In 1992, design partners Sandra Higashi and Byron Glaser of King George County created a “chemistry set” for adults. Something fun that could ignite the old human chemistry, but look like scientific stuff. Something like a make-your-own perfume kit, but with a New Age twist.
The result is "APpLiEd CHeMiStRY", a square, gunmetal-gray box with five test tubes of perfume nestled inside. There’s X2C, a bouquets of white florals; IM4U, an earthy mix of musk with floral undertones; and HeHe, essence of tropical fruit with melon undertones.
The others are Y, hyacinth with Oriental notes, and OoAh, which is “aquilaria agallocha with woody notes. (It’s basically aloe)
The scents come with some tongue-in-cheek recipes, or “CoNcOcTiOnS.”
It’s fun. It’s folklore.
APpLiEd CHeMiStRY is designed to look like an old-fashioned kid’s chemistry set, and the labeling, with upper and lower case letter, is a takeoff on the look of chemical equations, The test tubes inside are real ones, ordered from a chemical supply company.
APpLiEd CHeMiStRY was sold at upscale boutiques and museum shops around the world.
I do not know how many ounces are in each tube. Each tube measures approximately 3.25" including black cap and rubber dropper. Applied Chemistry was thoughtfully conceived, simply and elegantly designed, and flawlessly manufactured.
A Little Ooah, A Little X2c...it Makes Scents, August 26, 1992:
"Madame Curie would have loved this: A chemistry set for cologne connoisseurs. Packaged in a metal case, Applied Chemistry contains five test tubes of fragrance oils: IM4U (musk with floral undertones); OoAh (a woodsy scent); X2C (white florals); HeHe (tropical fruits) and Y (Oriental). Although the scents can be used alone, the whole idea is to whip up your own perfume potions. A book of recipes is included to get you going including instructions for warding off bad luck, attracting the opposite sex and mending a broken heart.
Applied Chemistry sells for $48 at Chiasso stores, 700 N. Michigan Ave. and 303 W. Madison St."
all images from ebay seller stellamae17
