Toujours Moi by Corday c1923

Toujours Moi by Corday: launched in 1923 in France, in USA by 1924. Toujours Moi (Always Me) started life as the favored incense used in the Notre Dame cathedral of France. Hundreds of years later in 1923, the great House of Corday translated that incense into a classic perfume which would be known as their signature fragrance.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Toujours Moi is classified as an oriental fragrance for women, described as exotic, mossy, leafy and woodsy. Classical oriental theme, rich, warm and sophisticated based on a combination of exotic sandalwood, musk, cistus labdanum, mosses and vetiver combined with orange blossom and jasmine.

• Top notes: aldehydes, cognac, bergamot, peach, plum, petitgrain, lemon, raspberry, orange blossom, jasmine, almond, thyme
• Middle notes: geranium, clove, ylang-ylang, nutmeg, lavender, lily of the valley, lilac, heliotrope, rose, frankincense, myrrh, honey, carnation, hay
• Base notes: cistus labdanum, patchouli, amber, sandalwood,  musk, vetiver, benzoin, leather, camphor, tobacco, Tolu balsam, tonka bean, vanilla, oakmoss, castoreum

Bottles:

The bottle and its packaging designs were originally designed by Lucien Gaillard, a jeweler from Paris who was a close friend of Rene Lalique. They both shared similar styles of design and after seeing some of Gaillard’s work, Lalique urged his friend to get back into the jewelry business.

At this time, other designers such as Lalique and Julien Viard were also designing perfume bottles for clients. The Toujours Moi bottle features simple money plants cascading down the bottle in a sinuous Art Nouveau fashion. This area is usually found gilded with thick enamel. Corday used this flacon design for both the Toujours Moi and Toujours Toi perfumes.

This design was incorrectly attributed to Rene Lalique in the book ‘Perfume Bottle Masterpieces’ by Ball & Torem. The bottle was filed for a patent by Charles J Oppenheim Jr. in 1925.

1/4 oz parfum flacon with screw cap, c1950s. Photo by ebay seller ionlywant.

Drug and Cosmetics Industry, 1938:

"Corday is introducing new sizes in Toujours Moi Eau de Cologne. Three sizes are now available, 2 ½ oz, 5 oz, and 8 oz. The flask is a lovely duplicate of the perfume bottle and the Cologne has a delightfully refreshing fragrance."

c1942 ad

Fate of the Fragrance:

Sometime in the early 1960s, Max Factor bought out Corday (who was later bought out by Dana), and relaunched some of their well known perfumes such as Toujours Moi and Toujours Toi, along with Fame, and some others. The original Corday version of the perfume was discontinued in 1961.

In 1961, Max Factor relaunched the Corday greats. I found a newspaper advertisement from 1967 that showed the Max Factor perfumes & Corday scents together, but they let the Corday name stand on it's own merit as it was so well known and respected. They described Toujours Moi as a "mossy blend, subtly unforgettable", and Fame as a "captivating floral".

In 1973, Toujours Moi was available in the following products:

• 1/8 oz Purse Perfume
• 1/4 oz Perfume
• 1/2 oz Perfume
• 3 oz Perfume Spray
• 2 oz Eau de Toilette
• 4 oz Eau de Toilette
• 2.5 oz Spraygrance Cologne
• 2.5 oz Pure Spray Cologne
• 4 oz Bath Powder
• 2 oz Oil for the Bath

The Toujours Moi that Max Factor released after buying up Corday was close to the original that Corday made. This version was more uplifting, deeper, spicier, rich and smooth, and the color was lighter.

The one that Dana put out in 1995 was completely different, with a noticeably cheap and synthetic scent, harsh and acidic and murky in color and disappointed many buyers. Though after the first initial spray of the top notes disappears, the drydown of the perfume settles into a spicy, deep woodsiness.