Laughter by Yardley c1975

Laughter by Yardley: launched in 1975. Created by Yardley especially for the Jubilee year.

Originally a fragrance by Germaine Monteil, launched in 1940. The creation of the perfume took eight year to complete. It was reformulated in 1950 to make it "make it brisker" and "brighter" and was rechristened Rigolade (pronounced REE-GO-LAHD), you may find some labels marked with both names: Laughter (Rigolade). It was then changed to a light, fruity floral fragrance for women.


Relaunched in 1983. Last saw ads for 1985.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a fresh, crisp floral fragrance for women. It starts off with a fresh green top note, followed by a light, green floral heart, layered over a powdery base.

• Top notes: bergamot, hyacinth, mirabelle, peach, lemon, galbanum
• Middle notes: lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, carnation, ylang ylang, orris, orchid
• Base notes: vetiver, balsam, spices, amber, oakmoss, civet, sandalwood, musk, patchouli

In 1967, the British-American Tobacco Company, LTD acquired such names as Yardley of London,  Morny, Scandia, Germaine Monteil, and Tuvache for $60-million. These brands were lumped into a subsidiary British American Cosmetics (BAC), selling in more than one hundred and forty countries, with local manufacture in thirty-four countries. 

In 1975, Laughter was being sold under the Tuvache name, and newspapers advertised this as a new scent, described as "free spirited blend of vibrant green notes, light florals and spices.". I believe that this was mainly for the American market, where Tuvache was a well known brand at the time. I also think that the one sold under the Yardley name was to be sold mainly to the United Kingdom and Australian markets, where Yardley was a respected name. The Laughter perfume sold under Tuvache brand was discontinued in 1978.

In 1979, Beecham Cosmetics purchased Jovan, Yardley of London, Vitabath and other, more obscure brands such as Lentheric and Tuvache. In 1984, the perfume Laughter was handled by the Beecham name, but still under the Yardley of London parent company. 

This version was discontinued after some time. It was reintroduced as a new fragrance around 2015.