Rimmel

Rimmel was established in 1834 by two Frenchmen, Eugene Rimmel and his father.

c1930 advertisement

The story of Rimmel begins in France. Hyacinthe Mars Rimmel, born in 1796, trained with the famous French perfumer, Pierre-François Lubin. Due to his mastery of the perfume business, he was invited to manage a perfumery on New Bond Street in London owned by the widow of perfumer Joseph Delacroix. So in 1830, Rimmel accepted the position and moved his family to Britain. 

With the financial help of partners Louis Jean Baptiste Vaudeau (b.1806-d.1860) and Pierre Joseph Gabriel Augustin Bessan, Hyacinthe Rimmel was able to open his own perfumery, the House of Rimmel in 1834. The original shop was located on Albemarle Street in the area known as "Little France." In the same year Rimmel produced his first cosmetic products. The Albemarle Street shop was closed in favor of two other perfumery shops opened at 210 Regent Street, London and 39 Gerrard Street, Soho. 

A 1835 advertisement reads: "H. Rimmel, eleve de Lubin a Paris (student of Lubin from Paris),  Perfumer to his late Majesty George the Fourth, Emperor of Russia, Duke of Orleans, &., Importer of all Foreign Perfumery, No. 210, Regent Street, and 39, Gerard Street, Soho Square, London, respectfully begs leave to inform the Nobility and Gentry of the City of Aberdeen and its vicinity, that he has supplied Messrs. P. Williamson & Co. of Union Street, with a choice selection of his various Articles, of which he particularly invites attention to the undermentioned Perfumes."

However, Rimmel avoided paying his creditors and the partnership of Rimmel, Bessan and Vaudeau was dissolved by mutual consent in 1837 after declaring bankruptcy. 

His son, Eugene Rimmel, born in France in 1820, was determined to follow in the footsteps of his father. Eugene at the age of fourteen, started an apprenticeship with his father in the art of cosmetics and perfumes. He also learned how to run a business while apprenticing with the merchants of the East India Company. In 1842, Eugene took over the business. With his continued talents, the business thrived and  expanded throughout Britain and its colonies as well as in Paris. 

By the age of 24, Eugène Rimmel had become a talented perfumer and early cosmetics innovator. Considered by many beauty historians as a trailblazer of the beauty and healthcare industries, Rimmel contributed greatly to the concept of hygiene and bathing. He was also among the first to develop scented pomades, extracts, mouth rinses and his signature "Toilet Vinegar" and lavender waters.

All perfumes were produced in Grasse by the Rimmel family. Rimmel had a manufactory at Beaufort House. In Nice, France, he was the owner of a flower farm. 

In the late 1850s, the main shop was at 96 Strand, London, and Eugene Rimmel lived in an apartment above.

His most innovative invention may well be the first commercial non-toxic mascara, which became so popular that "rimmel" is to this day the word for "mascara" in several languages including French, Italian, Portuguese, Persian, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish and Arabic.

Rimmel was also considered an exceptional marketer and produced detailed mail order catalogues and advertising programmes with English theatres. Imaginative products included perfumed jewelry, gloves, fans, cards, calendars, etc. The company was very successful and in 1851 at the Great Exhibition, Rimmel's magnificent, giant perfume fountain scented the entire hall.

Rimmel was so successful that he was appointed not only Royal Perfumer to the British, but also to the Spanish and French royal courts. Rimmel was granted ten Royal Warrants from heads of state all over Europe, including Queen Victoria, for his perfumes and fragranced products.

Eugene Rimmel published The Book of Perfumes in 1864 and it was a best seller for many years.

With the headline "The Prince of Perfumers", The New York Times printed Rimmel's obituary on 15 March 1887. It stated that he was an avid philanthropist and one of the founders and almost the sole supporter of the French Bureau de Bienfaissance, in Poland Street , and a constant advocate of its claims to the support of the public. In conjunction with Dr. Vintras and one or two others he founded the French Hospital and Dispensary in London in Leicester-place. 

