Eau de Cologne (original 4711 formula)(1709)

This is the original 'Kolnisch Wasser' (Cologne Water) formulated by Giovanni Paolo Feminis and refined by his nephew Johann Maria Farina in the German city of Cologne, the fragrance that gave an entire genre, and eventually an entire product category, its name. Farina described his own creation in a 1708 letter as smelling like an Italian spring morning, of mountain narcissus and orange blossom after the rain, and the blend here delivers exactly that: bright bergamot, lemon, and neroli over a transparent petitgrain heart, settling into a soft rosemary-and-musk base. Unlike the heavier florals and animalic bases common in perfumery, this citrus-herbal splash was worn by both men and women and applied liberally rather than dabbed, establishing cologne as a genre distinct from perfume proper. It became so fashionable across 18th-century Europe that Napoleon reportedly went through several bottles a week during his campaigns. The Farina family's original formula and house are still in continuous operation in Cologne today, making this one of the longest unbroken lineages in perfumery history.