Thursday, June 6, 2013

Styx by Coty c1912

"Let Styx be your perfume. It's dark and disturbing, pagan in its name."







COTY ERA:


Styx was launched by Coty in 1912, named after the river Styx from classical Greek mythology, it was originally presented in a flacon designed by Rene Lalique. It was advertised as "The Fragrance of subtle, mysterious, haunting personalities."




Fragrance Composition:


So what does it smell like? It is classified as a chypre fragrance for women with woody-mossy-leafy notes and quite beautiful in its composition.
  • Top notes: bergamot, carnation, ylang ylang, galbanum 
  • Heart notes: orris, incense, violet 
  • Base notes: ambergris, patchouli, Mysore sandalwood, Mexican vanilla, Siamese benzoin, woods, Indian musk and oakmoss 


Styx was originally available in:
  • perfume/parfum/Extrait 
  • eau de toilette 
  • cologne 
  • face powder called Au Styx 
  • powder sachet 



The Early Coty Bottles:


Carnette Guêpes Flacon:

The first flacon used for Styx was produced by Rene Lalique. The bottle is a vertical oblong pillar with eight raised lines, a flat base and a sculpted frosted glass collar representing four wasps arranged at the right angles to each other. The stopper was given a sepia tinted patina. The mouth of the bottle is very narrow at the center of the collar, closed by a thin sculpted stopper. This flacon model was called "Carnette Guêpes" (collar of wasps). The bottle measures approximately 5" to the top of the stopper. The bottle was fitted with an embossed gold paper label.

The model was originally created in 1911 for Lalique's own use and destined to be sold empty in his Maison under the name "Carnette Guêpes," but was also used by Francois Coty the same year for the "Styx" fragrance. 

This bottle is catalogued and photographed in the book R. Lalique: Catalogue Raisonne de L'Oeuvre de Verre by Felix Marcilhac, dubbed the "Lalique Bible" by collectors. You can see the bottle on page 322 of the 2011 French printed edition, under reference "H" for Lalique's own "Carnette Guêpes" and on page 927 under reference "Coty 6" for  his perfume"Styx". The Marcilhac comment mentions that the last Lalique bottle was produced in 1919. Once the Rene Lalique editions were no longer available, Coty had the same design produced at his own glassworks in France, you can see the bottle was still being used in 1923 via the advertisement I posted below. The Styx perfume was also sold later in various bottles. 











Briar Stopper Flacon:

Rene Lalique designed this flacon in 1911, and it was later made by Coty's own glassworks after 1920. The clear glass bottle is tall, with a square base, and features a frosted glass stopper molded with the "briar" motif. The bottle was originally made to house the various Eau de Toilettes, but the design was later adapted to include different sizes including a miniature versions to house parfum. The most common miniature size is dubbed "Petite Modele" and debuted in 1936 and held 0.27 oz.

In the 1920s, the boxes had messages inside reminding the owners of the bottles that ""These exquisite crystal flacons are hand-cut in the Paris ateliers of COTY - Care must be taken in placing them on the dressing table to avoid breakage of the corners."

Sizes:
  • 0.13 oz bottle stands 2" tall (miniature)
  • 0.27 oz bottle stands 2.5" tall (miniature)- Petite Modele
  • 0.60 oz bottle stands 3" tall  
  • 4" tall
  • 1.70 oz bottle stands 4.25" tall  
  • 5" tall
  • 3 oz bottle stands 5.25" tall  
  • 5.5" tall
  • 6" tall
  • 6.25" tall
  • 6.5" tall
  • 8.75" tall










Lilas Pourpre Flacon:

"Lilas Pourpre" flacon made by Rene Lalique first used for Coty's Lilas Pourpre perfume in 1911. This bottle featured an arched shape with sloping shoulders and was fitted a frosted glass stopper with a molded stepped or scale design. The bottle was later used for all of Coty's perfumes in the 1910s through the 1930s. Most bottles made after 1920 were made by Coty’s own glassworks in Pantin and his flacons were fitted with presentation cases made at his boxing factory in Neuilly. You can find this in the 0.35 oz size as well, this bottle stands 1.75" tall.





Banded Bottles with Frosted Stoppers:

These bottles were produced starting around 1925. The bottle has an embossed band along the upper part and a frosted glass stopper molded with flowers and ridge details. People have mistakenly attributed this bottle to both Lalique and Baccarat, however, the bottle does not appear in either companies catalogs and was not one of their molds. It was made by Coty's own glassworks in France.

