Rumor has it that en route to the guillotine, Marie Antoinette trailed drops of her favorite Houbigant perfume along the way.

When Cleopatra headed down the river to meet Mark Anthony, her ships we perfumed so that he could smell her coming.

More than 75% of British women wear fragrance regularly, making them second to the French in the world league of perfume users.

At the court of Louis XV, etiquette decreed that a different perfume be worn every single day.

Perfume comes from the Latin per fumus (through smoke). The smoke of incense, burning woods and spices were the most ancient scents.