huge number of various awards, plus the honorary title “Supplier of the Imperial Court”.At the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878, the perfumery innovations of the Rallet company were recognized as “above any award,” and in 1900, the products of the trading house received the Grand Prix award. In terms of scale and quantity of products, A. Ralle & Co. surpassed many Western factories. Advertising his product, Ralle published the “Encyclopedia of Women's Handicrafts,” in which he spoke in detail about the quality and advantages of his perfumes. The advertisement said that in the stores of the Ralle partnership you can buy “...more than a hundred scents of floral eaux-de-cologne in bottles for 60 kopecks and 1 ruble.” For lovers aromas the famous “Nile Lily”, “Napoleon’s Bouquet”, “Russian Violet”, “Silver Lily of the Valley”, “Source of Love” and several dozen more romantic names were offered. In the latest news you could read that a new “divine aroma ».

In 1857, Alphonse Rallet left for France, and in Russia the factory was managed by a directorate headed by another native of France, Eduard Beaux. His son Ernest, born in Moscow, continued the dynasty. He began his career as a laboratory perfumer. In 1917, Bo's family returned to their historical homeland. Ernest continued his work at the perfume factory in Grasse, where Alphonse Rallet produced his products (since 1898 under the Chiris brand). It was there that Ernest Beaux created one of the world's most famous fragrances - the legendary Chanel No. 5.

Under the Chiris brand, the perfumery enterprise in Grasse existed until 1922, at which time the perfumes Rallet Le No. 1., Le Gardenia, etc. were very popular. Since 1922, the factory began to belong to the Coty company, where they continued to produce perfumes until the 40s, advertising them like a luxury brand. In 1963, the new owners renamed the perfume Rallet Pfizer, but after some time the brand ceased to exist.

The end of the 19th century, which can rightfully be called the “Golden Age of Russian perfumery”, is associated with the name of the outstanding creator of perfumery products, talented and enterprising manufacturer of French origin, Heinrich Brocard. In the 1880-1890s there was not a person in Russia who did not use one or another perfume and cosmetic product produced by Brocard.Heinrich Brocard was a hereditary perfumer. In 1862, he came to Russia and, having married Charlotte Rave, the daughter of a Russified Belgian, remained forever in Moscow. During his service as chief perfumer at the Constantin Ghik factory, he invented a new method of making concentrated perfumes. Having sold his invention to a French company, Heinrich opened his own enterprise with the proceeds. From the very beginning of his activity, Heinrich Brocard showed himself not only to be a perfumer with a capital “P”, but also an outstanding businessman. His company gained unprecedented popularity thanks to the excellent quality of its products and skillful advertising moves.Brocard first started making soap. Despite the fact that his products were of high quality, in Russia the entire “money public” worshiped the West and preferred foreign goods. Well, the poor had no time for soap. Then Brocard's wife Charlotte suggested using an advertising trick, offering to create cheap soap for kids in the form of bunnies, dogs and cats, and for older children - with letters of the alphabet! They didn't forget about adults either. Multi-colored soap in the form of vegetables was produced for them. This piece of soap from Brocard only cost a pretty penny. “You can get a million from a penny!” - Charlotte said, and she turned out to be right.

The original “penny” soap began to enjoy unprecedented popularity. There was also interest in another Brocard product - coconut soap, already for five kopecks. And behind them the round soap “Ball” gained popularity. In 1865, at the Exhibition of Russian Production in Moscow " folk soap"received a silver medal. Brocard's enterprise gradually turned into a powerful, well-equipped factory, where, in addition to soap, they produced cosmetic products. The first signs are “Ruddy” lipstick and “Swan’s Down” powder. In 1872, Brocard's first branded store opened on Nikolskaya Street, and then another in Kitay-Gorod on Birzhevaya Square. For the opening of the second store, a new surprise was invented - a set of cosmetics, consisting of soap, lipstick, perfume, cologne, sachet, cream, etc. There were ten products in total, all in one box. But the main thing is the fantastic price - one ruble. Thanks to widespread advertising, customers literally flocked to the newly opened store. The matter reached the police. In the very first hours of trading, two thousand sets were sold!

But national fame fell on Brocard after he invented the legendary cologne "Floral". To advertise it, at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1882, a fountain was built from which, instead of water, jets of new cologne flowed. Such an advertising campaign was a stunning success, the press made noise about the “Brocard miracle.” In 1883, at the All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow, the cologne received a gold medal. The famous “Flower” became the first mass-produced cologne in Russia for many years. In 1913, comrade Brocard perfumer August Michel created the perfume “The Empress’s Favorite Bouquet” for the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov. . Despite the fact that ladies from the royal family preferred French aromas, especially with a hint of rose, the perfume was destined long life, and they have reached us already under the name “Red Moscow”.

