Salut by Schiaparelli c1934

Launched in 1934, Salut by Schiaparelli is a fragrance that captures both the buoyant mood of its time and the designer’s singular sense of style and wit. The name Salut—pronounced sah-LOO—is a French word that carries multiple meanings. It’s used as a casual “hello,” a toast to health or good fortune, or even a cheerful farewell. It is a word of breezy elegance, informal yet spirited. For a designer like Elsa Schiaparelli—renowned for her playful defiance of convention—the choice of Salut as a perfume name was perfectly in step with her identity. It evokes an image of a woman entering a room with poise, vivacity, and an effortless charm, offering a wordless greeting with her fragrance trailing behind her like a ribbon of presence.

The world of 1934 was still recovering from the economic ravages of the Great Depression. Fashion, while still refined and ladylike, was becoming more streamlined and functional—hints of modernity were emerging through cleaner lines and active silhouettes. This was a time when women were asserting new forms of independence, finding their place in the workplace, in politics, and in art. Elsa Schiaparelli stood at the forefront of these changes, a designer whose surrealist collaborations and daring use of color and form challenged fashion’s boundaries. Her perfumes were no exception.

Salut belongs to the floral chypre family—a structure known for its interplay between bright, floral notes and a mossy, earthy base. What sets Salut apart is its opening character: sharp, green, fresh, almost bracing in its medicinal edge. This comes from aromatic herbs, galbanum and rosemary, which lend a tonic, invigorating quality. At its heart, the fragrance unfolds into a lush lily of the valley accord—dewy, white, romantic, yet never cloying. Muguet is often associated with spring, purity, and renewal, making it a perfect focal point for a scent named after a cheerful greeting. The chypre base—traditionally constructed from oakmoss, patchouli, and labdanum—grounds the composition in a quiet sensuality, like a forest floor after rain.

In its time, Salut would have been both aligned with and distinct from prevailing perfume trends. While aldehydic florals like Chanel No. 5 dominated the early '30s, and rich orientals still held sway, the green chypres were a smaller, but growing, family. Salut’s vibrancy and aromatic brightness would have felt refreshingly modern, especially in cologne strength—meant to be applied generously and often, a splash of clarity in the midst of a changing world.

For women of the era, a perfume called Salut might have offered something subtly radical. It wasn’t a scent of seduction or mystery, but of vitality and approachability. It might even be interpreted as a declaration: not a coy whisper, but a crisp, fragrant “hello.” In this way, the perfume becomes a kind of olfactory announcement—a silent salut—heralding a woman’s entrance before a single word is spoken. Its presence would linger, a bright echo of her confidence, independence, and style. And in that sense, Salut was unmistakably Schiaparelli: smart, spirited, and just a little subversive.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like?  Salut by Schiaparelli is classified as a floral chypre fragrance for women. The overall effect is vibrant, sharp, crisp, and fresh, green with a slight medicinal tone. A romantic chypre very heavy on the lily of the valley!

• Top notes: aldehyde C-9, aldehyde C-10, cyclamen aldehyde, Tunisian neroli, Calabrian bergamot, Ceylon citronella, Egyptian geranium, Bulgarian hyssop, Persian galbanum, Spanish rosemary
• Middle notes: Alpine lily of the valley, lilial, hydroxycitronellal, linalol, Zanzibar clove, Grasse jasmine, Madagascar ylang ylang, Chinese gardenia, Dutch narcissus, Dutch hyacinth, Florentine orris and Indian tuberose
• Base notes: terpineol, ambergris, Brazilian rosewood, Mysore sandalwood, Yugoslavia oakmoss, Haitian vetiver, Sumatra benzoin, Maltese labdanum, Canadian castoreum, Tonkin musk, Venezuelan tonka bean

 

Scent Profile:

To experience Salut by Schiaparelli is to embark on a spirited promenade through a garden in spring, one with wild edges and sudden shafts of sunlight piercing dense green foliage. This floral chypre opens with an exhilarating rush of bright, crisp, almost effervescent top notes—each one contributing to the fragrance’s invigorating sharpness and green sparkle.

The aldehydes—specifically C-9 and C-10—are among the first to register. These synthetics lend an abstract brightness, akin to starched linen in sunlight or champagne bubbles dancing at the surface of a coupe. Aldehyde C-9 has a waxy, citrusy sweetness, while C-10 brings a fatty-clean freshness, smoothing the transition to the herbal and citrus oils. Cyclamen aldehyde, more floral and aquatic in nature, evokes crushed petals floating in a mountain spring—its cool, ozonic effect lifts the entire opening.

