Galanos by Parfums Galanos: launched in 1979 in association with Dana Perfumes. Premier designer and personal couturier to Nancy Reagan, James G. Galanos’s signature perfume, aptly named Galanos was an instant hit with customers.
Galanos worked closely with the manufacturer and said that the perfume went through many changes at his insistence from the time they started until they got the final result. "I have absolute complete control. The colors on the box, the graphics - I've been involved in everything right down to the initials on the inside of the box," stated Galanos in a 1979 interview.
Galano's fragrance was marketed by the Dana Corp.
The Fragrance Foundation hailed Galanos as the best fragrance launch of 1979. "Everything is in timing," said Galanos. "My fragrance was two years in the making. It took that long to find just the right essence."
Built on a fresh, woody-floral accord of precious blossoms and mosses, its sensuality and warmth are achieved with touches of Oriental notes, enhanced by romantic and exotic elements.
So what does it smell like? It is classified as a floral oriental fragrance for women. Made up of over one hundred ingredients. An elegant blend of woody notes of cedar, vetiver, patchouli and sandalwood, floral blossoms of geranium, jasmine, gardenia, red rose, lily of the valley and carnation, and mosses, with oriental touches of tonka bean, musk and vanilla, all enhanced by the romantic and exotic elements of coriander, cypress, bay and clove.
The original vintage perfume formula:
Just received a vintage sample from Bab, who sent me some lovely perfume samples to review this week. I am so grateful that this one was in the lot. Galanos is pure seduction. Its oriental character speaks soft, subtle tones of spices, namely clove, chamomile, bay leaf and coriander.
This is definitely a jewel in the rough. I thought that it would smell divine and I was not disappointed. If you find this vintage treasure for sale on eBay, snatch it up, you’d swear it was from a niche house.
Prices for the Parfum went up over the years, in 1979, it retailed for $90 for the one ounce and the quarter ounce retailed for $27.50. By 1980, the one ounce sold for $100 and $35 for the quarter ounce. In 1991, the half ounce size retailed for $180.
Similar scents: Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, Tabu by Dana and Cinnabar by Estee Lauder.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? It is classified as a floral oriental fragrance for women. Made up of over one hundred ingredients. An elegant blend of woody notes of cedar, vetiver, patchouli and sandalwood, floral blossoms of geranium, jasmine, gardenia, red rose, lily of the valley and carnation, and mosses, with oriental touches of tonka bean, musk and vanilla, all enhanced by the romantic and exotic elements of coriander, cypress, bay and clove.
The original vintage perfume formula:
- Top notes: lily of the valley, gardenia, lemon, orange, mandarin and chamomile
- Middle notes: orange flower, jasmine, ylang-ylang, red rose, geranium and carnation
- Base notes: clove, bay leaf, coriander, oriental cypress, musk, amber, vanilla, tonka bean, vetiver, cedar wood, Oriental oakmoss, sandalwood and patchouli
Just received a vintage sample from Bab, who sent me some lovely perfume samples to review this week. I am so grateful that this one was in the lot. Galanos is pure seduction. Its oriental character speaks soft, subtle tones of spices, namely clove, chamomile, bay leaf and coriander.
To me it smells the way a bazaar in Morocco would smell, with baskets of juicy mandarin oranges, tart lemons and sweet navel oranges gleaming in the sun, surrounded by the stalls of the spice merchants, in particular is coriander, pungent clove, chamomile, and bay leaves. A flower seller's stall is overflowing with lush jasmine, red roses, gardenia, dewy lily of the valley, heady orange blossom, tropical ylang ylang, geraniums and spicy carnations. The perfume merchant offers gilded crystal bottles of costly attars: oceanic ambergris, sensuous musk, creamy sandalwood, balsamic vanilla and earthy patchouli. A customer wearing an embroidered hijab walks past, a sillage of tonka bean, oakmoss, vetiver, cypress and cedar trailing behind her.
Gorgeous scent, with low tones of florals such as heady orange blossom (my favorite), gardenia, carnation, jasmine, lily of the valley, soft rose, ylang ylang and pungent geranium, finally rounds out with base notes of amber, Tonka bean, cypress, cedar, vanilla, patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, sandalwood and erogenous musk. I also detect a honeyed accord not found in the newer reissue, mostly due to the aging of the fragrance ingredients. With all the scents melding together it would be a great scent for a harem’s incense burner, or hammam soap.
Gorgeous scent, with low tones of florals such as heady orange blossom (my favorite), gardenia, carnation, jasmine, lily of the valley, soft rose, ylang ylang and pungent geranium, finally rounds out with base notes of amber, Tonka bean, cypress, cedar, vanilla, patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, sandalwood and erogenous musk. I also detect a honeyed accord not found in the newer reissue, mostly due to the aging of the fragrance ingredients. With all the scents melding together it would be a great scent for a harem’s incense burner, or hammam soap.
This is definitely a jewel in the rough. I thought that it would smell divine and I was not disappointed. If you find this vintage treasure for sale on eBay, snatch it up, you’d swear it was from a niche house.
