ABOUT ME

Education, Inspiration & Encouragement

My goal is to help you learn more about your treasures, inspire you to seek out new ones and to encourage you to keep going and expand your collection.

Perfume is one of the most exciting of feminine accessories. 

It has the power to delight your own senses enormously and to make you appear lovelier to others. 

Welcome to Cleopatra's Boudoir, ثلعہپاتراس بہءدہیر. This website is a treasure trove of information regarding the history of perfumes both past and present, perfume companies, dates of perfume manufacture, unbiased reviews of perfumes, perfume bottle research and collecting, how to buy and sell perfume bottles, and all sorts of useful miscellaneous information pertaining to perfumes and scented essences. I even divulge some of history's secrets on beauty treatments and cosmetics throughout the ages, as well as interesting tidbits on boudoir accessories. I do the work so you don't have to.

I also offer a unique appraisal service for perfume bottles, powder boxes, lady's accessories and vanity items. I give two options for appraisals: simple appraisals which only give you an estimated value of the perfume $5.00 and standard appraisals which tell you everything about the perfume and its maker are $20 a piece due to the amount of time it takes for me to research items. Please see the "What Is Your Perfume Worth?"  Page for more info and instructions.

As a self-proclaimed perfume historian and detective, I search high and low for info on obscure, discontinued and well-known perfumes and their companies. I take pride in researching and delving information to present to anyone who is interested in vintage, new and niche perfumes and related accessories.

I always try to find the most accurate list of notes for the perfumes, from the manufacturer's themselves, vintage ads or articles, or books. When I have none of those published notes at my disposal I try to make a notation of what I detect when sampling - and that I will definitely disclose. Some bottles have degraded so much that I might not be getting all of what was supposed to be there...so you may see an incomplete pyramid from my posts. But, I think it is important to have as much info as I can possibly add to a posting, especially when it is a long lost fragrance that no one can remember smelling.

Everyone is going to smell a perfume differently. I don't think I have ever read two reviews that said they smelled the exact same things..lol... One person will say "oh this is such a fruity perfume with apricot and peaches..." Meanwhile someone else will say "fruity? peaches? apricots? i don't smell any of that. I smell rose and more rose."  that's just an example :) Some people can't smell musk and some others can. Good thing I can because a musk note is my favorite next to ambergris and orange blossom.

I love input and when people can help me fill in those missing notes for an incomplete perfume pyramid. If you find anything else that is not listed, please let me know and I can update posts. I feel that the internet is one of the best assets that we have in the world of perfumery as we can learn so much and also have that camaraderie we may be lacking in real life. Ha! I don't have anyone in my family or who lives near me who is into perfumes, so no one "gets" my obsession.

I regularly offer my expertise on perfumes and their bottles on various Facebook groups. In the past, I have lent my knowledge to the Ebay discussion boards, namely the Pottery, Glass & Porcelain board, Antiques board, Collectibles board and the Health & Beauty board.  Perfumes are liquid history and I thoroughly enjoy helping others learn about them.

If you have any questions, please contact me at cleopatrasboudoir at gmail dot com

Thank You:


I am happy to report that some of my knowledge about perfume bottles was featured in a 2008 article for SmartBuy by Business Line. The article is titled "On the scent trail".

Thank you to the Kovels for consulting my knowledge for their article on reproduction perfume bottles.

The warmest thanks to the friendly owners of the resurrected Parfums Cherigan, who published my review of their absolute gem, The Purple Bar, which has since replaced vintage Shalimar as my signature fragrance.

The deepest thanks goes to my friend Jana Menard over at the Fragrance Vault, a top-notch perfumery that specializes in high end, niche and vintage fragrances.

My eBay guides were featured in the article:

 “Tips and Guides on Types of Perfume” by www.patisseriedeliceroyal.com

Beauty Bible Blog has this to say about Cleopatra's Boudoir:

 "We've always had a 'thing' for vintage perfumes and perfume bottles (though not quite in the league of our friend Roja Dove and his world-class flacon collection). So on our peregrinations through cyberspace we were pleased to stumble across a US website - Cleopatra's Boudoir - which focuses on old bottles, the websites where you can find them, discontinued scents (how we long to have smelled Bonne Belle's Gadabouts, Lundborg's Stolen Secret or Atkinson's A Nosegay, for instance...) - and also features a blog about the author's fragrant vintage 'finds'. (Recent postings include Cobra by Weil, Fabergé's Straw Hat, or - oh, an old chypre favourite of Jo's, this - Sikkim, which was briefly revived by Lancôme about five years ago, but then disappeared once again into the ether.) We say: this Temple to Ancient Perfumes is a must-have addition to the blog-roll for any fragrance fiend. "

Thank you to Wanderlust and Pixie Dust and the Jazz Age on Facebook for featuring my article on Boudoir Dolls.

Thank you to Runway Magazine for featuring me in your Guerlain article.

Thank you to The Perfume Magazine for featuring my articles on vintage fragrances.

Thank you to Lizzie Ostrom, also known professionally as Odette Toilette for credit given to my blog in her book, Perfume, A Century of Scents.

