Un Certain Été à Livadia by Baccarat c1999

Un Certain Été à Livadia by Baccarat: launched in 1999. Created by perfumer Christine Nagel. 

In 1997, Baccarat launched its first perfume, a feminine one called Une Nuit Etoilée au Bengale (A Starry Night in Bengal). The firm inaugurated the trilogy Les Contes d'Ailleurs (Tales from Elsewhere), followed by Les Larmes sacrées de Thebes (The Sacred Tears of Thebes), in 1998, and Un Certain Été à Livadia (A Certain Summer in Livadia) in 1999.

Un Certain Été à Livadia was issued as a limited edition of only 1500 examples. The perfume's name means "A Certain Summer in Livadia" referring to the 1945 Yalta (Crimea) Conference held in Livadia Palace where the BIG 3 leaders (Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin) met to negotiate how post-war Europe was to be reformed. 

Livadia Palace, is located on the shores of the Black Sea in Crimea. It was one of the last residences if the Czar and his family, later seized by the Bolsheviks and now transformed into a museum. The scent of the perfume was inspired by the lush rose garden at Livadia Palace. 

Miracle by Lentheric c1924

Miracle by Lentheric was launched in 1924 and named after the Max Reinhardt play starring actress Diana Manners.

 Lentheric issued it's perfume alongside the U.S. premiere of the elaborate pantomime 'The Miracle', which opened at the Century Theatre in New York City on January 15, 1924. The back of the program had a full page advertisement for the perfume. The program was by Karl Vollmoeller, the score by Englebert Humperdinck, and the design by Norman Bel Geddes. Among the many illustrations, are two full-page ink and watercolor renderings of costumes by Norman Bel Geddes.

Collecting Blue Glass Commercial Perfume Bottles

In this guide, I will introduce you to the wonderful world of commercial perfume bottles made up of blue glass.

These elegant beauties were produced mainly during the 1920s-1950s and most have Art Deco influences. I know I don't have every one listed, if I missed one, let me know! Current values given below are for average book values and auction estimates. Why not start a collection focusing on just the blue glass bottles?

Les Parfums de Suzy

Established by Madame Suzy Michaud at 5 rue de Paix, Paris. She worked as a milliner in Paris and launched a range of fragrances in the late 1930s and early 1940’s. Her brand was associated with Macy's.

Collecting Green Glass Commercial Perfume Bottles

In this guide I will discuss the various green glass commercial perfume bottles and some of the rarest commercial perfume bottle colors of all---the opaque glass pieces. This is not a complete list as there are probably hundreds of others to be found, if you have one not listed and would like to share a photo, please let me know and I will include it here.

Shalimar by Guerlain c1925

Shalimar perfume was originally created in 1921 by Guerlain. It was re-released during the Art Deco Exhibition in Paris in 1925. I have separate blog posts on Shalimar bottles and its flanker scents on my Guerlain blog site.

Collecting Pink Glass Commercial Perfume Bottles

Commercial bottles made up of pink glass are quite uncommon and command high prices when found. The rarest of these bottles are the stunning opaque pink crystal examples manufactured by Baccarat in the 1920s and 1930s. Baccarat enjoyed pairing the bubble gum pink glass with silver gilt trim, which for the era, was probably very avant garde and modern. To further enhance the bottles and to give them an air of luxury, enameled stopper covers were often added to the bottles.

Le Parfum Ideal by Houbigant c1896

Le Parfum Ideal was created by Houbigant by in house perfumer, Paul Parquet in 1896, but it was launched for the first time at the 1900 Worlds Fair, along with another perfume Coeur de Jeanette.

The quintessential label for Le Parfum Ideal features a Gibson Girl sniffing a flower, this label was made of gilded foil and heavily embossed.

Éscarmouche by Jean Desprez c1949

Éscarmouche by Jean Desprez: launched in 1949. The name means "skirmish" in French.

Etourdissant by Jean Desprez c1939

Etourdissant by Jean Desprez: launched in 1939. The name means "stunning" in French.

Mystere by D'Orsay c1915

Mystere by D'Orsay: launched in 1915.

Quelques Fleurs by Houbigant c1912

Quelques Fleurs by Houbigant: launched in 1912, created by perfumer Robert Bienaime, was one of the first floral bouquet ever produced.

Boucheron by Boucheron c1988

Boucheron by Boucheron: launched in 1988. Created by Francis Deleamont and Jean Pierre Bethouart.

ON EBAY !! Antique Bluet by Grenoville Baccarat Flacon

Antique Bluet by Grenoville Baccarat Flacon, 4 by 2 Inch Diameter

Click here to see the auction

ON EBAY!! Moda by Gabilla c1918 Baccarat Flacon

The 1918 Gabilla perfume Moda, a medium weight floral bouquet, was named after the fashionable European quarter of Constantinople. The Baccarat flacon, which resembled the outline of a fashion sketch with a hat like stopper, is decorated with an oversized gilded silk tassel and childlike enameled floral designs.


Click here to see the auction

Parfums Grenoville

Parfums Grenoville/Parfumerie Grenoville was established by Paul Grenoville at 20 rue Royale, Paris in 1879; changed family name from ‘grenouille’, which means frog in French.

Ballarde, Inc

Ballarde, Inc of Paris and New York was established by Martin de Markoff; launched a range of fragrances between 1930 and 1945. The company was affiliated to the perfume company Prince George of Russia.

Oriza L. Legrand

Oriza L. Legrand of 11 place de la Madeleine, Paris.

c1920 ad

Le Golliwogg by Vigny c1918

Le Golliwogg by Vigny: launched in 1918.

Ming Toy by Parfums Forest c1923

The magnificent Ming Toy was created for Parfums Forest in 1923. The name is an anglicized version of a Chinese name. Ming Toy is a Chinese girl in the musical comedy "East Is West" from  (1918). The name is one of many exotic perfumes manufactured in the 1920s given Near Eastern inspired names including: Shanghai, Le Temple Chinois,  Mitsouko, Wanaranee, Crepe de Chine, Tsingtao, Mitsuiva, Hasu-No-Hana, Lucille de Chine, Kai Sang, Phul-Nana, Cha Ming, Kananga du Japon, Vale of Kashmar, Ming, Cho-Cho-San, Tsang-Ihang, Mai Wang, Kesako, Yoshiwara, Chin Ching, and Chu-Chin-Chow.

Fay Bainter and Hassard Short in Ming Toy.

Ming Toy Perfume Bottle. On March 25, 1924, Leon Cohn of Paris, France, patented his design in America for a perfume bottle. The bottle represented a seated figure of a Chinese girl with fan in hand and fancy headdress which formed the stopper of the bottle. The bottle was manufactured by Baccarat. The name "Ming Toy" is painted across the face of the fan, and the bottle of crystal glass has been decorated with colored enamels and gold. The bottle stands 4 3/8" tall.