The parfum bottle was available in three sizes: 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz and 1 oz. The bottles were discontinued in 1932. The 1/4 oz bottle itself was discontinued in 1934.

Bottles stand:
  • 2.25" tall - 1/4 oz
  • 2.75" tall - 1/2 oz
  • 3.75" tall - 1 oz
Larger sizes of this bottle were also created for the boudoir, standing at 6" tall, 7.25" tall and 8" tall and hold Eau de Toilette. These bottles were also used for other Coty perfumes: Eau de Coty, L'Origan, Chypre, Paris, La Rose Jacqueminot and L'Aimant.
  • 3 oz bottle.




Metal Case Parfum Bottles:

A nice purse size bottle set was created and presented in your choice of a crackle finished or a platinum tone nickel hinged metal case around 1928. The bottle used was the banded bottle with the frosted glass stopper. The case stands 2 3/4" tall. It was invented by Philip A. Reutter and manufactured by Scoville Manufacturing Co. These containers were discontinued in 1933.






Eau de Cologne Flacons: 

The classic rectangular bottle measures 4 5/8"it features a long neck and is fitted with a plain faceted stopper. The plain cardboard box (5" x 2 7/8" x 1 3/4") is in cream and gray. This bottle was used for other Coty fragrances in the 1920s.


Cathedral Flacon for Parfum:

In 1930, a newspaper ad for Gimbel's claimed that a special bottle dubbed the "Cathedral", was designed and created exclusively for them to hold Coty's extracts of L'Aimant, Emeraude, Styx, L'Origan, La Jacee, Chypre, Muguet, L'Or, L'Effleurt, Lilas, La Rose Jacqueminot and Paris. The claim however, was untrue as I found other newspaper ads from other stores such as LS Ayres using the same bottle also claiming it was their "special" bottle too. This was just a special edition bottle, not made expressly for any one store. The modernistic bottle came in two sizes: 1 oz and 1 2/3 oz.

The Cathedral bottle originally had a glass stopper, but by 1934, this bottle was later changed to have a plastic screw cap and made in different sizes. Also the slope shouldered Cathedral shape was adapted for use for other products in the line such as bath salts, most notably in the "Neptune Green" line of packaging.




Neptune Green Packaging:

In 1935 Coty introduced a new look for its packaging. Dubbed "Neptune Green", the boxes, talc and bath salts, and dusting powder canisters were covered in a seafoam green color with air bubbles and starfish to evoke an undersea motif. The scents represented were Styx, L'Aimant, Emeraude, L'Origan, Paris, and Chypre. The line included toilet water, bath salts, dusting powder and talcum. Bottles were satin glass molded with bubbles.






Yellow Mimosa Print Packaging:

In 1935, the Coty floral parfums were packaged in new limited edition ensembles featuring mimosa prints on yellow backgrounds. I think this was also named Feuilles d'Automne (Autumn Leaves). The following perfumes were included: Muguet, Oeillet France, La Rose Jacqueminot, Ambre Antique, Lilas Pourpre, and Violette Pourpre. Eventually, the other Coty perfumes were added to the packaging design such as Emeraude, Iris, L'Aimant, and L'Origan.


Reste Jaune, 1936:
"All the other Coty perfumes benefit from a new standard presentation: flat crystal bottle, green and gold plastic stopper, box decorated with "autumn leaves", red, blue and gold. The powders are also presented in a new box decorated with "autumn leaves."



Obelisque Flacon:

The "Obelisque" flacon is a tall, slender bottle topped by a flat, square frosted glass stopper molded with stylized foliate motifs with the name COTY molded in each corner. This bottle made its debut in 1935. It was available in the following fragrances: Styx, Paris, Chypre, Emeraude, L'Aimant, and L'Origan. The flacon was also available in a miniature version holding just 0.34 oz and using the same scale motif stopper as the Lilas Pourpre and Louvre packaging styles.







Informal Fragrance Bottles:

Coty also introduced their Informal Fragrances in glass bottles similar to those from the 1930s. These bottles were packaged with a plastic atomizer head.






