Understanding the Regency era

A Brief timeline of the Regency era

The official Regency Era lasted from 1811 to 1820, during the Prince Regent’s rule, though its wider cultural influence stretched from the late 1790s to the early 1830s. This was a time that transformed Britain’s architecture, art, fashion and social rituals in ways that still feel surprisingly familiar today.

Culture, fashion and society

Think candlelit soirées, handwritten letters, flowing gowns, and an appetite for music, theatre and literary conversation. Fashion celebrated softness and ease, with fabrics that floated rather than structured the body. It was an era that delighted in expressive beauty and indulgence.

Beneath that refinement, however, lay emotional intensity: stolen glances across crowded rooms, secret courtships and the thrill of possibility. The atmosphere was restrained on the surface, yet charged with feeling. This balance of composure and passion is something we channel in our fragrances: scents that feel composed yet quietly captivating.

Across Europe, influential figures embraced botanics. Marie Antoinette’s passion for jasmine and orange blossom, along with Empress Joséphine’s blooming rose gardens, played a key role in bringing florals to the forefront of personal fragrance. Perfume became a symbol of sophistication, chosen for its lightness rather than its intensity (much like the fresh, airy scent of London Poppy Eau de Parfum today).

Admittedly, our floral gourmand fragrance, Enchanted Masquerade, wouldn’t have been a true Regency fragrance, as gardenia wasn’t yet used in perfumes – but we like to think it would have been beloved. Soft purple tones were linked with refinement and romance, while gardenias were admired as pure, elegant and exotic.

As a grown-up gourmand with a floral heart, Enchanted Masquerade blends honeyed Centifolia rose and luminous gardenia with hazelnut, pear and skin musks, creating a scent that feels indulgent yet poised. It mirrors Regency duality: sweetness and sophistication, decorum and desire. The result is a fragrance that feels romantic and elegant, yet spellbinding and spectacular.

Floral Street’s Regency influence

How historical style shapes modern scent

At Floral Street, we look to the past not to recreate it, but to reinterpret it. The Regency Era’s adoration of florals, art and understated luxury mirrors our own floral-first philosophy. Many of the notes popular at the time appear across our modern-day fragrances, from peony and rose to jasmine and citrus.

Today, we’ve taken this inspiration a step further. By blending timeless floral notes with a fresh, contemporary twist, we created Enchanted Masquerade, a scent that feels rooted in the elegance of the Regency era, yet made for the modern world.

It’s fragrance as feeling, designed to evoke anticipation, romance and a touch of spectacle with every spritz.

Echoes of regency atmosphere in modern fragrance

Fragrance played a role in Regency gatherings, from scented balms to oils warmed beside the fire. We channel that same feeling of ambience into perfumes that feel uplifting and expressive. The soft, blooming layers of Wonderland Peony Eau de Parfum capture the romantic spirit of the era, while the sparkling freshness of Electric Rhubarb Eau de Parfum reflects the playful energy of Regency outdoor fêtes.

The language of flowers in the Regency era

Symbolism in Regency society

The Regency Era adored symbolism, and flowers became its most charming medium. Roses conveyed affection, violets expressed gentleness and orange blossoms represented hope and new beginnings. Bouquets were thoughtfully arranged to communicate sentiments that letters often softened.

In much the same way, fragrance can say what words cannot. A spritz of rose can feel like a confession; a whisper of vanilla can feel like comfort; a veil of musks can feel like closeness.

Regency flower etiquette

Gifting flowers required care. Offering roses too boldly could be considered forward, while violets had to be given in small, modest posies. Even the direction a bouquet was presented in carried meaning. This subtle etiquette mirrored the era’s appreciation for nuance, something that still resonates in the art of choosing the right fragrance.

How floral symbolism translates into scent

We continue that love of storytelling through botanicals. Fragrances like Wild Vanilla Orchid Eau de Parfum blend creamy florals with warmth, echoing the comforting intimacy of Regency evening rituals.

Enchanted Masquerade takes this symbolism even further. With honeyed Centifolia rose expressing romance, luminous gardenia conveying elegance, and a velvety gourmand warmth of hazelnut and skin musks adding a sense of closeness, it captures the unspoken emotion of the Regency era: romantic, refined and quietly spellbinding.

Modern day Regency: trends and inspirations

Today’s Regency revival is everywhere, from embroidered fashion to pastel interiors and period-inspired television. It is romantic, expressive and wonderfully escapist.

Beyond aesthetics, it is about mood: softness over sharpness, emotion over excess, intimacy over noise.

The modern embrace of softness and sentiment pairs effortlessly with fragrance. Airy blends such as Arizona Bloom Eau de Parfum offer a sunlit, carefree feeling that complements contemporary Regency-inspired style, while warmer compositions hark back to the candlelit intimacy of the era.