Bienaime Parfumeur

Bienaime established in 1935 by Robert Bienaime.  Located at 396-rue saint-Honoré, Paris. Robert Bienaime as a perfumer originally with Houbigant (he created the beautiful perfume, Quelques Fleurs), but decided to launch perfumes under his own name.

The company was still in business in 1963 and actively looking for distributors via newspaper ads. I believe the company closed shortly after as I cannot find any other mentions in the newspapers.

Perfumes:

The perfumes of Bienaime of Paris France:

• 1935 Eveil (still sold in 1941)
• 1935 Chypre Impérial (still sold in 1950)
• 1935 Fleurs D'Eté (summery, sweet rosy floral perfume) (still sold in 1951)
• 1935 La Vie en Fleurs (a rose dominated floral perfume) (still sold in 1950)
• 1935 Lavande de Valreas
• 1935 Vermeil (still sold in 1950)
• 1935 Sur les Cimes
• 1935 Cuir de Russie (Russian leather perfume) (still sold in 1951)
• 1935 Gardenia
• 1936 Jasmin
• 1936 Lilas
• 1936 Muguet
• 1936 Oeillet
• 1936 Heliotrope
• 1936 Violette
• 1936 Cyclamen
• 1936 Rose
• 1936 Caravane (exotic spicy oriental chypre perfume) (still sold in 1951)
• 1936 Enfin Seuls (perfume presentation)
• 1937 Fleurs de Provence (a summery floral perfume)
• 1937 Ambre
• 1938 Jours Heureux
• 1943 Les Carnations (cream foundation)
• 1947 Fougere Argentee
• 1947 Dentelle (still sold in 1961)

Sketch, 1939:

"Biename's Fleurs de Provence perfume. It seems to have imprisoned all the elusive scents of a summer garden, and it is an ideal perfume to wear with the sentimental clothes of the moment. Next comes Caravane, exhilarating and gay, creating a perfect aura for the true sophisticate."

Mademoiselle, 1940:

"Biename's Caravane, Vermeil, Dentelle, Chypre Imperial, Fleurs d'Ete from $4.35 to $32.25."

Bottles:

Bottles used by Bienaime were designed by Pierre d'Avesn and manufactured by Pochet et du Courval.

I have taken the liberty of adding images and numbers from a 1947 Bienaime catalog, so if you have a box that is sealed, you can use this handy guide to figure out what is inside, if you do not wish to open the box, or you are unsure what the volume is of your bottle.

Caravane:

Caravane is classified as a spicy oriental chypre fragrance for women.

• Top notes: bergamot, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and anise
• Middle notes: incense, ylang ylang, jasmine, myrrh and Taif rose 
• Base notes: vanilla, sandalwood, vetiver, leather, cedar, frankincense, amber, and musk

Le Petit Parisien : journal quotidien du soir, 1941:

"Caravane is perhaps the most famous of all Bienaime perfumes. Vaporous and elusive, ethereal and subtle, it constitutes the supreme note that makes this harmonious harmony called 'goût' vibrate."

La Femme Chic, 1945:

"Caravan takes us to the depths of the deserts; it evokes happy Arabia, balms, essences, aromatics, old boxes or dried Asian flowers exuding their burning aromas... It is therefore a perfume warm and tenacious; it remains discreet however. It is a Bienaime perfume."

Caravane parfum was housed in arched crystal bottles cut in a fanned out fluted pattern, with matching fan shaped stopper, available in two sizes: 35cc and 65cc.

Catalog numbers: 

• #44 = 35cc = Parfum
• #45 = 65cc = Parfum

Jours Heureux:

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Jours Heureux by Bienaime: Light, subtle and fresh smell, perfume of spring holidays and youth with great bursts of laughter in the sun. Is it the lilac, is it the lily of the valley that we pick or the bouquet that do we peel to hide a smile?"

