Even considering all that history, the 1990s was a huge decade for perfume, eau de toilette, cologne and other types of fragrances for women (and men, too, but that’s a different article).
In 1994 alone, there were 64 new varieties added to the market — compared to 55 in 1993, and 27 in 1992, according to a vintage news story in the Austin American-Statesman.
They were pitched by supermodels and actresses, came from all the top fashion designers, along with many more bottled scents from well-known drugstore beauty brands like Revlon and Coty.
Among them were many brands launched solely to capitalize on the success of movies or TV shows, which is how the world somehow ended up with short-lived perfumes tied into everything from Beverly Hills 90210 to Bridges of Madison County.
You’ll also see that actresses Elizabeth Taylor, Jaclyn Smith and Mariel Hemingway all had their own scents on the market. Men, too, had joined in — like ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and musician Herb Alpert.
Then there were aromas created for established brands in other markets, such as Benetton, Talbots, Tiffany (the jewelers, not the singer), and even home decor star Laura Ashley.
In 1994, Leonard Lauder — who was the president of the Estee Lauder company — thought of these newcomers to the market as little more than impulse purchases. He sniffed, “if you get enough people buying The Gap perfume and Victoria’s Secret, that means there are fewer people buying ‘fine fragrances.’”
Now, see how many of these popular vintage perfumes from the ’90s that you remember! They’re listed alphabetically by the name of the fragrance.
SEE MORE: Perfumes of the 1960s | From the 70s | From the 1980s
No. 1 fragrance from Laura Ashley (1992)
273 – The fragrance for men and women by Fred Hayman (1991)
360 vintage fragrance from Perry Ellis (1993)
5th Avenue perfume by Elizabeth Arden (1999)
Acqua di Gio from Giorgio Armani (1998)
Adrienne Vittadini parfums (1995)
Allure from fashion house Chanel (1998)
Amarige by Givenchy (1998)
Amber Musk for women, from Shiara (1997)
America fragrances for him and her by Perry Ellis (1996)
Animale perfume (1991)
Aquaflore fragrance from Carolina Herrera (1997)
Aromatics Elixir 90s fragrance from Clinique (1995)
Aspen cologne for women (1993)
Baryshnikov Pour Femme perfume, by ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov (1995)
Bernini Beverly Hills cologne for women and men (1996)
Beverly Hills 90210 perfume (1992)
This ad for a fragrance inspired by the teen TV show is “signed” by Dylan McKay and Brenda Walsh (rather than their real-world counterparts Perry Luke and Shannen Doherty).
Beverly Hills fragrance from Gale Hayman (1991)
Bijan perfume for women (1993)
Bijan Light eau de toilette (1996)
Black Pearls vintage fragrance from Elizabeth Taylor (1995)
Blonde fragrance by designer Gianni Versace (1996)
Boucheron parfums (1992)
Bridges, the fragrance (1995)
Caesars Woman and Caesars Man fragrances (1993)
Caliente fragrance (1993)
California from Jaclyn Smith, by Max Factor (1990)
Calla perfumes from Isabell (1996)
Calyx by Prescriptives (1991)
Carolina Herrera perfume (1991)
Cashmere Mist by fashion designer Donna Karan (1997)
Casmir perfume from Parfums Chopard (1994)
Catalyst by Halston (1993)
C’est la vie perfume by Christian Lacroix (1991)
Chakra perfumes from Aveda (1997)
Chanel No. 5 (1994)
Chaos crystalline perfume bottle from Donna Karan (1996)
Charlie vintage perfume from Revlon (1995)
Charlie Express fragrance from Revlon (1991
Chloe Narcisse fragrances (1993)
Ciara Femme Fatale fragrance from Revlon (1995)
cK be fragrance for people, from Calvin Klein (1996)
Clinique Wrappings fragrance (1991)
Coco from Chanel – with singer/actress Vanessa Paradis (1992)
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Colors perfume from Benetton (1991)
Contradiction fragrance for women from designer Calvin Klein (1998)
Cool Water woman from Davidoff (1997)
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Curve for men and for women from Liz Claiborne (1995)
Dare eau de parfum (1991)
Dazzling by Estee Lauder, with actress/model Elizabeth Hurley (1999)
Deci Dela from Nina Ricci (1995)
Downtown Girl perfume from Revlon (1991)
Dream eau de toilette from Gap (1995)
Eau de Givenchy (1994)
Ellen Tracy fragrance (1992)
Elysium fragrance from Clarin Paris (1995)
Emeraude cologne (1991)
Encore by Alfred Sung (1991)
Escada by Margaretha Ley (1991)
Escape from Calvin Klein (1991)
Exclamation Blush perfume (1998)
Exclamation Noir perfume (1998)
Exclamation original fragrance (1993)
Extravagance by Givenchy (1998)
Fath de Fath 90s fragrance (1995)
Fetish scent, by Dana for Women (1997)
Fire and Ice fragrance from Revlon (1994)
First perfume from Van Cleef and Arpels (1996)
Fleur d’interdit eau de parfum from Givenchy (1994)
Flore perfume by fashion designer Carolina Herrera (1996)
French Vanilla fragrance (1995)
Gap Blue No. 655 fragrance for her (1995)
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Ghost Myst fragrance from Coty (1995)
Gio by Giorgio Armani (1993)
Giorgio Beverly Hills (1992)
Gossip fragrance by Cindy Adams, from Coty (1998)
Guess parfum, with supermodel Claudia Schiffer (1991)
Halston for Women (1996)
Hana fragrance from Aveda: Pure-fume spirit (1997)
Practice safe scents. And scents of pleasure. Inspiritu aromas (like all our Pure-Fume aromas) are pure flower and plant essences, not synthetic duplicates. Inspired by cultures that — like us — applied the active, therapeutic benefits of plant aromas.
