19 August 2026
At Versailles, perfume was not a mere accessory: it accompanied every moment of court life, from gloves to powdered wigs. A journey into the olfactory world of Marie-Antoinette and the kings, and into the Maison Dorin creations it inspired.
The “perfumed court”
In the 18th century, courtiers perfumed everything: their gloves, fans, handkerchiefs and the powders used to whiten their wigs and complexions. People spoke of a “perfumed court” under Louis XV, where it was fashionable to change scent from day to day. Carefully perfumed make-up and rice powders were part of this art of appearance.
It was in this context that, in 1780, the house that would become Dorin was appointed supplier to the Court of Versailles for its powders and make-up. We tell this story in the story of Maison Dorin.
Marie-Antoinette’s tastes
Marie-Antoinette preferred light, floral scents to the heavy perfumes of the previous generation: rose, violet, iris or orange blossom, fresh notes reminiscent of gardens and the Petit Trianon. The queen also had intimate rooms decorated to her taste, such as the Turkish Boudoir at the Château de Fontainebleau, a gift from Louis XVI in 1777, where French style meets oriental decoration.
This boudoir inspired Le Boudoir Turc: a refined atmosphere where jasmine and vanilla blend with floral, powdery notes, reflecting the queen’s tastes.
Le Boudoir Turc, inspired by the room created for Marie-Antoinette
The kings, their desks and their gardens
The kings also left their olfactory mark on Versailles. Louis XV’s famous secretary desk, known as the Bureau du Roi, a masterpiece of 18th-century cabinetmaking, still stands in the King’s Private Apartment. The perfume Bureau du Roi conveys its atmosphere: woody notes mingled with hints of tobacco and whisky.
Louis XIV loved figs so much that he had hundreds of fig trees planted in the palace gardens before construction was even finished: a nod you will find in Figue Divine. And for a walk through the French formal gardens designed by André Le Nôtre, there is Les Jardins du Château, floral and woody.
Bureau du Roi, after Louis XV’s desk
Balls and powders
The balls of Versailles, with their dance cards listing one’s partners, inspired Carnet de Bal: lemon and petitgrain to open, then a heart of rose, tuberose and ylang. Finally, Versailles 1780 pays tribute to the powders of the Court with the powdery softness of violet, almond, peach and a touch of lipstick.
The Scents of Versailles collection
All these creations form The Scents of Versailles collection, presented in the house’s historic bottle, lacquered in brilliant white and signed with the Dorin name in gold. To discover them before choosing, each also comes in an 8 ml size, such as Versailles 1780 8 ml.