The perfumes of famous Russian perfumers were famous not only for their aromas. The bottles in which they were bottled were distinguished by their beauty and grace. Domestic glassmakers were not inferior to European masters. The appearance of the bottles and packaging boxes was designed to attract the attention of men, because they were the most frequent buyers of perfumes and colognes, which were considered a great gift for beautiful ladies. In those days, women did not often buy their own furs, jewelry and perfume. Therefore, a beautiful, catchy bottle or a bright box should have attracted the male gaze.The smell of perfume did not matter much to a man; the main thing for him was to see the enthusiastic reaction of his chosen one, who noticed an expensive-looking object in the hands of the donor. Famous jewelry firms, such as Faberge, were involved in the creation of some bottles, and prominent artists could be involved in working on the labels. On bottles made of precious metals one could often see the surname or initials of the master. Already in early XIX centuries in Russia, gift boxes for perfumes. They were usually made of cardboard or wood and covered with silk or velvet. The gift boxes contained elegant greeting cards made at the request of the customer, or inserts from the product manufacturer. Some bottles were made according to special orders of the Russian aristocracy. The design of perfume packaging at the end of the 19th century often featured a “neo-Russian” style, or the so-called “Ropetov style”, derived from the name of its founder, the architect I. Petrov (pseudonym Ropet). Russian beauties, heroes of Russian history, fairy-tale characters, scenes from the life of the Russian people, and monuments of Russian architecture were depicted on perfume labels and packaging, on inserts and advertising posters.
The beginning of the 20th century is the dominance of the Art Nouveau style. Stylized plant ornaments, birds and animals, insects, as well as lovely female heads, characteristic of Art Nouveau, began to appear on bottles, labels and packaging. After the revolution, factories and partnerships that produced perfume products were nationalized, many of them soon ceased to exist. The stocks of bottles stored in warehouses were mercilessly destroyed, since they bore the names and trademarks of the old owners, as well as royal symbols. The names of famous perfume companies were a thing of the past; it was decided that most of them would produce soap and other hygiene products. Perfume to the Soviet people not necessary. Let them wash and be happy.

The fate of outstanding pharmaceutical and perfume production in the post-revolutionary period was tragic. Emile Bodlot's factory was converted into a state cooperative under the VICO society for the disabled, but did not exist in this form for very long. It changed its name more than once (“Mac”, “Moscow Perfume Factory No. 3”) until it turned into the Moscow State Cosmetic Factory “Rassvet”, the products of which are still produced to this day.

The partnership "R. Köller and Co" is renamed "Pharmplant No. 12". In November 1922, by decision of the Central Commission for the renaming of factories and factories, it was given the name of the first People's Commissar of Health of the RSFSR, Nikolai Semashko. In 1928 - 1932, the plant was repurposed and modernized, the production of perfumes and cosmetics was stopped, now it is pharmaceutical association"Moskhimfarmpreparaty".

After nationalization, the perfume factory of Samuil Chepelevetsky turned into the Profrabotnik perfume and soap factory.
A favorite of the Russian artistic elite, winner of many awards, Alexander Ostroumov did not accept Soviet power and left Russia; practically nothing remained of his legacy. The name "St. Petersburg Chemical Laboratory" changed several times, until in 1953 it became the final name - the Northern Lights perfume factory.

Partnership "A. Siu and K" was renamed the "Bolshevik" factory, which for some time still produced perfume products, but then became exclusively a confectionery enterprise, which still exists.

Modern Muscovites know the Staro-Nikolskaya pharmacy of Vladimir Karlovich Ferrein as pharmacy No. 1 on Nikolskaya Street. Since 1925, the first pharmaceutical enterprise in Russia, the Ferreina plant, located in the village of Nizhnie Kotly (and now in the Nagatinskaya metro area), began to bear the name of L.Ya. Karpov, then he changed names several more times, until a chemical-pharmaceutical plant was created on its basis, which currently exists under the Ferein brand., just in case, with one “p”, where the products of the pharmaceutical enterprise JSC Bryntsalov-A are manufactured. The Ferrein family left their estate near Moscow and came to Crimea. Their estate and plantation were located in Sudak medicinal plants, all this was soon destroyed. There, in Crimea, during the Civil War, the legendary pharmacist ended his days, and his son Alexander Ferrein and his family managed to move to Berlin.