Jours Heureux, the happy days, were contained in a fanciful bottle, which reminds me of a vase with the stopper in the shape of an abstract scallop shell. The perfume was a woodsy floral fragrance for women.

• Top notes: citrus, lilac, lily of the valley
• Middle notes: jasmine, rose, other flowers
• Base notes: precious Island woods, amber, oakmoss, sandalwood

Fleurs d'Ete:

Fleurs d'Ete is classified as a fresh floral fragrance for women.

• Top notes: bergamot, tarragon, lily of the valley, lemon
• Middle notes: lilac,  violet, carnation, rose, orange blossom, tuberose, jasmine
• Base notes: orris, civet, musk, tonka, sandalwood, oakmoss, cedar

Reste Jeune, 1936:

"Bienaimé, after his Chypre Imperial, has just released Fleur d'été, a charming creation, a real bouquet of flowers dominated by rose; evocation of summer, which nevertheless remains a fairly intense and very persistent fragrance."

Le Petit Parisien : journal quotidien du soir, 1941:

"Bienaime's Summer Flowers, is fresh and sweet like its name. It makes you dream of the charm of twilight, at this hour when the flowers deliver, in the beneficial shade, their delicate scents stolen from the sun."

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Fleurs d'Éte by Bienaimé: the beds have never been flowered and they are filled with very sweet scents. The perfumer knew how to distill this fragrant enchantment in an extract that seems to contain the flower of flowers when the sun is at its zenith."

The bottle used for Fleurs d'Ete, the flowers of summer, was an ovoid shape resting on a wide foot, fitted with a crystal stopper of five spheres in a pyramid shape. This bottle only came in one size: 42cc.

Catalog number:

• #35 = 42cc = Parfum

 

La Vie en Fleurs:

La Vie en Fleurs was classified as a floral fragrance for women.

• Top notes: citrus, aldehydes
• Middle notes: lilac, lily of the valley, jasmine, rose
• Base notes: amber, musk, sandalwood

The crystal bottle used for La Vie en Fleurs parfum was available in one size: 70cc. It has a rectangular shape with rounded corners, a wavy base and a ball stopper of crystal.

Catalog numbers:

• #25 = 70cc = Parfum

 

Chypre Imperiale:

Chypre Imperiale is classified as a dry aromatic herbal chypre, punctuated with warm animalic base notes.

• Top notes: pink pepper, neroli, bergamot, tarragon, clary sage, citrus
• Middle notes: rose, patchouli, labdanum, jasmine, ylang ylang,
• Base notes: Mysore sandalwood, oakmoss, ambergris, musk, birch, juniper

Chypres have notes of bergamot layered over oakmoss and labdanum, expertly blended with patchouli, sandalwood and tonka bean accented with discreet florals and traces of spice. 

The bottle is a squat flacon reminiscent of an inkwell, with a three rows of pointed hobnails along the surface, fitted with a flat topped oval stopper featuring a single row of pointed hobnails. This luxury crystal bottle for the parfum was available in one size only: 60cc.

Catalog number:

• #65= 60cc = Parfum

 

Lavande Valreas:

Dentelle:

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Dentelle by Bienaime: clear, light, amber, it looks like precious guipure, a spidery tulle of fragrant scents joined to the chime of a distant beguinage."

Dentelle's parfum came in this single sized bottle of 60cc. 

Catalog number:

• #75 = 60cc = Parfum

Cuir de Russie:

Cuir de Russie is a Russian leather fragrance, which was suitable for both men and women. Cuir de Russie  was launched in 1935.  

• Top notes:  bergamot, clary sage, cassie, lemon, neroli, mace
• Middle notes: rose, jasmine, tuberose, iris, orange blossom, opoponax
• Base notes: birch tar oil (leather), castoreum, styrax, sandalwood, musk, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean, labdanum, oakmoss, musk ambrette, ambergris, civet

Vogue, 1936:

"Russian leather from Bienaime. It envelops like a second skin, with a tight grain. It's a rounded, simple, and real scent."

