Intermezzo by Parfumerie Fibah was launched in Havana, Cuba in 1950. Intermezzo was a line which included fragrance in several different concentrations as well as powder and brilliantine for the hair. Some of the products were sold in handsome wooden presentation cases. The brilliantine and the colognes are topped with turned wood screw caps.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? I have no notes on this composition.
Bottles:
Some Parfum was found in pretty bottles fitted with crown shaped glass stoppers. The bottles came in three sizes: 2.5" tall, 3.5" tall and 4.37"tall. Housed inside wooden boxes. When the box is opened, a "shelf" that is part of the box lid raises the top of the bottle so it can easily be removed from the box.
Cute souvenir type bottles are in the shape of maracas. The base is oval shaped, turned rosewood and has a slim, glass vial inside, the handle of the maracas has a screw cap fitted into the bottom, this served as the closure for the bottle. The outside of the bottle has hand painted motifs. The bottle stands 5" tall.. A larger size stands approximately 12" high and 4"diameter, weighs 2 oz., and sits on a slant.
Another maraca bottle holds solid perfume, this bottle stands only 2" tall.
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One of my favorite presentations for Intermezzo is the wooden lighthouse, which was made using solid rosewood with sap (light) and heart (dark) wood contrast. The Intermezzo sheet music logo is stenciled on in white, as well as on the bottle. The clear glass bottle has floral design molded into each panel and the frosted glass stopper has intaglio floral design on every other panel. The bottle is meant to fit snugly in the bottom felt lined insert on the wooden base. The Lighthouse measures about 7.5" tall x almost 3.50"wide. The bottle itself is 5.25" tall by 1.25" wide, measured at the base.
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- 1/8 oz
- 1/4 oz
- 1/2 oz
- 1 oz
- 2 oz
The 2 ounce size bottle measures 1.75" high, 1.25" wide, and 0.5" deep, its rosewood box stands 2" tall, 1.5" wide, and 1" thick.
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The bottle below was used to hold parfum and is housed in a wooden box. Bottle design (91670) patent was applied for in 1934 by Walter R. Leach for the Carr-Lowrey Glass Company. It has a diamond pattern molded into the glass and is fitted with a cute wooden screw cap.
Other bottles used for parfum were clear glass with gold or white plastic screw caps molded like flames. The bottle with the gold flame screw cap measures 2.75" inches tall and is housed inside of a cylindrical clear acetate cover.
The perfume was also sold in gift sets as well.
Cologne in three different sizes, priced at $1.15, $2.00 and $3.00 each.
The face powder was sold in two different sizes.
Perfumed Lotion was sold in two sizes, 2 oz and 4 oz.
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued, date unknown.
My grandfather, whose name was Ruben Caveda Eijo was the creator of mist of FIBAH perfumes, colognes, powders and creams. He was the “Jefe Técnico Industrial (Chief Industrial Technician) and he developed most fragrances. When he created Intermezzo it first launched by the name MH (the initials if the firm owner Mauricio Habif) and later rebranded as Intermezzo. The factory was intervened by the communist regime in 1961 and the owners who were Jewish, fled the island. My grandfather stayed in Cuba, but was fired by the regime and retired with a pension of just 10% of his salary as punishment. Since his wife (my grandmother) was suffering a terminal illness, he didn’t leave Cuba and stayed until he died in 1978 at just 61 years old. He was the first to ever use the nerves of the tobacco leaf as a fixative in perfumes, receiving a lot of media attention in Cuba and overseas as well. I recently purchased a bottle of the original MF perfume in its original packaging which I have displaying in our living room in a plastic enclosing and is in perfect condition. I would love to buy more of his creations, especially the maracas.
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