On the estate of the legendary pharmacist near Moscow (in the Butovo area), where, in addition to living quarters, there was a botanical garden and a bacteriological agricultural station with a floristry museum in one of the halls, in the early years Soviet power Four-year courses for instructors in the cultivation of medicinal plants and a boarding school for students were organized, and the bacteriological station was simply destroyed. In 1931, the All-Russian Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR) was organized on the territory of the estate, which still exists today. To date, only one house remains from the Ferrein estate.

After 1918, the nationalized factory "A. Ralle and Co. existed in Russia for some time. During this period, it was led by the Belgian Adolphe Lemercier, who served as Edouard Beaux's deputy before the revolution, and created his own perfumes, which were used in great demand among amateurs perfume. Then it was renamed Soap and Perfume Factory No. 4, sometimes referred to as the former Lemercier, and after some time the plant became the State Soap and Cosmetic Factory "Svoboda". (Now the cosmetics company OJSC Svoboda).

In 1922, Heinrich Brocard's factory was nationalized and renamed State Soap Factory No. 5. Fortunately, such a faceless name did not stick. In 1922, by resolution of the Council People's Commissars and VSNKh, the factory premises were transferred to the Gosznak factory. On the advice of M.I. Kalinin, workers rebuilt the ruins of the former Sladkov wallpaper factory, and on November 1, 1922, the State Perfume and Soap Factory “Novaya Zarya” opened. (Now the perfume factory “New Zarya”).

At first, nationalized enterprises of the new Russia were simply numbered. As a result, perfume factories No. 1, 2, 3, etc. were opened in Moscow, Leningrad and other cities. Only later they began to be given “revolutionary” names, such as “Freedom”, “New Dawn”, etc. During the NEP period, the names of various handicraft and cooperative enterprises and artels appeared on bottles and labels.

In the price list of the famous Parisian company “E. Pino" listed 80 types of spirits, and the domestic "A. Ralle and Co. produced 675 types of perfume products. The company received 60 top awards at exhibitions. Many modern perfume companies can only envy such success. About the Russian perfume company “A. Ralle and Co" and will be discussed in this article.

At the beginning of the summer of 1843 in Moscow on Vyatskaya Street, a French citizen, merchant Alfons Antonovich Rallet, built the Rallet perfume factory. Until this time, there were so-called lipstick establishments and small perfume laboratories in Russia, which mainly produced alcohol essences, cosmetic ointments and creams. In a strict sense, they could not be classified as perfume products, so the existence of the Russian perfume industry can be traced back to 1843.

At that time, only forty workers worked in production. And the power was determined by a single steam engine. The new manufacturer's area of ​​interest is expensive cosmetics. Its product range included perfumes, colognes, toilet soap, lipsticks, and powder. Perfumers invited from abroad were involved in developing the recipe. Raw materials were delivered from the same place, from France and Italy.

Perfume, cologne “New Lilac” “A.Ralle and Co” natural long-lasting scent of white lilac

Advertising sheet for the partnership of high perfumery "A. Ralle and Co."
Perfumery “Tsarsky Veresk” Cologne - 1 ruble per bottle. Perfume in a case - 3 rubles.

The small production grew by 1855 to 22 buildings in Teply Lane, the Stearin Candle Partnership, a soap factory and a perfume workshop. Ralle's products (perfume, lipstick, powder, soap) quickly gained popularity.

Also in 1855, the company achieved the prestigious title of supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty. An additional component of success was that the owner of the crystal factory, Friedrich Dutfoy, joined the board of the newly formed “Trading House A. Ralle,” who put the fragrant products in original bottles. The sales system was also well organized: numerous agents distributed the “perfume” even among the nobles of the Middle East.

View of the finishing room of the company's factory

Advertising his product, Ralle published the “Encyclopedia of Women's Handicrafts,” in which he spoke in detail about the quality and benefits of his perfumes. The advertisement said that in the stores of the Ralle partnership you can buy “...more than a hundred scents of floral eaux-de-cologne in bottles for 60 kopecks and 1 ruble.” Fragrance lovers were offered the famous “Nile Lily”, “Bouquet of Napoleon”, “Russian Violet”, “Silver Lily of the Valley”, “Source of Love” and several dozen more romantic names. In the latest news you could read that a new “divine fragrance” has appeared on sale.

In 1856, Rallet sold the production to his partners - the Frenchmen Baudran and Bugon - on the condition that the factory would always bear his name. A trading house called "Partnership "A" was formed. Rallet and Co. "In 1857, Rallet left for France due to lung disease, and in Russia the factory was managed by a directorate headed by Eduard Bo.
Edouard Beau is a Russian Frenchman, the son of the Napoleonic soldier Jean-Baptiste Beau, who was captured and settled in Russia, and then became an artist of the Imperial Theater troupe in St. Petersburg.