Thank you to author Gregory N. Daugherty for the credit of my site in his book, The Reception of Cleopatra in the Age of Mass Media, published in 2022.

A huge thank you for the sincerest recognition to Amelia over at The Vintage Perfume Vault, of whom I quote the following: 

"...but my favorite Houbigant catalog (the most historically complete and accurate to this point) has been published online at Fragrantica by member Grace E. Hummel. Many of you may know her also as Cleopatra of Cleopatra's Boudoir- to me she is a hero of the free information movement on the Internet and especially in the area of vintage perfume, without parallel."

Thank you to Ms Dow Antiques for the sincere gratitude for my entry on Ahmed Soliman: 

"According to the excellent perfume bottle history blog Cleopatra's Boudoir.." 

Thank you to both Neatorama,  DailyKos and Atlas Obscura for mentioning me regarding Tear Catcher Perfume Bottles.

Thank you to New Yorker State of Mind for mentioning my site in your article. 

Thank you to the Kovels for including my information about fake perfume bottles on your website.

Thank you to the Kafkaesque blog  (the author wishes to remain anonymous) for mentioning my Guerlain perfume blog. 

Thank you for Eden Botanicals for crediting my blog.

Thank you always to my supportive friends over at Fragrantica for mentioning me and my knowledge.

Thank you to my friends, Pauline & Joan, the Turco sisters, over at Scentserely for crediting me as a reference. Don't forget to check out their very informative volume, The Crown Top Book.

Thank you for medium.com for mentioning my information about fake perfumes.

Thank you to my dear friend in fragrance, Andre Moreau over at Raiders of the Lost Scent for the credits.

Thank you to The Perfumed Guillotine for mentioning my Guerlain blogsite.

Thank you to Love Vintage for including this site in your article on perfumes.

Thank you to The Broke Costumer for mentioning my ebay guides (which are now, unfortunately defunct) in your article on Egyptomania.

Thank you to Born To Be A Unicorn for mentioning my Guerlain blog.

Thank you to virago over at ask.metafilter for mentioning me and my blog.

Thank you to Big Girl Rhapsody for mentioning me in your article on Angelique.

Thank you to The Artful Rabbit for mentioning my blog in your article on vintage perfume.

Thank you for the credit in your thesis Mari Khasmanyan .

Thank you for the credit Muse in the Wooden Shoes.

Thank you to Scent Grail for adding me to your references a a "gold mine about dating vintage perfumery."

Thank you to MSU for including my info on Langlois, note: used my old web address.

Thank you to Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art for the credit on my post of Niki de Saint Phalle

Thank you to Mary May Robertson for the credit in her book, The Marriage between Perfume and the Lyric Stage.

Thank you to Uri M. Kupferschmidt for the credit in his book, The Diffusion of "Small" Western Technologies in the Middle East.

Thank you to Jilene Chua for credit in the publication, Monsieur: meanings and practices of elegance 1920-1924.

Thank you to Eva Berville for credit in the publication La maison de haute couture Maggy Rouff de 1929 à 1948

Thank you to the Tinker Cottage Museum for the credit on their article on Victorian Beauty Trends.

Thank you to Sheila Ann Byle for credit in your thesis on my favorite subject: The Essence and Use of Perfume in Ancient Egypt.

Thank you to the Beaufort County Government for credit (on my defunct blog) in your Archaeological Data Recovery at Mitchelville (38BU2301) Hilton Head Island Airport Improvements Study Area.

Thank you to Gregory Daugherty for credit in The Reception of Cleopatra in the Age of Mass Media.

Personal Details: 

My name is Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel, غراچع, better known as "Cleopatra's Boudoir" or simply "Cleopatra" in the perfume world. I am a 45 year old antique dealer/perfume aficionado currently residing in NJ, where I make my home with my husband, Steve.

I have a three tabby cats: Grayson (Buddy), Grace (Princess) and the kitten Astraea (Minchkin). I also enjoy fostering kittens from a local animal shelter. I adopted Grace & Grayson from the shelter six years ago, after fostering them for a few months. I had to laugh because the shelter had originally named the kittens Grace & Grayson, but I ended up giving them nicknames, and cats know all their names..as well as other words: food, treats, cat water, mouse and bed. I feed all the community cats in the neighborhood and have adopted a stray tabby named Sox.

As for collecting, I love perfume bottles, but I collected other treasures in the past such as antique RS Prussia, Limoges and Nippon porcelain and vintage clothing and accessories (parasols, hats, fans, beaded and mesh purses) from the mid 1800s-1930s. I love many things from the Victorian-Edwardian era and used to collect scrapbooks, postcards and die cuts, Victorian trade cards, Valentine cards, old jewelry, chatelaines, Moser type Bohemian glass, antique scent bottles, sterling silver vanity sets, mourning items, hatpins and holders, antique textiles and lace, Meissen or German bisque figurines, Battersea enamel snuff and patch boxes, Victorian clothing, parasols, antique beaded and mesh purses, RS Prussia, Limoges, Nippon porcelains, jeweled vanity items, Czech crystal scent bottles, and other vanity items. 1920s-1930s Art Deco items also pique my interest and I love the jewelry of the period, especially Czech jewelry. I still have a small collection of these treasures.

