Royal Secret by Germaine Monteil c1935

        Royal Secret by Germaine Monteil. "For that feeling of utter luxury."

Germaine Monteil was a celebrated French fashion designer at 39 boulevard des Capucines, Paris, and also had a boutique at 663 Fifth Ave, NY. The company was acquired by BAT in 1969 and sold on to the Benckiser Group in the early 1990’s.

Germaine Monteil and his company launched a range of fragrances, and his best known and best selling fragrance was Royal Secret. Royal Secret was launched in 1935.

Fragrance Composition:

 So what does it smell like? The original version is a sweet and spicy oriental fragrance for women. It starts with a fresh citrusy top, followed by an exotic floral heart, resting on a sweet, powdery amber base. A classic modern blend, regal, exotic, floral, spicy, citrus.

• Top notes: African orange, lavender, spicy note, peach, verbena, galbanum, bergamot and lemon
• Middle note: rosewood, carnation, cinnamon, ylang ylang, ginger, African orange blossom, violet, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, Bulgarian rose and geranium
• Base notes: incense, benzoin, civet, patchouli, sandalwood, tobacco, myrrh, musk, patchouli, vanilla, amber and vetiver

Cue, 1960:

"A new kind of perfume — one to be used in or immediately after the bath — is news from Germaine Monteil. Royal Secret Bath perfume is a heady compound of high-concentrate oils, mellowed and made fragrant with spices, herbs and flowers. Half an ounce is $5. One ounce is $8."

The New Yorker, 1960:

"Germaine Monteil's Royal Secret Bath Foam is a tobaccoy-scented powder that one sprinkles on the water (and, reward)."

Harper's Bazaar, 1967:

"Glad news, beamed to sophisticates to whom Germaine Monteil's flowery, "herbsy" Royal Secret perfume has become second nature: six delightful new accessories now deepen the Royal Secret entity."

Playbill, 1980:

"Germaine Monteil gives you perfume to burn in the Crystallerie Noel collection of French Opaline frosted glass. The candlestand, fat and shimmery, lights up with the Oriental perfume of Royal Secret, $15."

Bottles:

Royal Secret was available in the following:

• Perfume Spray
• Spray Concentree
• Eau de toilette
• Bath Perfume
• Luxury Powder Bath-Foam
• Moisture Bath
• Powder Mist
• Lux Bath Powder
• Box of Three Soaps
• Luxury Lotion
• Luxury Cologne

Fate of the Fragrance:

The perfume was later discontinued but in 1998, Five Star Fragrance reformulated Royal Secret with modern ingredients and was relaunched. It is still classified as an oriental fragrance, but it lacks the dominant ambergris note of the original and has a more dominant vanilla note. "A rich intense oriental with top notes of African orange and citrus; middle notes of Bulgarian rose and jasmine, and base notes of sandalwood, myrrh and amber."

• Top notes: African orange, bergamot, grapefruit, fresh greens, lemon
• Middle notes: Bulgarian rose, cinnamon, muguet, jasmine, violet
• Base notes: myrrh, amber, patchouli, vanilla, cedar and sandalwood

1999 - Royal Secret II was launched by Five Star Fragrance, in association with the Lancaster Group; Discontinued (date unknown).

Royal Secret is still being sold by Five Star Fragrance though it really doesn't resemble the original fragrance, the new fragrance is more vanilla than ambergris.

Products once available,:

• Eau de Parfum Spray
• Luxury Bath Powder
• Spray Concentree
• Bath Perfume
• Luxury Lotion
• Cologne
• Shower Gel
• Soap
• Perfumed Candle
• Scented Drawer Liners