Dolce Vita by Christian Dior c1994

Dolce Vita by Christian Dior: created by Pierre Bourdon and Maurice Roger and launched in 1994.

Racarma

R. A. Carmichael & Co., manufacturing chemists of Detroit, placed on the market a new, high-grade line of toilet preparations under the trade name "Racarma" in 1915.

They claimed to use French formulas devised by "French chemists" and the products were manufactured in the United States in order to be more affordable and attainable to American women. Their advertising tag line was "French Perfumes -Made in America".

In 1917, the company name was changed from Racarma to Racarma Co, Inc.

The advertisement below claims that Racarma made "more than 150 perfumes and toilet luxuries", however, finding perfumes by Racarma is very difficult and I only have found a few so far.

The company seems to have gone out of business around 1949 or so as I cannot find any advertising after that date.

The perfumes of Racarma:

• 1915 Thetis
• 1915 Excentrique  
• 1915 Midsummer Rose
• 1915 La Verde  (Presented in a bottle by Cristalleries de Nancy)
• 1915 L'Esprit de Lilas  
• 1915 L'Esprit de Rose 
• 1915 L'Esprit de Violette
• 1915 L'Esprit de Muguet
• 1915 Reine de Fleurs
• 1918 Twilight Lily
• 1919 Sunbeam Violet
• 1919 Lakeside Lilac
• 1919 Bouquet
• 1943 Pine Bath Oil

Some Racarma perfumes were housed in trapezoidal shaped clear and frosted glass bottles designed by Julien Viard. This bottle was also used by other companies such as Dubarry and Veldez. The toilet waters and talcum powders were housed in tall, frosted glass bottles. The creams were housed in frosted glass jars.

Sans Adieu by Worth c1929

Sans Adieu by Worth: launched in 1929.

Theorema by Fendi c1998

Theorema by Fendi: launched in 1998. Created by Christina Nagel.

Chant Du Coeur by Shiseido c1992

Chant Du Coeur by Shiseido: launched in 1992. The fragrance, created by Edouard Flechier and manufactured in France was marketed in Japan. The name means "Song of the Heart" in French.

Parfum d'Ete by Kenzo c1992

Parfum d'Été by Kenzo: launched in 1992. Created by Christian Mathieu.

The name means "Perfume of Summer" in French, summer just happens to be Kenzo's favourite season.

Parfumerie Hera

Parfumerie Hera, also known as Parfums Hera, established by Marthe-Jeanne Thibault at 81-83 rue de Cherzy, Neuilly, Seine in 1910; cosmetic, perfumes and toiletries. The company also sold gold tipped "Egyptian Soir d'Orient" cigarettes. The company lasted until the late 1920s.

c1919

Je Reviens by Worth c1932

Je Reviens by Worth: launched in 1932. Created by Maurice Blanchet.

Kai Sang by Corday c1924

Kai Sang by Corday: launched in 1924. The name may mean "To Be Triumphant" in Chinese.

Jaipur by Boucheron c1994

Jaipur by Boucheron: launched in 1994. Created by Sophia Grojsman and Jean-Pierre Mary. The perfume was named after a village in India that was once home to the Maharajah of Patiala.

Paradis by Saks Fifth Avenue c1982

Paradis by Saks Fifth Avenue: launched in 1982. Paradis was Sak's own private label perfume, which they claimed was created to be a reflection of Saks Fifth Avenue and the Saks Fifth Avenue woman. This is not the first time that a department store launched their own fragrance line, Neiman Marcus brought out Volage and NM, Bloomingdales had it's Bloomie's.

But this was not Sak's first foray into the world of personalized fragrance, it released We Moderns way back in 1928. The perfume name may have been inspired by the motion picture of the same name, but it appears that Saks Fifth Avenue used this phrase when advertising themselves in 1920s newspaper ads. It seemed very appropriate at the time when other department stores were introducing their own perfumes that Saks should follow with one bearing their special "nickname".

Sak's Terry Heagarty explained in 1984 that "the private-label fragrance customer is the woman who wants something special, different, exclusive. There is a niche for that woman who says, "I also want to be a little different." Saks also released a men's fragrance called Prive in 1982.

Elysium by Clarins c1993

Elysium by Clarins: launched in 1993.

Myth of Saso by Shiseido c1980

Myth of Saso: launched in 1980. It is dedicated to the ancient legend of the beautiful queen Kohi.