Below is an extract of his obituary from 1887:

"RIMMEL - On February 25, Mr Eugene Rimmel, head of the well known perfumery house, died of heart disease at his residence 96 Strand, London. Mr Rimmel was born in 1820 in Paris where his father was then carrying on business as a perfumer. Mr Rimmel senior who had been initiated in the art of perfumery by the celebrated Lubin, perfumer to the Empress Josephine, the wife of Napoleon I, subsequently emigrated to London, where he undertook the management of the business of the late Mr Joseph Delcroix, of New Bond Street.Young Eugene remained at the Versailles College, near Paris, but when, in 1834 his father established business on his own account in Albemarle Street, his son joined the business as an apprentice. 

After having served for two years in his father's business, which was soon removed from Albemarle Street to Gerrard Street, Soho, Eugene, at the age of sixteen, obtained a clerkship with Messrs. Jos. Marryat & Son, a firm of West India merchants, with whom he remained for three years, at the end of which time he again joined his father's business, on this occasion as a traveller. In this capacity Mr. Rimmel frequently visited the Continent, where he made the acquaintance of the lady who, in 1842, became his wife, and who was the daughter of a French manufacturer of chemical products. 

Soon after his son's marriage, Mr Rimmel senior retired from the perfumery business in London and purchased a flower farm at Nice. Mr. Eugene Rimmel then became proprietor of the London firm, and under his guidance the business rapidly extended, especially after the great International Exhibition of 1851, where he scored a brilliant success with his perfume fountain, which became the popular rendezvous of the palace, and which consequently made Rimmel and perfumery almost synonymous terms. When the Crystal Palace at Sydenham succeeded the great fair in Hyde Park, Mr Rimmel was granted the monopoly of the sale of perfumery on the ground floor on the condition that he should erect three ornamental fountains in the building. 

In 1858 Mr Rimmel acquired the premises at the corner of the Strand and Beaufort Buildings, which until this day remain the headquarters of his firm, and in which Messrs Ackermann formerly carried on business as print sellers. In 1871 Beaufort House, a large building overlooking the Thames Embankment, was also added to the establishment Mr Rimmel was a strong believer in exhibitions as a means of extending trade, and his firm carried off prizes at most of the world's fairs which have been held since the great London show of 1851. 

Among the many novelties and improvements which Mr Rimmel introduced into the trade, the perfume vaporiser was one of the most notable. A fairy piece called "Chrystabelle, or the Rose without a Thorn," was about to be introduced at the Lyceum Theatre, of which Madame Celeste was the lessee at that time, and Mr Rimmel was invited to devise a means by which a scent of rose could be diffused throughout the house, and hit upon the idea of applying steam to produce rapid and powerful evaporation, as the scent of roses could not be produced by the combustion of aromatic substances, the only means then known of perfuming the air. The complete success of Mr Rimmel's steam vaporiser led to its introduction in many theatres, ball rooms, & c. It was afterwards applied to disinfecting purposes by substituting the essential oils of plants, chiefly those of the N.O. Labiata, as rosemary and lavender, for those of flowers. In this modified form it was adopted in the wards of several hospitals and at the dissecting operations of the Royal College of Surgeons.

In 1864 he published a work entitled "The Book Perfumes," which he afterwards translated and republished in French. The French edition was preceded by a preface by Alphonse Karr, who declares that he places Rimmel's work among those which have greatly to the welfare of mankind. 

Mr. Rimmel, until the day of his death, lived at his business premises 96 Strand. Mme. Rimmel, who, in conjunction with one of her sons, will continue the business, has for many years been an invalid and resided in the south of Europe. Mr Rimmel leaves two sons and a daughter. The eldest son attended him during his last illness, and has long taken an active share in the business. The second son is connected with a banking firm at Beirut, Syria." 

 

Rimmel married a woman from Seurre, eastern France, Elisabeth Letroublon with whom he had three children, Jules, Henry and Herminie. Rimmel was a linguist of "great attainments," able to speak not only English, but French, German, Spanish and Italian, which would have been a wondrous boon for his international business dealings.

