Friday, April 26, 2013

Sweet Earth by Coty c1972

History:

From 1972-1976, Coty released it's Sweet Earth line of perfume essences, soft mists, candles and colognes, but most importantly its solid perfume compacts. The solid perfume compacts came in single scents or trios based on a theme. Each compact had a sticker with a brief description of the scent enclosed which was attached inside the lid. At the time, several different solid perfume compacts were released.






The Compacts:

From a 1972 advertisement "SWEET EARTH NATURAL CREAM PERFUMES Fresh from the meadows and the green green hills Precious natural essences that smooth on blend together, blossom to rare beauty on your skin. Slim compact slips into jeans or purse. Three collections each with three fragrances: Wood, Flower or Herb. $2.75 each"

Harper's Bazaar, 1972:
"Coty's Sweet Earth Fragrance Compacts are natural notes, too, floral, herbal or woodsy — each compact holds solid pats of creme scent.."

Cue, 1972:
"Coty took nine fragrances in solid cream form, divided by three, and they offer you a trio of adventure in a compact. Wear them alone, or try mixing the Sweet Earth herb with flower and/or woodsy fragrances. At just $2.75 a compact."

Boardroom Reports, 1976:
"With the young generation feeling that Mother Earth is in serious trouble, Coty's Sweet Earth Fragrances took the market by storm. They feature flowers, woods and herb derivatives."


1972, the Flowers, Herbs and Woods compacts were released:

The Flowers compact held: Hyacinth, Honeysuckle, Ylang Ylang:
  • Ylang Ylang, soft and delicate, this fresh, sweet floral fragrance is a potent aid to romance.
  • Honeysuckle, sweet, smooth, and clean, this floral scent lingers in a deceptively powerful way.
  • Hyacinth, this mild floral fragrance offers the clean, slightly sweet-mossy scent of spring.

The Woods compact held: Amberwood, Patchouli, Sandalwood
  • Sandalwood, stirring, sultry incense-perfume. From the heartwood of the great sandalwood forests of India.
  • Amberwood, clear and mellow, gently pungent. Found in nature as resin, gathered from the back of the balsam tree.
  • Patchouli, distinctively... intensely woody. Its aromatic leaves have a fragrance-history centuries old

The Herbs compact held: Chamomile, Sage, Caraway
  • Chamomile, fresh and clean, a daisy-like herb. It once was used to brew a pleasant fragrant tea.
  • Sage, flowery, yet earthy, clary sage-related to the cooking herb-is native to the Mediterranean coasts.
  • Caraway, rich and spicy, oils extracted from the familiar caraway seed are deliciously fragrant.


In 1973, the Rare Flowers and Grasses compacts came out:


The Rare Flowers compact held: Tuberose, Jasmine, Mimosa:
  • Tuberose, a rich, heady. This Mediterranean Spring bloom is called "Mistress of the Night" for its fragrance intensifies at twilight.
  • Jasmine, a fresh, delicious, the legendary "lovers flower" blooms promptly at summer sunrise by the Mediterranean, in Egypt and Africa.
  • Mimosa, Honeyed, clinging. The tall, pink and white blossomed tree is deeply loved in France, where it grows along the rocky coast

The Grasses compact held: Clover, Gingergrass, Hay:
  • Clover, a wild growing plant, with a sweet, refreshing scent, like that of an early summer breeze.
  • Gingergrass, often considered mood uplifting, this herb has a sharp, green scent with pepper and lemon undertones.
  • Hay, a sweet, light, golden and warm scent reminiscent of a late summers day.

In 1975, Coty released their bi-centennial inspired fragrance compacts titled Colonial Wild Flowers & Colonial Garden Flowers.

The Colonial Garden Flowers compact held these scents: Peony, Verbena, Lavender:
  • Peony, carefully brought to America as cuttings from English gardens. 
  • Verbena, hung in sitting rooms to sweeten the air for visitors. 
  • Lavender, a favorite sweet aromatic for sachets

The Colonial Wild Flowers compact held these: Wild Rose, Columbine, Lilac.
  • Wild Rose, which the settlers brought wild from the fields into their gardens. 
  • Columbine, the blue, purple and white flower of the Rocky Mountains.
  • Lilac, imported by the colonists who missed its romantic aroma.

Good Housekeeping, 1976:
"Sweet Earth brings you the fragrances of the fields and gardens of America in 1776. Enjoy the single-note essence in Coty's Sweet Earth Colonial Garden compact."


In 1976, The Wild Mountain Fragrances compact was introduced:

The Wild Mountain compact held: Mountainledge Flowers, Alpine Breezes, Sunwarmed Woods
  •  Mountainledge Flowers, delicate subtle bouquet of the rarest, precious flowers that give their sweetness to the mountain air.
  • Alpine Breezes, fresh, clean, exciting air of scented mountain meadows and far-off shining peaks.
  • Sun-Warmed Woods, sensuous, earthy blend of forest, and hidden mosses. Rich, intensely aromatic! 


Another Mountain type compact held: Heather-On-The-Hill ,Juniper and two other fragrances 



A special Seasonal compact held: Frankincense, Myrrh, Mistletoe.


Other Perfumes:

The Sweet Earth line included concentrated colognes that come out in 1974, called Soft Mists, and Perfume Essences/Oils. These fragrances came in spray bottles and splash bottles. Popular fragrances are the Chamomile, Gingergrass, Hyacinth, Lavender, Clover, Mountain Greenery, Wild Rose, Ylang Ylang, Amberwood, Lilac, Tuberose, and Honeysuckle.

