Parfums Pierre Dune

Parfums Pierre Dune, established in October 1938 at 49 rue de Prony, Paris, at a time troubled by Edmond Rosens of Paris. It was a matter of courage.  The launch was made in January 1939 by the introduction of a range of five flower Evocations: Rose, Oeillet, Tubereuse, Violette, and Orchidee.

These first five perfumes were presented as potted plants in a flower cart. The outer wrapper was a small green flower pot, enhanced by a red band and topped with a small artificial plant. The five jars were presented in a small four-season merchant car. The vials contained a different blown glass flower inside. Other early perfumes were presented in flower pot presentation boxes holding delicate glass amphora shaped bottles, these were packaged with a perfumed sachet too. See the 1939 newspaper ads below.

Pierre Dune also presented Evocation de Violette in a replica of the 16th century apothecary bottle.  Other luxury bottles were shaped like a bedside lamp with a lampshade.

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Evocation of Tuberose by Pierre Dune: the bottle is a lamp that lights burning spells in its crystal to illuminate the enchantment of nights heavy with perfumes. This evocation of tuberose will fixate around a hair, a glove, a a fur, the imperishable memory of happy evenings."

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In 1939, the creation of the perfume Privilege. Privilege was classified as a grand chypre perfume with dominant jasmine and rose notes, a very warm and enveloping scent with a touch of tobacco.

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Privilege by Pierre Dune: A bottle, reminiscent of the Greek amphora, retains scents of jasmine, roses and tobacco which mix in ideal proportions to combine an excellent perfume with all the strength of a privilege."

A few months later, three more scents followed: Armorial, Vous Seule and Fringant. Armorial was a floral perfume with notes of bergamot, hyacinth, elderberry, tuberose, lilac, carnation, vetiver, exotic woods, ylang ylang, animalic note and opoponax, described as very young and fresh. Fringant was dominated by geranium with additional notes of aspen, sandalwood, leather and tobacco.

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Armorial by Pierre Dune: summer perfume jealously guarded in a luxurious case. Smell of hyacinth and bergamot, you exhale laughter that the nostrils could hear...and your smell floats like a flag in the wind!"

Combat, 1954:

 "Eau Armorial de Pierre Dune: Heliotrope means: 'I turn towards the sun' Married to exalted hyacinths, with a fresh hint of lilac, and another of peppery carnation, if we add the smell of leaves vetiver, and diluting the whole thing in a generous and tangy bergamot alcohol, you should obtain, more or less - although I sense exotic woods and some animal base - the smell of this distilled water for the purpose for the summer. It has the sweet freshness of a puff of wind in the laces of the elderberry, or the organs of the trees."

Combat, 1954:

"Fringante by Pierre Dune: Even though the aspen is motionless; even though the light falls in golden arpeggios on the sleeping shepherds, I know nothing more comforting than this good, healthy and powerful smell of geranium. She hunts stubborn mosquitoes, arrows of sunshine that the sun exasperates. Scent of nature, virgin scent, she is a friend of leather and tobacco. She makes me dream of a long horseback ride, under cover of a wood, happy and lonely."

Combat, 1955:

"Fringant (Dashing) by Pierre Dune - nothing comforting like this healthy and powerful smell of geranium. It drives away mosquitoes, sun arrows that the sun exasperates. Friend of leather and tobacco, I recommend it with smokers and riders, amazons or centaurs."

 

In 1941, the fragrance Pres du Coeur was born. It's presentation was a bold concept in the time of war but also quite appropriate and sentimental. The perfume was presented in a box that had a picture frame on one side in which to insert a photograph of the absent soldier or other photo of her choice. Pres du Coeur was classified as an aldehydic woody floral perfume with notes of clover, rose, hawthorn, jasmine, lilac, privet, heliotrope, cyclamen, narcissus, gardenia, laburnum and hyacinth layered over sandalwood,  vetiver, ambergris and oakmoss, it was said to be very rich and persistent.

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Pres du Coeur by Pierre Dune: here is a head to head that we are offered with this bottle presented in a real frame, in the middle of which we slip the photograph of the donor! It is a sentimental colloquium where jasmine and gardenia record the slightest palpitations of the heart."

Combat, 1954:

"Pres du Coeur by Pierre Dune: there is only the extract, undiluted in an eau de toilette. But how much it identifies with the natural scents of the gardens! Its first message is of honeysuckle nuanced with lilac. Then the green odor of clover meets the rosy exhalation of hawthorn. Finally, privet, laburnum, heliotrope, cyclamen and narcissus conspire for the sole purpose of uniting, for such languid flesh that Ronsard would have celebrated, the enchantments of the shadow or the breeze regains its lost joy."

 

1946 saw the launch of La Clef de Pierre Dune. In 1950, the aromatic Feuille d'Herbe was released.

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Feuille d'Herbe by Pierre Dune: the warmth of summer warms the lawn, a scent of greenery mingles with the foliage: it is a scent that is both warm and sweet, which rises in puffs, like a call of youth ."

In 1957, the perfume Rue 49 made its appearance. Rue 49 was classified as a woody chypre perfume with notes of rose, natural Tonkin musk, oakmoss, ambergris and fragrant balms.

Pierre Dune's Perles Parfumées (Perfumed Pearls) from 1952, are also a very interesting innovation. These are very fine glass balls, almost as big as a cherry, each containing a load of concentrated solution for the bath: Armorial or Privilege perfume.

In the 1960s, you could get Belle de Mai in a bottle shaped like the Eiffel Tower, and Success was housed inside of a filigree covered bottle.

Pierre Dune's perfumes were still being sold around 1971 as evidenced from newspaper ads.

Pierre Dune was well established in some North American and Canadian markets.


Also traded under the name Rene Pierre.

The perfumes of Pierre Dune:

• 1939 Evocation de Rose
• 1939 Evocation de Tubereuse
• 1939 Evocation d'Oeillet
• 1939 Evocation de Violette
• 1939 Evocation d'Orchidee
• 1939 Privilege
• 1939 Fringant
• 1939 Vous Seule
• 1939 Armorial
• 1940 Infini
• 1940 Sesquoia
• 1941 Pres du Coeur
• 1946 La Clef de Pierre Dune
• 1947 Clef du Paradis
• 1950 Feuille d'Herbe
• 1952 Perles Parfumees
• 1957 Rue 49
• 1961 Belle de Mai
• 1962 Success
• 1962 Lantern Eau de Cologne
• 1964 Siva
• 1965 Janala
• Prestige 
• L'Amphore Bleu
• 1965 Lantern Eau de Cologne
• 1965 3 Perfumes (presentation of six bottles)

The perfumes of Rene Pierre:

• 1940 Sesquoia
• 1940 Discours
• 1940 Tout de Meme