Eugène Rimmel (c. 1820–1887) was a French-born British

perfumer A perfumer is an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a ''nose'' () due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions. The perfumer is effectively an artist who is trained i ...

and businessman, responsible for manufacturing and marketing some of the earliest commercially made

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

, through his company House of Rimmel, (now a division of Coty Inc.).

Early life and career

Rimmel was born in France, he moved with his family to London when his father accepted an invitation to manage a perfumery on

Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...

. Rimmel was apprenticed to his father. In 1834, he opened his own perfumery, the House of Rimmel. In the same year father and son produced their first cosmetic products. By the age of 24, Eugène Rimmel had become an immensely talented perfumer and cosmetics innovator. Considered by many beauty historians as a trail-blazer of the beauty and

healthcare Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

industries, Rimmel contributed greatly to the concept of hygiene and bathing. He was also among the first to develop scented

pomade Pomade is a greasy, waxy, or water-based substance that is used to style hair. It generally gives the user's hair a shiny, slick appearance. It lasts longer than most hair-care products, and often requires repeated washes for complete remov ...

s, mouth rinses and his signature "Toilet Vinegar". His most innovative invention may well be the first commercial

non-toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacteria, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect o ...

mascara Mascara (, ) is a Cosmetics, cosmetic commonly used to enhance the upper and lower eyelashes. It is used to darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes. Normally in one of three forms—liquid, powder, or cream—the modern mascara p ...

, which became so popular that "rimmel" is to this day the word for "mascara" in several languages including French, Italian, Portuguese, Persian, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish and Arabic. Rimmel was also considered an exceptional

marketer Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or manufacturer. Products can ...

and produced detailed

mail order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing an order by telephone call ...

catalogues and advertising programmes with English theatres.

Publication

In 1865, he published ''The Book of Perfumes'', which appeared in 1870 in a French translation (''Le Livre des Parfums'') with a preface by Alphonse Karr.Bodleian Library online catalogue
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Later life

Rimmel was so successful that he was granted ten Royal Warrants from heads of state all over Europe, including

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

, for his perfumes and fragranced products. With the headline "The Prince of Perfumers", ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' printed Rimmel's obituary on 15 March 1887. It stated that he was one of the founders of the French Hospital and Dispensary in London, and a constant advocate of its claims to the support of the public. Rimmel married a woman from Seurre, eastern France, Elisabeth Letroublon with whom he had three children, Jules, Henry and Herminie. The sons assumed control of the beauty company at Rimmel's death in 1887, though they delegated the management of the company, which passed out of Rimmel family hands. After many difficulties Rimmel's cosmetics brand is now owned by Coty Inc.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rimmel, Eugene 1820s births 1887 deaths British cosmetics businesspeople Businesspeople from London French cosmetics businesspeople French emigrants to the United Kingdom History of cosmetics Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom 19th-century French businesspeople 19th-century English businesspeople French perfumers