Le Petit Parisien : journal quotidien du soir, 1941:

"Generous, Cuir de Russie likes tweed suits. The soft scent of supple leather and the fresh scents of the countryside go together deliciously. It's the scent of the outdoors."

The bottle is a squat flacon reminiscent of an inkwell, with a three rows of pointed hobnails along the surface, fitted with a flat topped oval stopper featuring a single row of pointed hobnails. This luxury crystal bottle for the parfum was available in one size only: 60cc.

Catalog number:

• #55 = 60cc = Parfum

Vermeil:

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Vermeil by Bienaime: Rare like a precious reflection on the polished amber of a bare shoulder, this potion gilds the skin under arches of perfume."

I believe that Vermeil was an oriental scent for women with rich touches of precious woods, balsamic notes of vanilla and ambergris married with opulent florals mixed with pungent spices. This crystal bottle for Vermeil's parfum was only available in one size: 56cc.

Catalog number: 

• #5 = 56cc = Parfum

Eveil:

Eveil is classified as a light floral fragrance for women. I believe it has notes of lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, narcissus, and violet layered over a mossy base accented with sandalwood and amber.

It's parfum was housed in a tapered rectangle shape, rounded shoulders with an arched base, the stopper is a magnificent fluted crystal flower blossom that reminds me of a dandelion which has lost half of its feathery fuzz. This bottle was available in only one size: 56cc.

Catalog numbers:

• #15 = 56cc = Parfum

Fleurs de Bienaime: 

this line included the following scents: Muguet, Oeillet, Lilas, Rose, Violette, Jasmin, Gardenia, Cyclamen, Heliotrope, Fougere. Available in two sizes: 35cc and 17cc.

Catalog numbers: 

• #204 = 17cc = Parfum
• #205 = 35cc = Parfum

Standard Flacon for all perfumes:

This bottle was used for all Bienaime perfumes: Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Lavande de Valreas, Fougere Argentee, and Dentelle. The bottle holds 65cc of parfum.

Catalog numbers:

• #245 = 65cc = Parfum for Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Lavande de Valreas, Fougere Argentee
• #245bis = 65cc = Parfum for Dentelle

Simple Flacon:

This bottle was much more simple in design and held various perfumes from Bienaime: Vermeil, Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Lavande de Valreas, and Fougere Argentee. It was available in three sizes: 6cc, 15cc and 37cc.

Catalog numbers:

• #233 = 6 cc = Parfum
• #234 =15cc = Parfum
• #235 = 37cc = Parfum

Etui Pour le Sac (Purse Bottles):

These smaller size bottles were meant to carry in the handbag. Both bottles held 6cc of parfum. The bottles were available in these scents: Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Lavande de Valreas, Fougere Argentee, Muguet, Oeillet, Lilas, Rose, Heliotrope, Jasmin, Cyclamen, Gardenia, and Violette.

Catalog numbers:

• #231 = 6cc = Parfum in gold packaging
• #232 = 6cc = Parfum in floral packaging

Discreet Packaging:

For those who aren't looking for fussy presentations. These bottles came in two sizes: 15cc and 37cc. The bottles were available in these scents: Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Lavande de Valreas, and Fougere Argentee.

Catalog numbers:

• #224 = 15cc = Parfum
• #226 = 37cc = Parfum

Bottle Trio Gift Set:

This boxed gift set holds three bottles for a combined volume of 54cc. 

Catalog numbers:

• #222 = 54cc = Parfum Trio in Box

Fleurs d'Ete, Caravane and Lavande de Valreas, c1939, photo by ebay seller eroma

Enfin Seuls Gift Set:

"Finally Alone" is the name of this presentation of two heart shaped perfume bottles set in a floral patterned box with a lid made to resemble window shutters. Nestled inside a quilted satin bed are the two bottles. It is shown in the 1947 Bienaime catalog and is described as "the carelessness and the lightness of happiness" It does not state which perfumes were contained inside but the combined volume of the two bottles is 36cc.

