Have you ever recollect how your mom used to make efforts to change her look before going out? It would always be a small, beautifully crafted glass vial from her handbag, a quick flick and the room was filled with the most soft, divine aroma. That small vial wasn’t just any perfume bottle – it was a perfume ampule or as some would refer to it as perfume nips. These little glass gems were the glamour item of the women of the ‘50s, the ‘60s and the ‘70s and a way of smelling good and looking elegant with a fragrance that would only last for the day.

Perfume ampoules were long and thin glass containers containing just sufficient amount of perfume to be used one or twice. As they were sealed at both ends they were to be easily transportable and compact, ideal for carrying in one’s purse for a specific event or a touch up. It would be as simple as the user snapping the colored glass tip and releasing the fragrance and applying it instantly. Most of the women who used perfume ampules especially those who regularly went out to parties, parties and other events found these ampules very suitable for their needs.

But they served a purpose, and that was where they excelled, but they were not plain at all. Ampules also had various wax seals or colored glass tips and looked beautiful as if they were tiny art pieces. The beauty of these ampules was not only in the fragrance it held, but in the elegance of its use.

During the post-war years, as women started to get independence and freedom they sought after the products that would fit their new lifestyle. Perfume ampules met the demands of women with active lifestyles to the advantage. It was different from the large sized perfume bottles that were placed on the vanity, these small containers were portable as they could be carried around by a woman to help her spray some fragrance at her workplace, while having lunch or even in the evening.

Was also using of perfume ampules that was also another sign of elegance and sophistication. Glamour became more affordable in the mid-20th century with the increasing popularity of fashion and beauty magazines that is why every woman wanted to be like movie stars of that time. These were exquisite glass containers which could be easily carried in a purse and every woman felt like a celebrity from Hollywood who is going to charm everyone with a stroke of her perfume.

Let’s go back to the time when you first had your first perfume. You might have used your mother’s favourite perfume and apply it when going for a school dance or a family gathering. Or perhaps your grandmother stored a couple of perfume pins in the drawer, small glasses, which seemed as fragile as if one could break them by touching. It was a perfume; these ampules were not just a tool to put on some scent on one’s body but a tool to make you feel like a lady instantly.

While perfume ampules are no longer a common sight in people’s day to day life, they still hold a certain appeal. These statements make one recall the age where even the slightest acts had a significant value – from the process of applying fragrance on the body. Today, they are collected by enthusiasts, not only because these items are rare, but also because they remind one of the golden age, when life was considered to be more elegant and less hectic.