Happy fragrance by Clinique (1998)
Head Over Heels fragrance from Ultima II (1994)
Ici fragrance for women (1995)
Incognito perfume from Cover Girl (1993)
Jaipur perfume by Boucheron (1995)
Jaipur Saphir eau de toilette by Boucheron Paris (1999)
Jean Paul Gaultier parfums – with an unusual bottle (1995)
The unusual bottle is a play on fashion designer Gaultier’s iconic look — as worn by Madonna on her 1990 concert tour.
Joop for women (1993)
Jovan Musk for men and women from Coty (1994)
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Joy by Jean Patou (1991)
Jungle Gardenia fragrance (1995)
L’Air du Temps from Nina Ricci (1992)
L’eau d’Issey perfume for women by Issey Miyake (1995)
L’Eau de Monteil parfum (1995)
Le Feu D’Issey by Issey Miyake (1998)
L’Effleur fragrance collection (1993)
Lady Stetson perfume (1993)
Vintage ad with actress Natasha Henstridge
Lauren for Her, from Ralph Lauren (1993)
Listen parfum from Herb Alpert (1991)
(Yes, that Herb Alpert — the famous jazz musician — had his own fragrance line for a while.)
Longing vintage perfume from Coty (1994)
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Mackie perfume by Bob Mackie (1991)
Mariel eau de parfum by H20 Plus (1993)
Fragrance from actress/model Mariel Hemingway
Moschino perfume (1991)
Musk by Alyssa Ashley (1995)
Nautica Woman fragrance (1997)
Navy perfume from Cover Girl (1992)
Vintage jelly shoes were THE footwear for summer in the ’80s & ’90s
Nicole Miller perfume bottle (1998)
Nokomis fragrance (1995)
Obsession from Calvin Klein eau de parfum (1997)
Ocean Dream perfume from Giorgio Beverly Hills (1995)
One by Calvin Klein – eau de toilette for men and women (1994)
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Opium eau de parfum from Yves Saint Laurent (1993)
Organza from Givenchy (1998)
Oscar by Oscar de la Renta (1992)
Experience the power of femininity.
Paco by Paco Rabanne for men and women (1996)
Paloma Picasso parfum (1991)
Paris by Yves Saint Laurent (1991)
Paris je t’aime. I love you… with all of me.
Passion from Elizabeth Taylor (1992)
A passionate moment… a passionate fragrance. The girl who had everything.
Pleasures from Estee Lauder (1998)
A sheer flowering to delight all the senses. All the time.
Poeme perfume by Lancome Paris (1996)
Poison esprit de parfum by Christian Dior (1990)
Polo Sport Woman from designer Ralph Lauren (1996)
Presence perfume (1990)
Realities vintage fragrance from Liz Claiborne (1993)
Red from Giorgio Beverly Hills (1991)
Red Door – The Fragrance by Elizabeth Arden (1997)
Rive Gauche perfume by Yves Saint Laurent (1990)
Romance fragrance by Ralph Lauren (1999)
Safari women’s fragrance from Ralph Lauren (1993)
Salvatore Ferragamo pour femme (1998)
Samsara parfum from Guerlain Paris (1992)
Sand and Sable perfume from Coty (1993)
Santa Fe colognes for men and women (1991)
Shalimar from Guerlain Paris (1991)
So perfume by Oscar de la Renta (1998)
Spellbound perfume from Estee Lauder (1991)
Splendor by Elizabeth Arden (1998)
Sunflowers vintage fragrance from Elizabeth Arden (1993)
Sun Moon Stars from Lagerfeld (1995)
Sunset Cafe fragrances (1995)
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Tabu perfume by Dana (1994)
Theorema eau de parfum from Fendi (1998)
Tiffany brand eau de toilette (1990)
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Tommy Girl fragrance from Tommy Hilfiger (1998)
Tresor from Lancome (1993)
Tribe fragrance from Coty (1993)
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Tribu from Benetton (1993)
Trueste by Tiffany (1995)
Truly Lace perfume (1993)
Tuscany Per Donna from Estee Lauder (1994)
Vanderbilt eau de toilette by Gloria Vanderbilt (1994)
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Vanilla Fields vintage fragrance (1993)
Vanilla Musk by Coty (1994)
Venezia eau de toilette by Laura Biagotti (1993)
Vivid by Liz Claiborne (1995)
Volupte by Oscar de la Renta (1992)
White Diamonds from Elizabeth Taylor (1991)
White Linen Perfume by Estee Lauder (1991)
White Musk by Jovan (1998)
Wind Song perfume from Prince Matchabelli (1990)
Your Wind Song stays on his mind…
Contest from 1990: “Write from the heart, and tell me why the one you love stays on your mind. I’ll read the four most romantic love letters on my American Top 40 radio program in February.
“These four winners will also win trips for two to the Wind Song Villa in Jamaica. Look for official entry blanks at Wind Song displays that feature specially priced purse-size spray colognes.
“Now you can enjoy Wind Song any time, any place…” – SHADOE STEVENS
Wings perfume from Giorgio Beverly Hills (1993)
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With Love fragrance from Fred Hayman (1991)
Yellow Jeans Woman by Gianna Versace (1996)
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