Mademoiselle, 1975:
"Soft-Mist. The softest version of the Sweet Earth fragrances. A gentle, long- lasting, fresh spray of nature. $2.95."

Sweet Earth Fragrance Sticks:

In 1976, you could get the 0.45 oz Sweet Earth Fragrance Sticks, roll on cologne sticks in Honeysuckle, Patchouli and Hyacinth for $2.50 each. These were sold into 1977. 

Good Housekeeping, 1977:
"Fragrances by Coty include Sweet Earth (in fragrance sticks— .45 fluid ounces of roll-on cologne)."

Coty's Sweet Earth Perfume line was discontinued by 1980.


Sweet Earth Candles and Pomanders:

Also you can find Coty's Sweet Earth Country Road Collection Colognes in the ceramic jugs and metal jugs. Bonus gifts that were sold with the perfumes included candles and pomanders. The innovative pomanders came out in 1980 and were made of earthenware especially for the Sweet Earth line. Each piece had a hole in the base in which you could fill with fragranced chips of your favorite perfume. The chips are actual rocks that were saturated with perfume oil to provide long lasting fragrance pleasure. Popular pomanders are the mushroom and the Fragrant Frog. Other pomanders were geared towards kids in shapes of clowns, puppies, bears and kittens.

Candle holders took the shape of fanciful creatures like unicorns, loving hearts, wise owls, turtles, Christmas trees and peaceful doves, these types of candle holders were called the Candle Charms in 1980.

The Sweet Earth Country Air candles were housed in crockery and were made of wax chips. You could also purchase the Sweet Earth Candle Kit in 1974, a long burning fragrance candle that you could make using wax chips and was available in six Coty Sweet Earth fragrances, in a glass "flower pot" shaped holder. By 1975 the Colonial Garden candle kits could be bought in Peony, Verbena and Lavender scents.

McCall's, 1985:
"Sweet Earth Crockery Candles — five glazed jars, three scents. Coty; at department and chain stores; $7.95."

Coty's Sweet Earth home fragrance products seem to be discontinued by 1988.

Gift Sets:

Gift sets for Sweet Earth were produced. A very interesting set was the Sweet Earth Garden Collection, which included a miniature trowel, rake, spade, flower pot, 2 soft colognes (1 ounce each) all in a rattan basket. This set retailed for $6.50 at larger JC Penney stores in 1975.


Sweet Earth Skincare:

Two other obscure items from the Sweet Earth line that you may remember are the Sweet Earth Suds, Sweet Earth Blotter Plus, Spot Dabber, and Sweet Earth Mud from 1976. The Sweet Earth Suds was a very gentle facial soap cleanser with pumice as an exfoliant, it was perfect for sensitive and oily skin types.The Mud was a facial mineral mud mask and the blotter plus was a liquid astringent. Then in 1977, Coty introduced the Sweet Earth Mask-Arades, two grape based foam on facial masks, in Burgundy Fluff to cleanse and refresh and Champagne Fluff to leave dry skin glowing. Coty's Sweet Earth Facial Care Line was discontinued by 1986.


Mademoiselle, 1977:
"BEAUTY BEAT What you do is invest $2.95 in one of these neat little wands byCoty: the Sweet Earth Dabber Antiseptic Blemish Lotion. You might say it's Johnny on the spot when it comes to problem skin. Lightweight, unbreakable, it slips easily into a handbag to carry along everywhere, dab on anywhere (but please, not in public)"

Redbook, 1986:
"Coty Sweet Earth Oil Free Moisturizer with Aloe is... During the day: When necessary, may use astringent- saturated pad on oily areas only. Consider Allercreme Astringent for Oily Skin. In addition, may use a light moisturizer on dry areas."



The Vermont Country store carries new versions by Coty of the Sweet Earth compacts.

 

8 comments:

  1. I remember wearing a Coty Sweet Earth perfumed oil in a small pewter-colored bottle with a cork stopper, 1973-74. Tuberose or the Woods fragrance. Good stuff! Yankee Candle Sage & Citrus candles are the closest I can get to it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My first perfume was the earth collection. First purchased it in the'70s with allowance money when I was 14. Shopped with my late dad at the Pfizer company store. I later bought the grass collection. Then the herb collection. Please, bring them all back and contact me!!! I'd be a spokesperson.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Coty Sweet Earth Dab-A-Way Antiseptic Blemish Lotion. It was the best ever for blemish or mild acne, one dab and the next day it was gone. I had several bottles and anybody that I let use it, had the same great results. It worked better than any of the present day high dollar Rx's. Unbelievable stuff, still have one of the old boxes but no lotion to be found anywhere. My son has some acne problems

    ReplyDelete
  4. I loved Coty Sweet earth solid perfume, tuberose, mimosa and Jasmine. Oh to have that compact in my purse again.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I loved these compacts. The solid perfume was great. There is a big 'back to nature' rush going on. I bet these would sell wonderfully to new and old 'hippies'

    ReplyDelete
  6. sweet earth also had shampoo! Amber and Sandlewood! unreal fragrance! lasted for days!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I had one of those compacts during high school years, and I'd do anything to have them again today. That one compact of florals and patchouli, sandalwood, musk have been my main-stays throughout my life.

    ReplyDelete

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