The perfumes that changed what the world smells like, decade by decade.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 15 November 2026
What was the first modern perfume?
Guerlain’s Jicky (1889) is often given the title, because it was among the first to use synthetic materials as a central part of its character. Guerlain followed with two of the greatest perfumes ever made: the chypre Mitsouko (1919) and the vanilla amber Shalimar (1925). Then came Chanel No. 5 in 1921.
Which perfumes defined the mid-century?
Jean Patou’s Joy (1930), sold as the costliest perfume in the world during the Depression, and Miss Dior (1947), launched the same year as Christian Dior’s New Look. Estée Lauder’s Youth-Dew (1953) was a bath oil women could buy for themselves rather than wait to be given perfume.
And from the 1970s to the 1990s?
Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium (1977), a spicy amber launched with a party on a ship in New York harbour and plenty of controversy over its name. Thierry Mugler’s Angel (1992) invented the gourmand. Calvin Klein’s CK One (1994) was the first blockbuster sold to men and women alike, in a flask like a bottle of rum.
What are the modern classics?
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle (2001), Dior J’adore (1999), Lancôme La Vie est Belle (2012) and, for men, Dior Sauvage (2015), one of the best-selling fragrances in the world. Among niche scents, Le Labo Santal 33 and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 became the signature smells of the 2010s.
Read on Ayerhs: 9 Luxury Perfume Gifts Worth Unwrapping · What Is the Opium Aesthetic? · Christian Dior and the New Look