Under the cover of darkness, dressed as servants of a Russian aristocrat, the King and Queen of France attempt to flee the French revolutionaries. En route to France’s eastern border their carriage is stopped at Varennes and their true identity is betrayed by the scent of the female attendant. Only royalty, only Marie Antoinette, could afford a perfume as precious as Quelques Fleurs by Houbigant. There is a rising trend in selecting scent; people are now looking for history, a perfume with provenance and pedigree and there is much to choose from. Sadly the Marie Antoinette story is myth, whilst she favoured Houbiagnt (she was said carry three vials of the company’s perfume to her execution to give her strength) actually Quelques Fleurs was not introduced until 1912. The fragrance does however enjoy a perhaps even greater significance. The brainchild of perfumer Bienaimé, Quelques Fleurs was the world’s first multi-floral and the first fragrance to use aldehydes; the m...