Grigri by Weil c1943

Grigri by Weil: launched in 1943. The name pronounced "Gree Gree", is African in origin and means "magic charm" or "talisman." I believe that this perfume, with its exotic name and advertisements, was some sort of patriotic allusion to the French colonies in West Africa. Jean Patou, another French perfume manufacturer visited this theme with his perfume, Colony.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It was classified as an oriental (amber) fragrance for women and described as a warm, spicy sandalwood scent.

• Top notes: bergamot
• Middle notes: spices, rose, jasmine, carnation
• Base notes: sandalwood, ambergris, musk, oakmoss, vanilla, benzoin, incense

GriGri was advertised as formulated with a certain chemical that would be activated in the presence of cigarette smoke, this chemical would intensify the perfume's scent so that the nicotine smell would not be overpowering.

The New Yorker, 1945:

"Weil has a new perfume called GriGri, a sultry scent that many will adore (Bonwit Teller)."

 The New Yorker, 1945:

"Weil: Grigri, the most recent arrival here, is mainly, we think, for the lady who likes a very heavy scent loaded with sandalwood and sultriness. The great old favorite, Noir, is back, having lost none of its definite appeal."

Advertising & Selling - Volume 39, 1946:

"Ask us what's new on the perfume front and all we can mutter is "GriGri!" To its makers, Parfums Weil, GriGri "

Harper's Bazaar, 1946:

"Weil's mischievous "GriGri." 2 oz., $35."

The Churchman, Volume 160, 1946:

"Do you find the troubled world confusing? If so, the following little gem will make it all very simple.  You should take it seriously; it cost the Parfums Weil Paris Co. several hundred dollars to enshrine it in a full page of The New York Times, for the benefit of the feminine intellectually elite. Hold your breath, for here it is : GriGri is pronounced "Gree Gree" and sounds a bit like the love call of a lonely little cricket lost in the ecstatic contemplation of a dew drop. To us of course, the name is charming. Light hearted, yet sentimental, indeed romantic if with a dash of inconsequential in its plea. GriGri is not for the passionate, the inflamed, the acrobats, but Eros, God of Love, may have used it when he young. We created GriGri because it will replace nicely the block buster and robot bomb." 

TIME, 1946:

"Perfumes of all kinds sold heavily everywhere. Parfums Weil Paris Co. neatly fell into the effervescent mood of shoppers by introducing a new scent called "GriGri." It was designed to "replace - the blockbuster and the robot bomb" with "a dash of the inconsequential." 

Kansas City Star, 1948:

"Weil's Antelope Perfume - Daring and different and refreshing as a forest green. Weil's COBRA - Filled with mysticism of far away places. Weil’s ZIBELINE - A scent that sets you apart from all others. Weil’s CASSANDRA - Opens a magic world to those clever enough to choose it. Weil’s GRI GRI - Bright laughter on a night filled with gaiety." 

Bottles:

Drug and Cosmetic Catalog, 1945:

"GriGri is the name of a perfume introduced by Parfums Weil, GriGri, pronounced Gree Gree, is a sentimental, romantic fragrance presented in an attractive chartreuse and maroon package."

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown, most likely around 1952.

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