From Shiseido:

"Once upon a time, he lived in the light of a beautiful queen. Her extraordinary beauty fascinated many men, but no less than her beautiful face fascinated by the mysterious scent that surrounded her wherever she went. Where the queen stepped a Saso flower trail remained, and men without resistance forever became a servant of his love for beauty. "

Parfum Rare by Jacomo c1985

Parfum Rare by Jacomo: launched in 1985. Created by IFF.

Misha by Mikhail Baryshnikov c1989

Misha by Mikhail Baryshnikov 1989. His nickname; in association with Richard Barrie Fragrances.

Daniel de Fasson by Daniel de Fasson c1990

Daniel de Fasson by Daniel de Fasson: launched in 1990 in association with Parlux SA. . Also known as Daniel de Fasson pour Femme.

L'Ambre de Carthage by Isabey c1924

L'Ambre de Carthage by Isabey: launched in 1924. Originally created by perfumer Jean Jacques as a woman's perfume.

The name evoking the ancient Tunisian city of Carthage.

L’Ardente Nuit by Corday c1930

L’Ardente Nuit by Corday: launched in 1930. The name means "The Fiery Night" in French. It was suggested to be worn with "rich fabrics and furs."

Adolfo by Frances Denney c1978

Adolfo by Frances Denney: launched in 1978. Created as the signature fragrance for Adolfo Sardina, the Cuban born fashion designer.  He had a salon at 36 East 57th Street in New York.  Sardina, who has never used his surname professionally, started designing hats in New York in the early 1950's and opened a millinery salon in 1963.

Intoxication by D'Orsay c1938

Intoxication by D'Orsay: launched in 1938.

"Intoxication, the champagne fragrance that whispers 'Someone lovely has just passed by' wearing Intoxication".

Diorling by Christian Dior c1963

Diorling by Christian Dior: created by Paul Vacher and launched in 1963. The name Diorling was a play on Darling. Christian Dior adored all things British and this was his take on how the upper classes pronounced Darling.

Gloria Swanson and Perfume

Famous actress Gloria Swanson was a collector of perfume bottles. Only a few photos survive showing her with some, mostly from her films. I wonder if she supplied her own bottles to be used during filming. I do know that she wore Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, Shocking by Schiaparelli, Fille d'Eve by Nina Ricci, Narcisse Noir by Caron, Breathless by Charbert,  My Alibi by Renoir, Joy by Jean Patou, Cabochard by Gres, Five O'Clock by Gourielli, Casma by Caswell Massey, Black Satin by Angelique, White Satin by Angelique, Sortilege by Le Galion, Command Performance by Helena Rubinstein, Chypre by Coty, Le Fruit Defendu by Rosine, Shining Hour by Jacqueline Cochran.

 The New York Times mentioned in 1973 that Ms. Swanson's vanity was covered with perfume bottles, most of them by Guerlain“because whatever they make is good” and reported that she changed scent according to weather and mood. She also said that “people wouldn't stink so much if they ate properly. Days go by when I don't use perfume just a good decent soap. I'm a nut... so all right.”

In the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, a bottle of Caron's Narcisse Noir was prominently featured. This sparked a massive demand for the fragrance.

In Why Change Your Wife, a 1920 silent film by Cecil B. DeMille, one of her favorite perfumes made its appearance, Le Fruit Defendu by Rosine, also known as Forbidden Fruit. In fact she was given an additional $500 a month that she spent on perfume, owing to her habit of going through several bottles of the apple scented Forbidden Fruit each week.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1927:

"Le Fruit Defendu or the forbidden fruit is a perfume, which has a container shaped like an apple and a cork with a stem to carry out the idea. And it really does smell like apples. Gloria Swanson buys this by the gallon. $11.50 for two ounces."

In the 1922 silent film Beyond the Rocks, in which she starred alongside the dreamy Rudolph Valentino, I read that she applies an irresistible perfume, though, this long lost film won't be able to reveal which perfume this was. 

In another film, Fine Manners from 1926, she plays a chorus girl named Orchid, at one point in the film she sprays some perfume and proudly blurts out, “Jockey Club! Two drops o' that costs your right eye.”

Anything Goes: A Biography of the Roaring Twenties, 2010:

"Gloria Swanson was the first to spend it. Photoplay reported that her annual expenditure in 1924 included nearly $10,000 on silk stockings, $6,000 on perfume, $50,000 on dresses . . . and an unspecified amount on jewels."

