La Fougeraie Au Crepuscule by Coty c1928

La Fougeraie Au Crepuscule by Coty: launched in 1928 , it is said to be Francois Coty's final perfume before his death in 1934.

Fragrance Composition:

So what did it smell like? It is classified as a cool woodsy floral fougere fragrance for women.

• Top notes: bergamot, almond, geranium
• Middle notes: lavender, hay, herbs, carnation, spices
• Base notes: vanilla, tobacco, ambergris, oakmoss, sandalwood, patchouli, woods, labdanum, musk, tonka bean, vetiver

Philippine Magazine, 1928:

"La Fougeraie au Crépuscule expresses the dark, cool mystery of ferns at twilight. In a crystal column."

A 1932 ad reads:

"Fernery at Twilight - to say it in English, an enchanting Coty perfume. A mysterious commingling of dew and the mood of a fernery at twilight captured and cool."

A 1933 ad reads:

"Program for a successful summer - overlay your bright modern mind with a film of demureness, wear skirts that swish, and trust confidently to "Fernery at Twilight" - Coty's grand new perfume success. "La Fougeraie Au Crépuscule" is the essence of the mode - an apparent guileless odeur, masking subtleties unspoken. A forest glade seeped with the ferns delicate, heady witchery - was Coty's inspiration for this newest Perfume."

A 1934 ad reads:

"Fernery at Twilight $1.50. Coty's compelling perfume not yet known to too many. The poignant dewy scent of twilight falling on a fernladen vale."

Illustrated London News, 1934:

"LA FOUGERAIE AU CREPUSCULE. A most appealing fragrance— warm, exotic, subtly reminisce it of a tropical fernery at sunset. In tasseled presentation box."

A 1935 ad reads:

"FERNERY at TWILIGHT. A perfume redolent with rich twilight fragrances of the Royal Fern. Genuine Cut Glass Perfume Bottle with each dram."

Bottles and Packaging:

The elegant bottle was designed by Pierre Camin and was in the shape of a tall column made up of clear crystal and instead of a paper label, the perfume's name was acid etched on the front panel. The ground glass stopper was of demi-lune shape and molded with a stylized floral frieze. The bottle stands 5.51" tall and holds 1 2/3 oz of Parfum.

The Parfum in the 1 2/3 oz size retailed for $10 in 1932. This was the Deluxe Flacon. According to an inflation calculator, this would cost $193.34 in 2021.

The face powder sold for $1.50 in 1932, and it would cost $29.00 in 2021.

The box for the perfume had a beautiful agate like decoration and a special message is on the back: of the box "Décor reproduction fougère d'Agathe - Or Gisements Impériaux du Japon." The message means "Decoration is a reproduction of Fern Agate -from the Imperial Gold Mines of Japan". Also printed on the containers and the bottles is: "La Fougeraie au Crepuscule Composition originale de Coty Paris — France. "

c1936 Petit Modele, created by Coty's own glassworks. Photo by ebay seller jessiecat

In 1936, Coty introduced their mini size perfume bottles called the Petit Modele, replicas of their deluxe size bottles. The deluxe size bottles were designed by Lalique, but made by Coty's own glassworks. The same goes for their mini bottles.

A face powder was also available in this scent in the 1930s. Harper's Bazaar reports that : "Rachel Nacre (a Coty "La Fougeraie au Crepuscule" powder) Light and, at first glance, quite neutral. It has a definite apricot cast, however, and this makes it very becoming. Offsets sallowness to a fine degree. "

Woman's Home Companion, 1933:

"Fernery at Twilight—Coty's newest odeur-—in dew-clear crystal, $10."

Another 1933 ad reads:

"Fernery at Twilight -Coty fragrance, a twilight poem rich, mysterious, scintillant is surely the gift for a treasured few on your holiday list Just in time for Christmas shoppers, it is presented at Joseph Horne's in a new size for $5.00, the same agate -like tasseled box, the same rare essence, but a more convenient price. Also at $10 and $20 sizes as well for all who wish them."

Chemist & Druggist, 1933:

"The first of these new products is a series with the intriguing name La Fougeraie au Crepuscule (which we will leave our readers to translate for themselves) ; this is issued as perfume, powder, bath salts and so forth ; the perfume is contained in a slide box with tassels and in a face powder in an equally distinctive box with with an "ebony" base and carved vermillion feet."

A 1936 ad reads:

"the truly great perfumer Coty excels in the creation of dramatic perfumes ... the mystery of ferns at twilight in La Fougeraie au Crepuscule."

Another 1936 ad reads:

"Fernery at Twilight - a subtly different fresh perfume one that seems to interpret the magic of lush ferns by moonlight - $2.00 to $20.00"

The New Yorker, 1936:

"Set out today... find your Coty perfume ... and more moments in your life will be dramatic moments! In the flacon of gleaming crystal ... Fernery at Twilight (La Fougeraie au Crepuscuie) at $5, $10 and $20."

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown. Seems to have been discontinued after 1960 as I can no longer find any newspaper ads for it.