Then, the natural elements begin to assert themselves. Tunisian neroli, distilled from orange blossoms basked in Mediterranean sun, contributes its honeyed green-floral edge—neroli from Tunisia is especially prized for its balance between floral sweetness and bitter orange zest. Calabrian bergamot lends its refined, sparkling citrus peel aroma—less sharp than lemon, more elegant, with nuances of lavender and tea. Ceylon citronella, often overlooked in perfumery, brings a brisk, lemony-herbal sharpness—clean and piercing like sun on metal. Egyptian geranium hums with green rose and mint tones, while Bulgarian hyssop—an herb not commonly found in modern blends—adds a resinous, camphoraceous breath, both cool and aromatic. Persian galbanum, rich and bitter-green, floods the senses with the scent of sap and crushed leaves, grounding the top notes with a vegetal earthiness. Spanish rosemary, pungent and sharp, adds a medicinal briskness, like a fleeting touch of tonic on the skin.

The heart of Salut blooms suddenly—lush and romantic, yet never sweet. Alpine lily of the valley, its presence unmistakable, dominates with that dewy, green floral character so reminiscent of freshly picked stems after rain. To build this illusion, perfumers relied on a blend of synthetics: Lilial, which mimics lily of the valley with its sweet, light-clean floral scent; hydroxycitronellal, dewy and soft, expands the illusion of wet petals; and linalol, floral with a slightly woody-citrus nuance, ties the bouquet together with understated elegance.

These synthetics heighten and clarify the natural floral ingredients. Zanzibar clove warms the composition ever so slightly, peppery and comforting, like sunlight filtering through the petals. Grasse jasmine, the gold standard in floral raw materials, brings a narcotic depth—honeyed, indolic, and alive. Madagascar ylang ylang follows, lush and banana-creamy, blending tropical sensuality with a faint medicinal trace. Chinese gardenia and Dutch narcissus lend narcotic white florals with green stems still attached. Dutch hyacinth deepens the green theme, blue and metallic and cool. Florentine orris, precious and powdery, smells of violet and suede, softly blurring the florals like a gentle breeze. Indian tuberose, creamy and heady, pulses beneath everything like a heartbeat.

The drydown is a masterclass in chypre elegance, its components each anchoring Salut in richness and shadow. Terpineol provides a woody, pine-laced cleanliness, bridging the floral heart to the darker base. Then, ambergris—or its accord—emerges: salty, animalic, and sensual. Brazilian rosewood, now rare, contributes a deep, rose-like woodiness tinged with spice. Mysore sandalwood, once the soul of countless perfumes, lends its uniquely creamy, milky, sacred aroma—warm, deep, and velvety smooth. Yugoslavian oakmoss carries the unmistakable scent of wet forest floor: earthy, slightly bitter, damp with shade and moss. Haitian vetiver, smoky and rooty, curls around the moss like fine tobacco.

Sumatra benzoin sweetens the composition slightly, its vanilla-balsamic warmth like golden syrup over wood. Maltese labdanum, sticky and resinous, adds depth with its leathery, incense-like richness. Then come the animalics: Canadian castoreum, dark and slightly smoky with leathery musks; Tonkin musk, elusive and deeply sensual, a whisper of skin and desire; and finally, Venezuelan tonka bean, with its coumarin-laced powderiness, folding it all into a soft, faintly nutty finish.

In total, Salut feels like a salute in the most elegant sense—a scented gesture of presence and vitality. It is a perfume that announces a woman not with loudness, but with clarity, freshness, and sophistication. Her entrance, like the fragrance itself, is poised and luminous, trailing a complex harmony of floral-green notes that promise both sharp intelligence and undeniable charm.

Product Line:

By 1941, the product line for Salut by Schiaparelli had expanded to offer a comprehensive range of fragrant indulgences. Women could indulge in the luxurious essence of Salut through a variety of meticulously crafted products. The line included a delicately scented dusting powder, perfect for adding a subtle allure to the skin. Bath sponges infused with the signature fragrance offered a luxurious bathing experience, enveloping the senses in its sophisticated aroma. 