In 1865, as part of an exhibition of manufactured works in Moscow, an expert commission visited the factory. At the same time, the factory was classified in the first category for its extensive production and excellent properties of goods: lipstick, toilet soap, perfume, toilet vinegar.

The company was developing and it was necessary to establish a new factory. In 1899, a new factory building was built in Butyrki according to the design of academician architect Oscar-Jean Frantsevich Didio. The enterprise was equipped with the latest technology of the time. It had means of mechanization, electricity, an elevator, steam engines, and a telephone. The main building has survived to this day: it now houses soap and cosmetic production.
At the same time, plantations were established in the south of Russia for the cultivation of essential oil crops and the production of fragrant substances. Much-needed and expensive raw materials were no longer imported from abroad, but were grown in Russia. Since the 80s of the 19th century, the production of fashionable floral colognes began, which brought huge profits to the Partnership.

In December 1896, the company was transformed into the “Partnership of Higher Perfumery A. Rallet and Co.” with a fixed capital of 1 million rubles. Already in 1903, the fixed capital amounted to 1.5 million rubles and represented 2,000 registered shares of 750 rubles each, the net profit was 75 thousand rubles. By 1913, the main package was increased to 2,000,250 rubles, and the profit was already calculated at 180,022 rubles.

Thanks to the high class of products, Ralle & Co. was the official supplier of the Court of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of All Russia, the Shah of Persia and His Highness the Prince of Montenegro. The Partnership was awarded the state emblem of the Russian Empire four times (more of Russian companies no one has received this award so many times), the highest award for high quality products - this was the greatest achievement at that time.
At the Paris World Exhibition in 1878, the company's products were recognized as “above all rewards,” and at the Paris Exhibition in 1900 they received the highest award, the “Grand Prix.”

Perfume in honor of the coronation

The company's products also had special packaging. So, a bar of soap was wrapped in several wrappers, between which the so-called program was placed - an advertising brochure. And the outer packaging was supplemented with two seals along the edges and sealed with two stamps. The quality of the product was immediately obvious; again, such design prevented counterfeits.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the partnership owned three stores in Moscow, wholesale warehouses and stores in St. Petersburg and many other cities.

Advertising sheet for the partnership of high perfumery "A. Ralle and Co." Addresses of stores and warehouses

"Perfumes of Russian boyars of the Partnership "A.Ralle and Co"

Pansies

Bottles of perfume "A. Ralle and Co.

At the end of the 19th century, Ernest Bo (1881-1961), the son of the company's director, Eduard Bo, began working for the company. Here is an excerpt from his memoirs:

I started my work in 1898 in Moscow. My older brother was then an administrator at Ralle, one of the largest Russian perfumers. Until demobilization, I first studied soap production in France, then, upon returning to Russia in 1902, I took up pure perfumery. This large enterprise employed 1,500 workers. Factory equipment and social organization were perfect for that time. The house had to adapt to an extremely large market (180 million people in Russia, China, Persia, the Balkans, etc.) and take into account the tastes of Russian women in the use of perfumes and luxury goods. Full trains carried toilet soap, rice powder, cologne and perfume to all parts of the world. Probably in connection with this success, when we resumed the Rallet business in the town of La Boya in the south of France after the Russian Revolution, we installed a turntable here connected to the railway. Since 1902, our technical director Lemercier began teaching me the art of perfumery. I will gladly pay him the tribute of deep respect for his artistry and brilliant technical skills. Everything about him was original, starting with his manner of living and dressing. He was a great innovator, who never agreed to follow the usual standards and clearly foresaw everything new that chemistry and the production of natural products would bring to perfumery, contributing to its flourishing."

In 1907, Ernest Beaux replaced Lemercier in his post and became the leading perfumer of Ralle. Together with his brother, he is on the board of the partnership. The new post gave Bo the opportunity for great creative freedom. Russian emigrant K. Verigin recalled Ernest Bo:

Ernest Bo, he wrote, like his teacher, looked for still unknown products and used them in the most wonderful and unexpected combinations. Replacing Lemercier, he became Rallet's first perfumer. For this House he created whole line perfumes based on Tsarsky Veresck extract; then, in 1912, to celebrate the centenary of the Battle of Borodino, he released Bouquet de Napoleon, which, in his own words, was an incredible success. I think that the reason for this success is his great love for Napoleon and his admiration for that era, which he studied especially well. Thus, in the creation of Bouquet de Napoleon, the power of love played a very important role, making work easier and sharpening talent. And all his life E. Bo remained faithful to the Emperor. Sometimes, feeling that he had managed to correctly convey what he was looking for, and being in a particularly good mood, he would assume a victorious look and, laughing, announce that he felt like the Napoleon of French perfumery...