Vogue, 1978:

"Chypre perfume, which came out in 1910, was one of Gloria Swanson's signatures. After Coty stopped making it she shopped around and was able to find it for a while. Eight years ago, she finally bought so far as she knows, the last bottle in existence."

The Wichita Beacon, 6 Feb 1921:

“Many persons connected with the motion picture industry in one capacity or another have queer hobbies on the side. Take Gloria Swanson, Paramount star, for example: Her hobby is (or, are) bottles for holding cologne, toilette [sic] water, perfumes, etc. On her dresser there is a collection of bottles of every sort - tall, short, round, narrow, stoppered with cloisonne tops, made of rare Oriental glass or earthenware, dainty or grotesque examples. “These bottles seem to have a personality all their own,” observed Miss Swanson. “One could hardly feel lonely with them about.”

Gloria Swanson in "Tonight or Never" from 1931.

Wallace Reid/Gloria Swanson "The Affairs of Anatol" (1921) probably showing her personal collection of perfume bottles on the set. I see a large Lalique bottle in the front as well as some pretty atomizers.

Image showing Gloria Swanson in 1934’s movie ‘Music in the Air’. Some Czech perfume bottles are displayed on her vanity.

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.

Mistigri by Jacques Griffe c1953

Mistigri by Jacques Griffe: launched in 1953.

Vendetta by Valentino c1991

Also known as Vendetta Donna. Created by the perfumers from IFF.

Sun Moon Stars by Karl Lagerfeld c1994

Sun Moon Stars by Karl Lagerfeld: launched in 1994. Created by Sophia Grojsman of IFF.

Black Casket by Novaya Zarya c1947

Black Casket by Novaya Zarya: launched in 1947. Chyornyi Larets  (Tchernyi Larets)  черный гроб

The perfume was created by Vitkovskaya A.P.

Black Casket was imported into the United States by an American company known as The Russian Shop, who imported various Russian fragrances in the 1960s.

The name was said to be changed to "Treasure Chest" by 1961.

 Anglo-American News - Volume 28, 1961:

"Russian marketing experts show an acute sense of the problems of product presentation and merchandising in foreign markets. For instance, a big-selling perfume on the Soviet domestic-market, Black Casket, has been renamed Treasure Chest."

PERFUME HACK - Removing the Odor of Perfume

How to Remove Perfume Odor on the Skin:

Ever have stubborn perfume odor that lingers on your hands even after washing them over and over again? If you want to get it removed, you can use this quick hack:

• Take one part of household ammonia and mix it with three parts water. Rinse your hands in this mixture a few times and then wash your hands with soap and water.It should take the perfume smell away. Remember, you must use the diluted ammonia to keep the skin from getting irritated. 

• Another quick method is to make a paste of baking soda and water, apply it onto the skin where the perfume odor remains and rub gently. Then rinse off.  

How to Remove Perfume Odor from Clothing or Linens:

Sprayed your favorite perfume on your nice dress? How about your scarf, does it seem to retain the odor of last year's perfume? Did you purchase a second hand garment and want to get that stinky perfume smell out of it? A good alkali will kill the odor of almost any perfume and again, household ammonia will help you out! It also will help boost the performance of your detergent and brighten your whites.

• You can add 1/2 cup of household ammonia to the water, along with the detergent, before you add clothes into the washing machine. If you are hand washing, you can try the method of one part ammonia to three parts water and a little bit of detergent so that it will not irritate your skin while you wash. Rinse and repeat if necessary.   

• Another method is to soak clothing in a sink or washing machine filled with warm water and one cup baking soda before washing. 

• Some peroxide will also help take the perfume stains out of your linens. You may wish to do a separate rinse with this ingredient. 

• Fill a spray bottle with cheap, high proof vodka. Then spray on the perfumed area of your clothing. The vodka dries odorless and  should kill any scent. This is an effective method if you cannot wash the garment such as silk.

How to Remove Perfume Odor from Empty Bottles:

Want to reuse a perfume bottle for another purpose, or refill it with another? You may find that the odor of some perfumes persist even after all the liquid has evaporated or been cleaned out. Before adding a new perfume, this must be removed. Here is a handy method for anyone who wishes to reuse an atomizer and get the scent of the previous perfume out for good!

• Wash it with hot soap and water using a bottle brush. Rinse with clear water. Then fill the bottle with a strong solution of borax and warm water and let stand for several hours. Then empty the bottle and rinse again. 

• If this method does not work, or you do not have borax on hand, you can use household ammonia. But do not dilute it, pour it straight from the bottle into the perfume bottle, insert the stopper and allow it to stand for a few hours. Then you can empty it and rinse with warm soapy water.