The sons assumed control of the beauty company at Rimmel's death in 1887, though they delegated the management of the company, which passed out of Rimmel family hands. Despite financial setbacks, the company maintained their luxury image, producing some extraordinary presentations such as Art Moderne in 1925. After many difficulties Rimmel's cosmetics brand is now owned by Coty Inc

Years ago I had Rimmel's Perfume Vaporizer, it looks similar to today's essential oil burners and works much in the same way, it also had a small brass plate on the front explaining what it was.. This one had a generously sized copper cup which could be covered with a copper lid that had some holes in the top for the steamed perfume to escape while being heated up. The copper cup was on fancy legs and attached to the bottom was a small cup which could hold a tea light. Inside you could add water and drops of your favorite perfume or essential oil. When filled with water, it helped to stay vaporising for hours. I had sold it on ebay and wish I never got rid of it, it was a perfect room deodorizer. These dated to the 1860s.

The gilded glass bottle for the perfume Les Capucines was designed by the Italian company M.V.M. Cappellin & C. who were active from 1925-1932.

Below, I have compiled a list of all the Rimmel perfumes. I am sure there are more perfumes to be found, if I left one out, let me know. The dates listed below are the first instance I could find for that particular perfume. Several perfumes were sold for decades so your perfume may not date to the precise introduction date listed, and may have been produced years later.

Also of interest, some of the perfume names were common names used by other perfumers of the era, such as Guerlain and Houbigant. These perfumes were found in formulary books and it may be that certain perfumes were tweaked here and there for individuality.

The perfumes of Rimmel:

