Ernest Beaux

Ernest Beaux was a famous maker of perfumes. He was born in Moscow, Russia. He learned how to make scents in a lab. He worked for a large company called Rallet.

Making perfume is a very special kind of art. Beaux thought making scents was like writing music. He said each part of a smell has a special tone. He could write a formula without even sniffing the liquid. He believed he knew exactly how the final result would smell. To him, a scent could be a happy waltz or a sad funeral march.

Beaux learned his craft through many years of hard work. He started as a lab technician at a soap works in 1898. Later, he trained under a director named A. Lemercier. He finished his education in 1907 and became a senior perfumer. He even joined the board of directors at Rallet. This company was the top perfume house in Russia at that time. It even supplied scents to the Imperial courts.

His career saw many big changes and famous moments. In 1912, he made a floral scent called Bouquet de Napoleon. This scent became a huge success for him. In 1914, he made Bouquet de Catherine to honor a famous leader. He also served in the French army during World War I. He worked as an officer at a camp on Mudyug island. After the war, he moved to Paris in 1919.

In 1920, Beaux met a famous woman named Coco Chanel. He showed her several numbered scents in Cannes. She chose the one called No. 5. She liked the number five because she launched collections on the fifth day of the fifth month. At first, she gave 100 bottles away as gifts in 1921. By 1922, she began selling it in her shops.

Chanel No. 5 changed the world of perfume forever. In 1924, the owners of Galeries Lafayette bought the rights to it. They started a company called Les Parfums Chanel. They hired Beaux to be their chief perfumer. He created many famous scents like Cuir de Russie in 1924. He worked in this role until he retired in 1954. Beaux died in Paris on June 9, 1961. His funeral was very beautiful and covered in roses.