Texas Monthly, 1979:
"GALANOS. GLORIOUS! Premiering at N-M. James Galanos' brilliant first fragrance. Exciting. Warm. Elegant. A harmony of wood notes, florals and Oriental tones. The essence of his unique fashion genius. And destined to be a Galanos classic. Perfume, 1oz. 90.00 or l/4oz.-27.50; Eau de Toilette 2oz - $17.50. Eau de Toilette Natural Spray 2oz - $20.00"
Texas Monthly, 1980:
"Rarely has a fragrance so captured the essence of elegant fashion as Galanos- James Galanos' glorious fragrance. Luxurious. Uniquely individual. Always feminine. It's the original you'll want to wear every day. And night. Perfume, in a swirl of crystal - 1 oz - $100, 1/4 oz - $35. Perfume Purser Spray 1/5 oz - $22.50. Eau de toilette Natural Spray 2 oz - $22.50"
Texas Monthly, 1989:
"Fragrance fair. Galanos sets the mood with irresistible appeal. Imported by Gary Farn, Ltd. Eau de Toilette Spray 2 oz - $30.00. Perfume ¼ oz - $65.00. Lotion 8 oz - $30.00. Soap - $10.00”
Prices for the Parfum went up over the years, in 1979, it retailed for $90 for the one ounce and the quarter ounce retailed for $27.50. By 1980, the one ounce sold for $100 and $35 for the quarter ounce. In 1991, the half ounce size retailed for $180.
Bottles:
The fragrance is packaged in a sculpted crystal flacon with a freeform stopper that is sure to be a collector's item. The bottles for the parfum were manufactured by Crepal in conjunction with Imaginative Packaging. the set up boxes for the parfum are from Hemingway. The original Galanos fragrance was launched in tricolored packaging of muted shades of brown, steel blue and olive green with thin gold bands and lettering. This style of packaging was still being sold until about 1985.
Parfum was originally available in the following:
- 1 oz
- 1/2 oz
- 1/4 oz
- 0.2 oz Refillable Spray Parfum Purser
- 0.2 oz Refill for Spray Parfum Purser
my own photo
The cartons for the rest of the line are from Forstman. Corrugated box liners are by Pioneer. The 2 oz Eau de Toilette bottles were manufactured by the Wheaton Glass Company of Millville, NJ (close to where I live). Wheaton was founded in 1888 and produced bottles for pharmaceutical use, but also for perfumers. By the 1930s, Wheaton was manufacturing bottles for quality perfume brands, both American and European such as Hattie Carnegie, Adrian, Prince Matchabelli, Liz Claiborne, Anne Klein, Corday, Nettie Rosenstein and Shulton.
They are decorated with gold elastic cord by Amster Novelty and fitted with gold metal caps from Tech Industries and Clark Metals. The Eau de Toilette packaged in spray cans from Rison Manufacturing with Pechiney inside can liners.
The Eau de Toilette was originally available in the following:
- 2 oz Eau de Toilette Splash
- 2 oz Eau de Toilette Natural Spray
- 1.7 oz Refillable Eau de Toilette Aerosol Spray
- 1.7 oz Refill for the Eau de Toilette Aerosol Spray
photo by ebay seller looney-lindy
At the launch, you were able to purchase all of the Galanos ancillaries: parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, moisture lotion, dusting powder, shower and bath gelee, and an extra rich moisture cream. A true American original, Galanos was being sold at better department stores like Neiman Marcus alongside French perfumes of the same caliber.
Galanos won a FiFi award in 1980 for Women's Fragrance of the Year - Prestige.
original 1980s sample vial
Fate of the Fragrance:
Galanos won a FiFi award in 1980 for Women's Fragrance of the Year - Prestige.
By 1988, it was reported in newspapers that the fragrance was not as successful as his fur licensing deal. I believe that the company wanted to attract new customers and save the sinking ship, so around 1989, it was packaged in a elegant gold and black box, however, the perfume ended up getting it discontinued anyway.
It was re-issued in 1995 (it is sometimes referred as Galanos Blue) and distributed by Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics, LTD, to attract modern tastes, probably without the oakmoss per IFRA regulations. The newer Galanos perfume comes in a turquoise colored box. I prefer the older, vintage scent in the original box over the newly reformulated one.
photo by ebay seller cclinne
It was re-issued in 1995 (it is sometimes referred as Galanos Blue) and distributed by Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics, LTD, to attract modern tastes, probably without the oakmoss per IFRA regulations. The newer Galanos perfume comes in a turquoise colored box. I prefer the older, vintage scent in the original box over the newly reformulated one.
To date your Galanos perfume:
- 1979-1994- distributed by Dana in tricolor boxes
- 1989 - onward - barcode on the box
- 1992 - onward - Green Dot recycling symbol will appear on the box
- 1995- onwards - distributed by Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics LTD in blue boxes.
- 1998-2003, a short list of ingredients are listed on the back of the box. Prior to this a box may only have listed the following ingredients: water, alcohol, fragrance. Older bottles, will have no ingredients listed at all.
- By 2004, there will be a long, complicated list of ingredients listed on the back of the box.
Similar scents: Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, Tabu by Dana and Cinnabar by Estee Lauder.
Galanos de Serene:
The perfume was followed up by Galanos de Serene in 1996. Galanos de Serene, a classical soft oriental fragrance.
This is discontinued but you can still find old store stock on discount perfume sites.
"A blend of exotic ambery oriental with a transparent floral accord. Sparkling Mediterranean citruses of bergamot, mandarin and petitgrain; fruity qualities of quince apples, crisp juicy pear and yellow freesia; exotic flowers like frangipani, blue iris, Madonna lily, and night blooming jasmine. A hint of sensuous osmanthus and cyprinum (henna flower) lingers into the background accord of special oils; creamy sandalwood, exotic myrrh and benzoin, rich vetiver and the always alluring musk."
- Top notes: ylang ylang, apple, bergamot, petitgrain, mandarin, quince apples, pear
- Middle notes: frangipani, blue iris, Madonna lily, night blooming jasmine, osmanthus, henna flowers, yellow freesia, gardenia, rose
- Base notes: tonka bean, vanilla, olibanum, sandalwood, myrrh, benzoin, vetiver, musk
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