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An older bottle of Quelques Fleurs perfume, distributed by Houbigant's Mexican representatives, Las Parfumas de Francia, S.A., Mexico City. |
Robert Bienaimé was a protégé of Houbigant perfumer Paul Parquet, the first perfumer to make significant use of a synthetic aroma chemical with his 1882 Fougére Royal.
In 1903, aldehydes first became available when George Darzens synthesised C-12 MNA and E.E. Blaise isolated the series C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, and C-12 Lauric. Darzen's previous work on synthetics had helped create L.T. Piver's Le Trèfle Incarnat (1896), Azuréa (1897), and Floramye (1905).
In 1912, Houbigant launched Robert Bienaimé's Quelques Fleurs, a floral-aldehydic fragrance with what has been described as a modern feeling. Quelques Fleurs made use of aldehyde C-12 MNA. Perfumers took note.
The following year, A. Rallet & Co. of Moscow launched Ernest Beaux's Bouquet de Catherine, Beaux's first use of aldehydes and a direct predecessor of his No.5 for Chanel.
In 1914, Parfams de Rosine, Paul Poiret's perfume company, launched Le Fruit Deféndu — with aldehydes — by perfumer Henri Alméras. Almeras and two other perfumers — Henri Robert and Vincent Roubert — all became companions of Beaux at Chiris immediately after the First World War. All would go on to develop fragrances of note — inspired by Robert Bienaimé's Quelques Fleurs.
In 1935, Bienaimé launched his own Paris fragrance house, Parfum de Bienaimé and began to issue fragrances under his own name. Bienaimé fragrances continues to appear during the 1940s and Jours Heureux was advertised in 1946. Then the company appears to have faded out of business.
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