For those desiring a lighter touch, Salut was available as an eau de cologne, providing a refreshing burst of fragrance suitable for daily wear. The heart of the collection, however, lay in its exquisite perfume formulation, designed to be a lasting statement of elegance and femininity. Completing the lineup was a finely milled talc, ensuring that every aspect of the beauty ritual was infused with the timeless allure of Salut by Schiaparelli. Each product in the range catered to the sophisticated tastes of women, offering them an enchanting olfactory journey through the essence of Schiaparelli's vision of beauty and style.

Bottles:

Baccarat Cube Stoppered Bottles:

First presented in 1938 and used throughout the 1940s, this clear glass bottle was created to hold the pure parfum, and was not only used for Shocking, but served as a standard bottle for several other Schiaparelli perfumes such as So Sweet, Sleeping, Salut, Le Roy Soleil, Zut, etc. I believe that this sober bottle style was used in response to World War II restrictions on importations, especially glass bottles and supplies from Czechoslovakia and Italy.

This bottle is a domestic French product, Baccarat model #788, manufactured for Schiaparelli only. It is a tall, upright rectangular shape and features a faceted glass cube as the stopper. The smallest size features a stopper that has an attached dauber. The base of the bottle is usually molded with "Schiaparelli" and "French Bottle". 

 

Fate of the Fragrance:

The evolving descriptions of Salut by Schiaparelli across publications from 1935 to 1950 paint a portrait not only of a fragrance, but of a mood, a gesture, a social ritual encapsulated in scent. This perfume was never meant to simply adorn—it was meant to greet, to enhance, to announce the woman who wore it.

From the beginning, Salut was offered as an elegant contrast to Schiap, the perfume “dedicated to the sportswoman.” As noted in The Delineator (1935), Salut was reserved for more refined, intimate settings—"indoors"—suggesting its character as less bracing, more composed, tailored to moments of poise and social presence. This duality mirrors the modern woman of the 1930s, who moved effortlessly between public strength and private elegance.

By 1937, in The Illustrated London News, Salut had clearly established itself as a scent for the evening. The description that it "reveals and accentuates personality" highlights the perfume’s role in theatricality and expression. It wasn't simply a passive adornment—it spoke. It "was distinctive in every way," setting the wearer apart. That the packaging was described as “artistic” is no minor detail. Elsa Schiaparelli, ever the surrealist couturière, understood that the exterior must echo the interior—a visual promise of the fragrance within.

A few years later, Esquire (1939) characterized Salut as “gay” and “light,” its lily base giving it a youthful, almost carefree spirit. This commentary paired Salut with Schiaparelli’s more emotionally intense Shocking, revealing once again a carefully curated olfactory wardrobe. Salut was not intended for passionate declarations, but rather for flirtation, grace, and light-hearted charm—“for the young in heart.”

That same year, the Drug & Cosmetic Industry wrote of Salut emerging from a crystal flask nestled among white petals and blue satin. Here the presentation becomes part of the story: the bottle rising from petals evokes a flower in bloom, reinforcing the fragrance’s fresh floral character. This isn’t just packaging—it’s metaphor. Similarly, another 1939 description calls Salut “a salute to the brilliance of evening and of the stars,” linking the perfume to a celestial elegance, to quiet but dazzling nighttime rituals. A bottle “enclosed by a plaster lily” transforms it into a sculptural object—a tactile invitation.

By 1940, Salut had evolved into an entire range—eau de cologne and bath sponges—bringing its fragrant lightness into daily routine. “A beauty in a wonderful French fragrance,” it now came with the promise of freshness and sweetness, reinforcing its appeal to the senses in a way that felt refined yet accessible.

Finally, by 1950, L'Amour de l'art described Salut as “particularly indicated for young girls.” It had become more than just perfume—it was a symbol of blossoming femininity. “A smile, a bow, a white lily,” it was a perfumed gesture of charm and warmth, almost a rite of passage. A “fragrant welcome,” the scent extended a metaphorical hand, as if to say: come closer, be embraced by grace.

In all these descriptions, Salut emerges as a perfume that lives between gesture and feeling—always light, always poised, a fragrance that smiled before the wearer even spoke.

Salut by Schiaparelli was discontinued around 1954. This marked the end of an era for a fragrance that had encapsulated the vibrant spirit of its time. Despite its discontinuation, Salut remains a nostalgic reminder of Schiaparelli's contribution to the world of perfumery, offering a glimpse into an era when elegance and sophistication were celebrated through both fashion and fragrance.