• To remove odor from bath salts bottles and jars so that they could be use for fruits or other foods, fill the bottle or jar with a very strong solution of hot water and apple cider vinegar (about 1/4 cup vinegar). Let stand a couple of hours; rinse with hot water, then add another mixture of vinegar and water if necessary, and you will find odor will have completely disappeared. Just washing with soap and water will not take away the smell.

How to Remove Perfume Spillage Odor from Carpet or Upholstery:

Did you accidentally knock over a bottle of perfume onto the rug or sofa and now the smell is overpowering?

• Mix one quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent in a spray bottle to get rid of perfume odor in carpet or on upholstery. Spray the affected area and let sit for 24 hours. Blot away the excess with a paper towel and let air dry.

Safranor by LT Piver c1901

Safranor by LT Piver: launched in 1901. (Trademark filed in 1904, Piver claimed use of the name since 1901.)

Elgin American Beauty Compacts, Cigarette Cases & Lighters c1951 Advertisement

Elgin American Beauty Compacts, cigarette cases and lighters shown in an advertisement in a from a 1951 General American Co. catalog.

Murasaki by Shiseido c1980

Murasaki by Shiseido: launched in 1980. Created by Jean-Claude Astier.

The name translates to "purple" which is reflected in the bottle design which features purple accents. The name also refers to Lady Shikibu Murasaki, the Chinese royal court figure of the 11th century who penned the love story "Tale of Ghenj".

Vers le Jour by Worth c1924

Vers le Jour by Worth: (Towards Dawn) launched in 1924, in USA by 1925. Created by Maurice Blanchet.

Farouche by Nina Ricci c1973

Farouche by Nina Ricci:  launched in 1973. Created by Michel Hy, it was composed of over 100 ingredients with the property of unfolding its full effect on contact with skin, creating a fragrance unique to its wearer.

Jet by Corday c1924

Jet by Corday: launched in 1924. Originally named "Jet Parfume" from 1924 til around 1929.

Fairy Tale of Tsar Saltan by Novaya Zarya c1949

Fairy Tale of Tsar Saltan by Novaya Zarya: launched around 1949. It was released in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin alongside two other perfumes: Queen of Spades, and The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish.

Новая Заря: СКАЗКА О ЦАРЕ САЛТАНЕ

Poeme by Lancome c1995

Poéme by Lancôme: launched in 1995. Created by Jacques Cavallier.

Diorissimo by Christian Dior c1956

Diorissimo by Christian Dior: created by Edmond Roudnitska and launched in 1956.

MW de Messire c1972

MW de Messire: launched in 1972 in association with Jean d'Albret/Orlane. In USA in 1973.  It was created for the young career orientated women of action who are tiring of the more flowery perfumes.

The MW stands for "Modern Woman", however, a blurb in a newspaper article mentioned that "MW" stands for "whatever you want it to be" and that the fragrance was unisex.

Divine by D'Orsay c1947

Divine by D'Orsay: launched in 1947.

Tendre Poison by Christian Dior c1994

Tendre Poison was created by Edouard Flechier in 1994. The bottle design is the work of Veronique Monod.

Fragrance Composition:

• Top notes:  Brazilian rosewood,  asafoetida, mandarin orange, galbanum and tangerine
• Middle notes: rose, freesia, tuberose, honey, and orange blossom
• Base notes: heliotrope, sandalwood, musk, and vanilla

Mirabella, 1993:

"Next March, Christian Dior, makers of the berry-rich Poison, will be coming out with Tendre Poison. While the company claims the scent is entirely new, insiders are referring to it as "Diet Poison" - a subtle, lighter, green floral variation on the original."

Mirabella, 1993:

"Dior has come out with Tendre Poison, a floral eau de toilette that's less intense than the original."

Lear's, 1994:

"CHRISTIAN DIOR LIGHTENS UP Among noses in the know, the verdict is in: This is the decade of delicate floral blends, made to match the era's new emphasis on subtle beauty. Case in point: Christian Dior's new Tendre Poison, , a green-tinted fresh floral with galbanum, mandarin blossom, freesia, sandalwood, and vanilla. This scent follows Poison, a spicy, fruity fragrance launched by Dior in 1986

Fate of the Fragrance:

Tendre Poison was reformulated around 2005-2006 and is housed in a new bottle.


Unfortunately, this fragrance is currently discontinued.

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