I collect vintage miniature perfumes, only those that retain their boxes and have perfume inside. As of this writing, I have over 400.

Most things were sold over the years as my tastes changed and situations presented themselves. But, I still have a small collection of antique German bisque spill vases and figurines as well as some old Nippon porcelain that I adore (packed away in storage).

Since 1999, I have used the name Cleopatra's Boudoir as nom de plume, both on and offline, I am not affiliated with any other blogs or entities using my name. I originally started this website in 2008 to help people who cannot afford books and other research materials, who are interested in learning about perfumes and their histories.

My ebay seller ids starting in 1999 were: cleopatra*s_boudoir and debras*antiques (which I named after my mother).

In the past few years, I have started doing reviews of perfume. My favorite hobby besides, perfume shopping, is sampling long forgotten perfumes that have been discontinued for decades. This helps me create a profile of the scent, that cannot be found in any other publications online or offline. If you have any samples to donate, not only would I be grateful, but I am sure my readers would be as well. Think of a fragrance from your youth, or one that your mother or grandmother wore at one time, that you cannot remember the name of, or if you do remember the name, but cannot remember what it smells like, you would be able to find that information here.

Accolades and Memberships:

• I have been a member of the International Perfume Bottle Association
• Member of Fragrantica Online Magazine as a writer on Vintage Fragrances
• Member of Makeup Alley, screen name cleopatrasboudoir
• Member of Sniffapalooza's Fragrance Advisory Board
• Member of Allure Magazine's Beauty Panel
• Writer for The Perfume Magazine
• Owner and Operator of the Cleopatra's Boudoir website as well as over 80 different blog sites on various perfume companies.
• Author of over 200 guides on vintage perfumes & their companies on eBay
• Member of the Worldwide Who's Who of Executives, Entrepreneurs and Professionals

FRAGRANCES I WEAR:

I often get emails asking me what my favorite perfumes are or what is in my perfume wardrobe. I prefer the following in reference to fragrances: Ambery fragrances (formerly known as orientals), opulent florals, woody, vanilla, spicy, incense, gourmand, sweet, heady, seductive, tobacco, musky, animalic. I am currently coveting the Shalimar Ode de la Vanille scents.

This is just a small list but I wear the following perfumes:

• Alien by Thierry Mugler
• Alien Absolue by Mugler
• Ambre Gris by Balmain
• Angel by Thierry Mugler
• Angel Leather by Mugler
• Bal a Versailles by Jean Desprez
• Balenciaga Paris by Balenciaga (I also love the L'Essence one but I regretfully sold it off)
• Bhagavan by Durrani
• Black Cashmere by Donna Karan
• Black Orchid by Tom Ford
• Boucheron by Boucheron (vintage version)
• Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan
• Casmir by Chopard
• Chergui by Serge Lutens
• Cobra by Weil
• Coco by Chanel
• Cornubia by Penhaligon's
• Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens
• Datura Blanche by Keiko Mecheri (Original - one of my go-to perfumes)
• Dior Addict (original)
• Divine Decadence by Marc Jacobs
• Douceur de Vanille by Les Néréides
• Fleur Nocturne by Isabey
• Fracas by Robert Piguet
• Gardenia by Isabey
• Hypnotic Poison by Dior
• Indulge by Eadward
• Insolence by Guerlain
• Intense Tiare by Montale (need)
• Jaipur by Boucheron
• Jovan White Musk
• Jungle Elephant by Kenzo
• Juju by Joots
• L de Lolita Lempicka
• L de Lolita Lempicka Fleur de Corail
• L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain
• La Route d'Emeraude by Isabey
• Lolita Lempicka
• Love in Black by Creed
• Love, The Key To Life by Linda Gerlach
• LouLou by Cacharel
• Lys Noir by Isabey
• Mon Précieux Nectar by Guerlain
• Nilang by Lalique (vintage version)
• Objet Céleste by Volnay
• Organza Indecence by Givenchy
• Oro by Roberto Cavalli
• Oropuro by Laura Tonatto (love this, need more)
• Poison by Christian Dior (vintage version)
• Prends Moi by Isabey (need this)
• Pure by DKNY
• Pure Poison by Christian Dior
• Python by Trussardi
• Safanad by Parfums de Marly (need this!)
• Sahara Noir by Tom Ford
• Samsara by Guerlain
• Shalimar by Guerlain
• Shalimar Ode de la Vanille sur la Route du Mexique by Guerlain
• Shalimar Parfum Initial by Guerlain
• Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau by Guerlain
• Songes by Annick Goutal
• Sweet Oriental Dream by Montale (need this)
• Tabac Blond by Caron
• Tendre Nuit by Isabey (need this)
• The Purple Bar by Cherigan
• Violetta by Penhaligon's

I am trying to know more Montale and Mancera fragrances, I have only tried a couple so far, but love them.