The Story of Maison Roger&Gallet
Distilling happiness since 1862
A Scented Miracle
The Roger&Gallet saga begins in Italy, in the footsteps of a young Italian, Giovanni Paolo Feminis, who in 1693 created a miraculous water, Acqua Mirabilis: a preparation made from 18 medicinal plants grown in a Florentine convent garden, the Jardin des Simples. Rubbed onto the skin or used for bathing, this water was said to relieve all manner of ailments.
Regenerating neroli, refreshing lavandin, soothing lemongrass, purifying thyme… the miracle recipe travelled across centuries and borders all the way to Cologne, where the Farina family inherited its secret: and so Eau de Cologne was born.
The Birth of Eau de Cologne
In 1806, Jean Marie Joseph Farina, a descendant of the family, set off for Paris and founded his own perfume house. Drawing on the advances in distillation of his time, he modernised the Acqua Mirabilis formula and turned Eau de Cologne into a fragrance.
Prized for its notes of fresh bergamot and orange blossom, Eau de Cologne Jean Marie Farina won over the royal courts, and the house became their official supplier. On the skin, this water left a revitalising sensation of freshness.
Among its devotees were Napoleon I and, later, Empress Eugénie, who brought it international renown.
“Avant-garde par tradition” – avant-garde by tradition – was the House’s signature.
Through innovative and luxurious creations, Roger&Gallet has crafted a unique and exceptional world of scents, skincare and fragrances.
The Art of Happiness
In 1862, two brothers-in-law, Armand Roger and Charles Gallet, acquired the house and, with it, the precious original Eau de Cologne, so often copied yet never equalled.
In Paris, the Opéra Garnier was rising; soon, Zola would write The Ladies’ Paradise. Amid this bustling energy, the two partners founded Maison Roger&Gallet and never ceased to innovate, invent and dream.
In their wake came a profusion of scents, a whirl of fragrances and beauty-ritual essentials that captivated the most elegant: soaps to beautify the complexion, cosmetics and the very first lip balms – creations for which smiles and joie de vivre are, for Roger&Gallet, a second skin.
An Icon Comes Full Circle
1879 saw the birth of the first round soap, “scented to the core”. A small revolution at a time when soaps came only in rectangular bars that were awkward to hold.
But what truly mattered lay elsewhere: made in the cauldron, using an artisanal process still in use today, Roger&Gallet soaps stay fragrant down to the very last use.
Happiness Has an Address
From 1932 onwards, happiness had an address. That year, Maison Roger&Gallet moved to rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, into a shop named “la Boutique du Bonheur” – the Boutique of Happiness.
A true landmark, it drew eager customers keen to discover the refined illustrations of artists such as Mucha, Icart and Fabiano.
A Good Rub for a Good Day!
In the 1950s, Maison Roger&Gallet embraced the wellness revolution. As paid holidays became widespread, the French began to take care of themselves, and Roger&Gallet essentials found their way into every bathroom.