Fate of the Fragrance:


Styx was discontinued during the war in 1945. In 1951, Styx, along with La Rose Jacqueminot, again returned to the sales counters in a new bottle, a familiar bottle used for various Coty fragrances, topped with either a gilded, white or black Lucite cap. Other bottles can be found that held Styx but none can match the ethereal charm of the gorgeous antique Lalique bottles.




The Styx Parfum was available in the tall glass bottle with the frosted glass briar stopper. This is the Lalique design, but manufactured by Coty's own glassworks. It was available in the following sizes:
  • 0.06 oz Parfum
  • 0.13 oz Parfum (mini)
  • 0.27 oz Parfum (mini bottle measures 2.25" tall)
  • 1 oz Parfum
  • 1.7 oz Parfum
  • 0.60 oz (bottle measures 2.75" tall)


The Eau de Toilette was housed in these bottles and had a Lucite screwcap.
  • 1 oz EDT
  • 2 oz EDT
  • 3.1 oz EDT










Parfum de Toilette:

The Parfum de Toilette was in glass bottles, which was also used for other Coty fragrances. This has a golden plastic screwcap that reminds me of an abstract crown. Boxes may have the words "Compounded in USA."
  • 2.5 oz PDT




Styx by Coty was discontinued by 1966.



COTY-PFIZER/RALLET-PFIZER ERA:


In 1963, Yvonne Alexandrine Coty sold Coty Inc. to pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, with the stipulation that no member of the Coty family would be involved in the company. Under Pfizer, the company began to distribute its perfumes almost exclusively through drugstores, instead of in department stores as it had previously done.

Sometimes you may find the name Rallet on your boxes or bottles, the reason is because Rallet was bought out by Coty in 1926, then both were acquired by Pfizer, and in 1963, Rallet became a Pfizer brand. Styx was again discontinued until brought back in new packaging in 1971 designed to appeal to the young at heart, according to Coty.



In 1971, the Spell-Spinning Spray was the first product of the "seven potions" of the Styx line that Rallet Division, Pfizer, Inc., New York, introduced in time for Halloween.



The mythological River Styx is the source of a mysterious new collection from Coty — all scented — bewitchingly — with amber and citrus, and all tagged with incantations and spells. .. There's Styx Creme Fatale, a scented cream with a pale purply cast. Witches Potion, a creamy skin perfume, Quick Silver Powder in a shaker. Triple Ripple Bath Brew — a marvelous parfait of oils, Spell Spinning Spray — an aerosol mist in 1 oz and 2 oz, a liquid enchanter called Eau de Mischief and Destiny Drops — a perfume oil.








1 oz and 2 oz black bottle of Styx Spell Spinning Spray Mist, the legend on the back of the box instructed you to:
The Styx-Charm to send him a message by air “I summon the spirits, the powers that be, Whisper my message, enchant him for me.” Cast the spell as you apply this mist-of-Styx in a spiraling spray; ankle to knee to wrist to throat, and down around again. Now wrap your thoughts around him.

Styx Destiny Drops, a .25 oz perfume oil concentrate, tag on the bottle states "Rallet, div. of Pfizer."

3 oz black bottle of Eau de Styx, back of the bottle states: "Rallet, Div. Pfizer N.Y. N.Y. 10017", a legend on the back reads:
"Start your love tricks with a charm as potent as the mystic river. Veiled glances (hidden hear thoughts!) -all will be fulfilled. Now the witching hour is near...mischief's brewing. Styx is here!"
3 oz black bottle of Styx Eau de Mischief Splash:  
"styx river, styx water, mystery double - turn him my way or bring him trouble!"
Styx Quicksilver Powder, A "Shimmering, silvery dust to light up your body after bath or shower, it's a Styx-power!", it also included a spell:
"The Styx-Charm That Distracts Him From Another Girl: "Lightshine, Quickshine, Blind His Eyes To Any Other Girl But Me". Repeat his name (spelled backward) 10 times. Thus the spell is cast."
Styx Solid Perfume, packaged in little black plastic cauldrons,the package instructed you to:
"Repeat these words as you stroke on this potent Styx perfume:"Let love begin! Let cauldron and fire bind our hearts in one desire."

FATE OF THE FRAGRANCE:


Styx was discontinued in 1978 and remains a highly collectible perfume today.

1 comment:

  1. Can you tell me anything about Styx Witches Potion? I have a photo but can't see how to post it.

    ReplyDelete

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