What Perfume Did Marilyn Monroe Wear? [Not Chanel No. 5!]

The famous quote attributed to Marilyn Monroe about wearing only Chanel No. 5 to bed has become one of the most repeated anecdotes in fragrance history. But the real story of Monroe’s perfume preferences is far more interesting — and surprising.

Did Marilyn Monroe Really Wear Chanel No. 5?

The famous quote originated from a 1952 Life Magazine interview. However, Monroe was recounting an anecdote: “Once this fellow says, ‘Marilyn, what do you wear to bed?’ So I said ‘I only wear Chanel No. 5.’”

The quote became distorted over time through repeated retellings, transforming from a witty quip into a definitive statement about her fragrance preferences.

In 2013, Chanel featured Monroe in an advertisement campaign called “Inside Chanel,” using a posthumous recording where she allegedly discusses the original interview. However, the veracity of this claim remains uncertain.

What Was Marilyn Monroe’s Favorite Perfume?

The genuine answer comes from documented evidence. In 2012, British fragrance house Floris investigated their archives for the 50th anniversary of Monroe’s death. They discovered that on December 14, 1959, Monroe’s personal secretary Dorothy Blass ordered “half a dozen bottles of Floris’ Rose Geranium Toilet Water” for delivery to the Beverly Hills Hotel.

This fragrance featured citronella, geranium, and greens in the top notes; palmarosa, rose, rosewood in the middle; and cedarwood at the base. The fragrance remains available today, though only in bath essences and soaps rather than as traditional perfume.

Other Iconic Starlets And Their Scents

Audrey Hepburn

Fashion house Givenchy created L’Interdit specifically for Hepburn in 1957, featuring bergamot, iris, jasmine, narcissus, rose, sandalwood, and violet. Though Hepburn allegedly wanted the fragrance exclusively for herself, Givenchy released it publicly in the 1960s. Later, she switched to Creed Spring Flower, another fragrance commissioned just for her.

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly favored Creed’s Fleurissimo, wearing it on her wedding day in 1956 when she became Princess of Monaco. Prince Rainier commissioned the fragrance to complement her bridal bouquet. The scent contains bergamot, Bulgarian rose, and Florentine iris.

Elizabeth Taylor

Before launching her own successful perfume empire (including the bestseller White Diamonds), Elizabeth Taylor wore Jean Desprez Bal à Versailles, featuring orange blossom, rosemary, sandalwood, and vanilla. She famously wore this fragrance while filming Cleopatra and even gifted it to Michael Jackson.

Final Thoughts

The discovery of Monroe’s Rose Geranium preference reveals how celebrities cultivated their public images differently in the pre-social media era. While we may never know her complete fragrance preferences, the documented Floris purchase provides tangible evidence of her taste.

This curiosity about celebrity scents reflects our desire to understand the personalities behind the public personas, especially when dealing with historical figures whose lives remain somewhat mysterious.