• 1835 Bouquet de Courlande
• 1835 Bouquet de la Reine
• 1835 Bouquet de Londonderry
• 1835 Bouquet des Soirees
• 1835 Bouquet d'Orleans
• 1835 Bouquet du Matin
• 1835 Bouquet du Printemps
• 1835 Bouquet du Roi (created for George IV)
• 1835 Bouquet Pres Fleuris (Esprit de Lavande aux Millefleurs)
• 1835 Rimmel's Eau de Cologne
• 1835 Rimmel's Eau de Lubin (favorite of George IV)
• 1851 Ess. Bouquet
• 1851 Great Exhibition Bouquet
• 1851 Jenny Lind Bouquet
• 1851 Jockey Club
• 1851 Rimmel's Bouquet
• 1851 Spring Flowers
• 1852 Guard's Bouquet
• 1854 Sontag Bouquet
• 1855 Albert Bouquet
• 1855 Alma Bouquet
• 1855 Bengal Roses Bouquet
• 1855 Bouquet du Palace de l'Industrie
• 1855 Canrobert Bouquet
• 1855 Empress Eugenie
• 1855 Extract of Lavender Flowers
• 1855 Extrait de Portugal
• 1855 Heliotrope
• 1855 Imperatrice Bouquet
• 1855 Jasmine
• 1855 Magnolia
• 1855 Millefleurs
• 1855 Moss Rose
• 1855 New Mown Hay
• 1855 Opera Bouquet
• 1855 Osborne Bouquet
• 1855 Patchouly
• 1855 Raglan Bouquet
• 1855 Royal Highland Bouquet
• 1855 Sweet Briar
• 1855 Sweet Pea
• 1855 Sydenham Bouquet
• 1855 Turkish Bouquet
• 1855 Victoria Bouquet
• 1855 Violet
• 1855 Windsor Bouquet
• 1860 Alexandra Bouquet
• 1860 Royal Bridal Bouquet
• 1861 White Rose
• 1864 Bard of Avon
• 1864 Eau de Cologne
• 1864 Frangipane/Frangipani
• 1864 Ihlang Ihlang/Ylang Ylang
• 1864 Lavender Water
• 1864 Lily of the Valley
• 1864 Princess Dagmar's Bouquet
• 1864 Rimmel's Turkish Scented Charm
• 1864 Stella Colas Bouquet
• 1864 The Patti Bouquet (dedicated to Adelina & Carlotta Patti)
• 1864 Toilet Vinegar
• 1865 Opoponax
• 1865 Wood Violet
• 1866 Christmas Bouquet
• 1866 Cupid's Tears
• 1866 Magic Grapes
• 1866 The Bridal Bouquets
• 1866 The Princess Helena Bouquet
• 1866 The Prince Christian Bouquet
• 1866 The Chinese Bouquet
• 1866 The Indian Bouquet
• 1866 The Titiens Bouquet
• 1866 Tilia
• 1866 Tilia Water
• 1866 Violet Water
• 1867 Sylvan Flowers
• 1867 The Ladies Cigar (bottle of scent imitating a cigar)
• 1868 Coffee Flowers
• 1868 Cuir de Russie
• 1868 Egyptian Lotus
• 1868 Furze Blossoms
• 1868 Henna
• 1868 Malvarosa Water
• 1868 Malvetta
• 1868 Marie Roze
• 1868 Marimon
• 1868 Oriental Hyacinth
• 1868 Rose Laurel
• 1868 Sarah Bernhardt
• 1868 Tafga
• 1868 Tea Flowers
• 1868 Vanda (Javanese Orchid)
• 1868 White Heliotrope/Heliotrope Blanc
• 1868 White Heliotrope Water
• 1868 White Lilac/Lilas Blanc
• 1869 Pepita
• 1872 Exquisite
• 1872 Rondeletia
• 1873 Duke of Edinburgh's
• 1873 Étoile du Nord (dedicated to the Duchess of Edinburgh)
• 1873 Geranium Rose
• 1873 Imperatrice
• 1873 Miel d'Angleterre
• 1873 Musk
• 1873 Patchouly
• 1873 Persian Bouquet
• 1873 Prince of Wales Bouquet
• 1873 Royal Bridal
• 1873 Snow White
• 1873 Tea Rose
• 1873 Verveine
• 1873 West End
• 1874 Almond
• 1874 Cassie
• 1874 Frankincense
• 1874 Sandalwood
• 1874 Tuberose
• 1875 Fougère Royal
• 1876 Autumn Blossoms
• 1876 Belocca
• 1876 Essence Bouquet Violet
• 1876 Florida Water
• 1876 Rising Star
• 1876 Season Bouquet
• 1876 Spring Blossoms
• 1876 Star of India
• 1876 Summer Blossoms
• 1876 Téa
• 1876 Teddy Bear
• 1876 The American Centenary Bouquet
• 1876 Winter Blossoms
• 1878 Archery Bouquet
• 1878 Jungle Flowers
• 1878 Tunis Flowers
• 1879 Australian Exhibition Bouquet (sparkling with gold flakes)
• 1879 Canadian
• 1879 Cyprus Flowers
• 1879 Gardenia
• 1880 Chypre
• 1880 Connaught 
• 1880 Meadow Flowers
• 1882 Wallflower
• 1882 White Pink
• 1883 Syringa
• 1886 Lotus
• 1886 Mousseline
• 1886 Nessari
• 1886 Tamaris
• 1886 Téa Chinensis
• 1886 The Exquisite
• 1886 Toreador
• 1886 Violette
• 1886 Violette Exquisite
• 1888 Apple Blossoms
• 1888 High Life Bouquet
• 1888 Tonquin Essence
• 1898 Ambré Royal
• 1898 Ametis
• 1898 Apple Blossom
• 1898 Britannia
• 1901 Ceonothis
• 1901 Kaori
• 1901 Nessari
• 1905 Eau Velvetis
• 1907 Parfum Royal
• 1910 Royal Shamrock
• 1911 Golden Fern
• 1912 Carnation
• 1912 Violet de Parme
• 1918 Sameyama
• 1919 L'Heure du Rimmel
• 1920 Cologne Anglaise
• 1920 Ania
• 1923 Les Capucines
• 1923 Ma Mie Annette
• 1923 Mon Yvonnette
• 1923 Vocalise
• 1925 Art Moderne
• 1925 Fraxi
• 1925 Velvetis
• 1926 Naniva/Maniva
• 1929 Serenade de Fleurs
• 1929 Ambrimmel
• 1929 Rhapsodie Orientale
• 1929 Chyprimmel
• 1930 Onyka
• 1930 Volubilis
• 1931 Marco Polo
• 1964 Jour de Madame
• 1964 Muguet
• Ghislaine
• Stephanotis
• Tabac
• Violettes de Parme

The following perfumes were found, but I was unable to locate launch dates:

• Ariette de Fleurs

Rimmel Perfumes shown in a 1911 catalog:

Rimmel perfumes shown in an advertisement from a 1913 William Whiteley Ltd catalog.