Eugene Rimmel

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Eugene Rimmel (1820-1887) was a French perfumer and businessman responsible for manufacturing and marketing some of the earliest commercially made cosmetics.

Contents 1 Building 2 Later Life 3 Book of Perfumes 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Building

Born in France, Rimmel moved with his family to London when his father accepted an invitation to manage a perfumery on Bond Street.^[1] Eugene apprenticed to his father, and, in 1834 opened his own perfumery, the House of Rimmel.

Father and son produced their first cosmetic products that same year. By the age of 24, Eugene Rimmel had become an immensely talented perfumer and cosmetics innovator. Considered by many beauty historians as a vanguard in the beauty and healthcare industries, Rimmel contributed greatly to the concept of hygiene and bathing. He was also among the first to develop scented pomades, mouth rinses and his signature "Toilet Vinegar".

The most innovative invention might be the first commercial non-toxic mascara product. It became so popular that rimmel is to this day the word for mascara in several languages including French, Italian, Persian, Spanish and Turkish.

Eugene Rimmel was also considered an exceptional marketer and produced detailed mail order catalogs and advertising programs with English theaters. ^[2]

[edit] Later Life

Eugene was so successful he collected 10 Royal Warrants from heads of state all over Europe, including Queen Victoria, for his perfumes and fragranced products.

With the headline "The Prince of Perfumers", the New York Times printed Rimmel's obituary on March 15, 1887. It stated he was one of the founders of the French Hospital and Dispensary in London, and constant advocate of its claims to the support of the public.

Eugene married a woman from Suerre, France. He and Betsy had children, a daughter and two sons. The sons assumed control of the beauty company at Rimmel's death in 1887. They extended the brand lines to produce more color cosmetics, emphasizing eye-enhancing products.

Rimmel remained a family-owned company until 1949. Rimmel's cosmetics brand, Rimmel, is now owned by Coty Inc.

[edit] Book of Perfumes

In Book of Perfumes, Rimmel traces perfume from ancient Egypt to the 1860s. He describes the various modes for extracting the aromas from plants and flowers and summarizes the principal fragrant materials used in manufacture.

The book was published in London in 1860.

According to him, "the history of perfume is, in some manner, the history of civilization." ^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Rimmel London information page