Fragrance house

Monteil

Monteil was founded in New York in 1936 by Germaine Monteil and her husband, Guy Bjorkman, initially as an extension of her fashion business focused on cosmetics and skin treatments. As the cosmetics and fragrance business grew, Monteil left fashion design in the late 1940s to concentrate on perfume and cosmetics. The company established a Paris base around 1950, expanded through Western Europe, and separated Monteil Parfums from Germaine Monteil Cosmetiques in 1953. Ownership later passed through British American Tobacco, Beecham, Revlon, and John A. Benckiser GmbH, and the brand became Monteil Paris in 1992. In 2019, Wilde Cosmetics GmbH acquired all shares from BRAIN AG and operated Germaine Monteil International GmbH. Today, Monteil is a skincare specialist centered on individualized, science-based routines and research-led active cosmetics. Its fragrance history began with Laughter in 1941, later renamed Rigolade. The Royal Secret Beauty Bath range followed in 1960, with associated scented bath and spray products introduced afterward.