Choosing fragrant chemical products, E. Bo always avoided those that others used. But he worked with synthetic products of very high strength, sometimes even with unpleasant odors, if only this could give him a new, original note. He believed that any characteristic product can be supplemented, surrounded, ennobled by adding enough large quantity valuable natural essences and subtle synthetic aromas. E. Bo's great merit lies in the fact that he was the first to use the most expensive natural essences in his extracts, as a result of which all true connoisseurs of fragrances felt the richness, subtlety and splendor of his works.

The successful development of affairs was interrupted by the First World War, Bo went to the front, where he received several orders for bravery. After the revolution, Ernest Beau emigrated to France, but already in 1918 he again found himself in Russia - from France he was again sent to Russia as a French officer. And as part of the allied mission, Bo ended up in the Russian North: Arkhangelsk and Murmansk.
This is what Murmansk local historian Alexey Kiselev writes:

They say that the author of the famous Chanel perfume was Ernest Beaux in the First world war served in the Kola Arctic and loved to go up to the lake lying above the Murmansk trading port. In his memoirs, E. Bo wrote: “I am often asked how I managed to invent Chanel No. 5? I answer: I created this perfume in 1920, when I returned from the war. Part of my military service was spent in the North, beyond the Arctic Circle. During the summer polar day, the lakes here emit a special freshness. I retained this characteristic smell in my memory, and with great difficulty I managed to recreate it, although at first the aldehydes of the new composition were very unstable...

Since Arkhangelsk is not located beyond the Arctic Circle, it means that Bo’s memoirs were only about Murmansk, and the lake above the port is Semenovskoye. But in the North, Ernest Eduardych did things that were atypical for a perfumer. He was one of the leading employees of the intelligence department of the headquarters of the Main Supreme Command of the Allied Forces in Arkhangelsk. Moreover, he oversaw the Mudyug concentration camp, created by the interventionists in August 1918 in the Arkhangelsk province.

Since 1920, Ernest Beaux has been doing his favorite thing - perfumery - at the Rallet factory in Grasse. In the same 1920, he created the famous Chanel N5 perfume. On March 8, 1961, the funeral of Ernest Eduardovich Bo took place in the parish church of Notre Dame de Grasse de Passy. His coffin was covered with rose petals. None of those present remembered that he was a native Muscovite and had lived in the city dear to his heart for more than thirty years.

Decanter with stopper. Glass. Russia, 1900. Height (including stopper) 17 cm, base diameter 7.5 cm. On the body there are the inscriptions “A. Ralle & Co. Moscau”, an image of a double-headed eagle.

After the Revolution of 1917, the enterprise was nationalized and later renamed “State Soap Factory No. 4.” During the Civil War, only soap was produced; other products were not in demand. In 1922, when the heads of “registered” enterprises petitioned to assign their own names to their factories, the “State Soap Factory No. 4” was renamed the “State Soap and Cosmetic Factory “Svoboda”. And in 1930, it was decided to make the specialization of the enterprise narrower. Then all perfume production from the Svoboda factory was transferred to the Novaya Zarya factory. And Svoboda concentrated on the production of soap - in the 1930s, the number of its varieties was more than 30. They also produced tooth powders, shaving products, creams, and hygiene products for athletes.

During the war, Svoboda, like many other enterprises, was partially evacuated. Production was oriented towards the needs of the front. In addition to soap and dust, glycerin for aviation, explosives, flammable mixtures, cartridges, fuses for grenades, and cases for gas mask pencils are produced. For their dedicated work, the factory staff is awarded the Red Banner of the State Defense Committee, which is still kept at the factory.

Of course, Ralle and Co. was not the only perfume company in pre-revolutionary Russia. At the beginning of the 20th century, the largest perfume factory in Europe was the factory of the Brocard and Co. partnership. At that time, the most famous cosmetologist in the world was our compatriot Alexander Mitrofanovich Ostroumov. Finally, the world's largest pharmacy was Staro-Nikolskaya in Moscow, which produced the entire range of perfumes and cosmetics.
Just a hundred years ago, 12 Russian perfume companies competed on equal terms with the French. The perfumes and colognes invented by our perfumers were awarded the highest awards at almost all trade and industrial exhibitions of that time.