Perfume is one of the most powerful cosmetics around. With just a spritz, it can unlock memories, make us feel glamorous, and even serve as a prelude to romance. There’s also a lovely sense of ...

To a perfume bottle collector, it’s what’s on the outside that counts. An eye-catching design by a famous glassmaker brought a high price for this 19th-century Stevens & Williams bottle.

Vintage atomizers are usually described by the age and type of the glass perfume bottle, although sometimes the “tail” on the squeeze ball is the most eye-catching element of the arrangement.

His annual Perfume Bottles Auction has become the IYKYK event on every collector’s calendar; at last year’s sale an original 1921 Chanel No. 5 flacon sold for a record-­breaking $72,000.

Michelle Pfeiffer began collecting antique perfume bottles three years ago, while developing Henry Rose, the fragrance line she launched last spring.“As I learned more about the history of ...