During the Greek and Roman periods, perfume bottles were made to fit indoors, many in the form of birds, humans and other animals.

By 50 B.C., the glass blowing process was improved in Syria. Clear glass perfume bottles decorated with colored glass became the treasures of the Roman upper class noblewomen, while metal and enamel perfume containers appeared on the market.

In the 18th century, oriental perfumes in ceramic bottles became the trend, and the fragile and difficult-to-transport nature of ceramics made these perfumes even more precious, and became a trendsetter for the aristocracy.

In the first decade of the 20th century, the Art Nouveau movement reached its peak, when perfume bottles were full of whimsical designs. The most common form used was the flower. The Floramye perfume designed by L.T Piver in 1905, for example, has a crystal stopper and a purple phalaenopsis orchid decorated with gold floral lettering, which is beautifully sculpted. Perfume bottles of this period often used cork to store the perfume like wine

In 1907, the aerosol bottle was born, with a balloon attached to the outside of the bottle, which was pressed and squeezed to spray the perfume liquid atomized. A spray perfume called De Vilbis was very popular at the time, with the smooth shape of a wine glass and a few clear glass flowers “blooming” at the top, with a thin spike falling at the end of the balloon. This design seems a bit outdated and cumbersome nowadays, but it was a perfect fit for the “feminine” reverie of the time.

In the 1920s, World War I caused the decline of the beauty industry in Europe, and the United States became a major perfume manufacturer. The new perfume bottle design reflected the beauty of Hollywood-style extravagance and splendor.

The onset of the Great Depression caused sales of perfume to plummet. This caused many over-designed perfume bottles to disappear from the market.

The revival of the perfume bottle again did not come until the late 1940s, at the end of World War II. This time, the glass blowing process went to the grave, and the variety of perfume bottle designs reflected people’s quest for individuality, with materials such as metal and plastic, hand-painted and enameled decorations beginning to emerge.

The design of perfume bottles in the 1950s was influenced by the roaring modern art movement. Perfume makers became the sponsors of Expressionist and Surrealist artists. Artist Salvador Dali designed Elsa Schiaparelli and Marquay’s perfume bottles.

In the swinging 1960s, the preference for perfume bottles was for sleek lines and bright colors. A decade later, the image of an independent and powerful woman was sought after. The stoppers of perfume bottles of this period were replaced with screw caps and larger mouths – modern women were expected to show off their bravado when wearing perfume.

In the 1980s, the invention of the built-in sprayer made perfume a truly portable cosmetic, and the mass application of plastic brought perfume to a broader consumer base.

The design of the perfume bottle also followed the trend of minimalist style in the 1990s. As the outsourcing industry developed, the production of perfume bottles moved to developing countries.