Catalog numbers:

• #221 = 36cc - Enfin Seuls Gift Set

 

Eau de Cologne & Eau de Lavande:

Various eau de colognes were available: Cuir de Russie, Vespree, Fleur d'Ete, Chypre Imperial, Eau de Cologne Imperial, Eau de Cologne Pure, Eau de Cologne Vermeil, Eau de Lavande Valreas, Eau de Cologne Extra Vielle and Eau de Cologne Pour la Toilette et le Bain.

 Friction Lotions:

These are usually fortified eau de toilettes, subtly perfumed, rubbed liberally on the skin after bath or worn during warm weather for their fresh and invigorating effects. Some were also used in the hair as well. Some were scented in the popular Bienaime fragrances.

The small individual sizes (27cc) were usually used by hairdressersat salons only. The fragrances available were Vermeil, Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Fougere Argentee and Vespree.

Another group of the individual sizes (27cc), also used by hairdressers, had more of the eau de cologne type scents: Eau de Cologne Extra Vielle, Lavande de Valreas, Sur es Cimes, and Fleurs de Provence.

Cedropetrol was a cedar oil based hair lotion that was used to fortify the hair,used by hairdressers and barbers. It was only available in one size: 27cc.

The large friction lotions were available in several sizes and these were available for sale to the general public: 90cc, 175cc, 1/2 litre, and 1 litre. The fragrances included: Vermeil, Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Fougere Argentee.

Another set of large friction lotions were also sold in the same sizes as above, these scents included Sur les Cimes and Fleurs de Provence.

Catalog numbers:

• #306 = 90cc = large friction lotions (Vermeil, Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Fougere Argentee)
• #307 = 175cc = large friction lotions (Vermeil, Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Fougere Argentee)
• #308 = 1/2 litre = large friction lotions (Vermeil, Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Fougere Argentee)
• #309 = 1 litre = large friction lotions (Vermeil, Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Fougere Argentee)

• #316 = 90cc = large friction lotions (Sur les Cimes, Fleurs de Provence)
• #317 = 175cc = large friction lotions (Sur les Cimes, Fleurs de Provence)
• #318 = 1/2 litre = large friction lotions (Sur les Cimes, Fleurs de Provence)
• #319 = 1 litre = large friction lotions (Sur les Cimes, Fleurs de Provence)

• #350 = 27cc - individual lotions (Vermeil, Eveil, Caravane, La Vie en Fleurs, Cuir de Russie, Chypre Imperiale, Fleurs d'Ete, Fougere Argentee and Vespree)
• #360 = 27cc = Cedropetrol 
• #370 = 27cc individual lotions (Eau de Cologne Extra Vielle, Lavande de Valreas, Sur es Cimes, and Fleurs de Provence)

Cosmetics and Skincare:

Bienaime offered some cosmetics and skincare products alongside their fragrances in beautiful packaging. The jars and bottles are reminiscent of the Victorian era and were very elegant and feminine in design. 

 

Skincare included Lait de Beaute (beauty milk), Demaquillant (makeup remover), Lotion Tonique (tonic lotion), Lotion Astringente (astrigent tonic), Cold Cream, Creme Nutritive (nourishing cream), Creme a Nettoyer (cleansing cream), Creme de Jour (day cream), Creme Antisolaire (anti sun cream), Hand Cream, and Cuticle Cream.

Cosmetics included Face Powders, Cream Foundation, Foundation in compacts, Nail Polish, Lipsticks, Mascara and Rouge.

Bath & Body Products:

No perfume company could be complete without adding bath & body care to their line. As with the friction lotions for the bath and body as I mentioned previously, Bienaime added tanning oil, luxury bath soaps and dusting powders (Poudre de Toilette) as well as other haircare products such as brilliantines, grooming products and scalp conditioners.