Womens fragrance is more than thousands of years old. The use of selected herbs and flowers to scent the atmosphere was how a love for fragrance started. It was familiar for people to put on a garland of flowers, or to hang fragrant plants indoors, and affix aromatic plants to sweet-smelling rush spread on a floor. One of the old use of perfumes come form the flaming of incense and other aromatic herbs used in religious functions, often the frankincense, aromatic gums and myrrh, gathered from trees. And the word "perfume" is from Latin, meaning "through smoke".

The Egyptians were the first to incorporate this into their culture followed by the ancient Hindus, Chinese, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. The Egyptians invented glass, and womens scent were one of the primary uses for glass. The earliest use of these bottles is Egypt, date to around 1000 BC. From 9th century, high capacity trade between Byzantium and Venice brought perfumes into Europe. There was a good deal trade within Arabia, in bringing it from Baghdad to Muslim Spain.