Showing posts sorted by relevance for query factice. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query factice. Sort by date Show all posts

Friday, September 13, 2013

Factices and Dummy Display Perfume Bottles

In this guide I will introduce you to the world of perfume display bottles, also called Factices (pronounced fack-teece), and dummy bottles in the perfume trade.

A factice is an advertising store display bottle that is lent to a perfume vendor (department stores) by the perfume house and are not meant for retail sale. The bottles are exact replicas of the normal perfume bottles. Because these bottles are on loan, they are usually returned back to the perfume house and not sold publicly.

In the early days of factices, these might be filled with perfume, but as time went on, manufacturers began to use colored water, a type of colored antifreeze, a mixture of rubbing alcohol or formaldehyde, or glycogen is used in most examples. The colored water examples sometimes have some sort of sediment or flaky particles floating around in the liquid, this is most likely caused by bacteria or mold growing in the water. Some factices, such as those for My Sin by Lanvin, are hollow, opaque plastic bottles, with no liquid inside.

The colored liquid for the factices often come premade in advance in aluminum containers when they are delivered to the department stores. Alternatively they might come as an extract in a small plastic bottle and the shop owner would have to mix it with distilled water.

I would like to mention that factices came in many sizes, from smaller versions of their retail examples to identical sizes, all the way up to much larger than life examples. These larger bottles are known as giant factices.

The older factices were made of glass or crystal, the newer ones of plastic or acrylic. The bases may be acid stamped or etched with "dummy", "factice" or a "D" engraved into the glass.

I have three possibilities on how the factices were marked. They were probably scratched "dummy" by the glass factories before they were sent to the perfume factories, or were scratched on at the perfume factories so that it wouldn't be mistakenly filled with the actual perfume. Another possibility is that it could have been scratched on by a store employee to differentiate it from the perfume filled examples.

I wanted to mention that some vintage Guerlain & Balenciaga bottles are often marked dummy on the back of the label that is on the front of the bottle. The only way to see the word dummy is by looking through the back of the bottle and seeing the back of the label on the front of the bottle. Since the labels were affixed at the perfume factories (which were in France but the bottles were for American export) it would make sense that the word "dummy" was used instead of factice (French for artificial, fake). Please note that recent examples might have a sticker or label on the back of the bottle that states "dummy" or "for display purposes only" or "not for resale".

Some factices are one solid piece, meaning the stopper is molded into the base and not removeable. I have seen some acrylic factices like this for Givenchy perfumes.

Don't confuse a tester with a factice. Testers are advertising bottles filled with actual perfume and were meant to be used. Some stores will sell testers, and there are companies who will wholesale testers to the public. Testers generally come without a cap or box.

Please make sure you mention factice in your title and description. Collectors of factices will be able to find it easily. And people who are looking for the actual perfume bottle (not a factice) will appreciate your honesty.

The larger factices are generally much more desired than their smaller counterparts. The best factices are those marked Lalique or Baccarat, these signed pieces command the highest prices. You can find many different factices on ebay quite easily. Why not add one to your collection today?

How to determine if your bottle is a factice:

Is your bottle sealed with contents? Does it look like perfume? How can you tell if you have a factice? Some simple ways of determining this are listed below:

Shake the bottle. Do you see floating particles? if so, it is a factice. The particles are bacteria forming inside the colored water.

Shake the bottle. Do you see a separation of the contents? Do you see little balls of oily substance in a sea of what looks like alcohol? Then you have perfume in your bottle. The perfume oils often thicken due to age and evaporation. The fragrance congeals a bit leaving small oil balls in the alcohol.

Does the bottle have a waxed paper seal? if so, it may not be a factice. Vintage perfume bottles are usually sealed with onion paper which has been waxed over to prevent spillage during shipment. Also the stopper will be tied with a cord which wraps around the neck of the bottle. Some factices, such as the Chanel often times have this too, but I have never seen a factice with the waxed paper seal.


Can you smell perfume around the mouth of the bottle? If so it is not a factice. Your factice should have no perfume smell at all.


Are the contents dark and discolored? If so, it is most likely not a factice.Vintage perfume usually discolors and turns a darker shade over the years when exposed to air or heat. The liquid in factices should not discolor with age.

Look at the stopper and the neck of the bottle. Do you see any discoloration? If so, this will not be a factice. Vintage perfumes, due to the oils and evaporation, often discolor the inside neck of the bottle and stopper and leaves residue even if its still sealed. Factices should be clear and clean with no residue present.

Some buyers prefer their factices emptied before shipping, this keeps the shipping costs down as filled factices can be quite heavy and expensive to ship. If you want your bottle emptied before shipping, please make mention of this to your seller.

If your factice is empty, you may wish to refill them with a colored solution to look like perfume. It should not be plain water, as the bacteria in the water can cause mold and you will see floating flakes of gunk, which is not pretty. Also due to the bacteria, it may eventually cause clouding to the glass, which cannot be reversed and really looks horrible and ruins the value of your bottle. Instead, you can use this mixture to fill them. 

Mix the following:
  • 3/4 parts rubbing alcohol
  • 1/4 part distilled water

To make the colored dye to mimic perfume, mix the following:
  • A few drops of food coloring
  • Small amount of warm water
Then add the the color mixture to the alcohol mixture. If you omit this step and simply add the food coloring directly into the alcohol mixture, it will not mix right and you'll only end up with colored bubbles.

Now, take a medicine dropper, plastic pipette or use a funnel to decant the alcohol mixture into your bottle. Be careful not to get any labels wet, as this can causing staining or rippling and will hurt the value of your bottle. Do not fill the bottle all the way to the top, leave some "headspace" for the glass to expand.

You can store any leftover mixture and save it for use the next time. 

What to do with smaller factice bottles? Use them for a display on your vanity or in a window instead of your precious perfume bottles. You can store your actual perfume bottles away from the light and heat, and use factices on your dressing table for a beautiful display.



Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Azzaro by Loris Azzaro c1970

Azzaro by Loris Azzaro: launched in 1970, some sites state it was launched in 1975 (distributed by CosmEurop). The fragrance is also known as Azzaro Couture (Le Parfum-Couture de Loris Azzaro). Created by Maurice Thibond.

"Azzaro — the slightly wicked evening perfume."


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Dramming Events

Dramming refers to a technique for transferring a fragrance from a larger container to a smaller one (some websites call this "decanting".)

Sunday, February 17, 2013

ON EBAY: Ambré des Pagodes by Lydes Perfume c1919

ON EBAY THIS WEEK: Ambré des Pagodes by Lydes Perfume Bottle from circa 1919. Bottle probably by SPV (Société Parisienne de Verreries) and not Viard. Lydes most famous presentation for this perfume featured a figural stopper on a fancy bottle, designed by Julien Viard and manufactured by Depinoix. The bottle shown in this listing is quite different and may either be a factice, or a dramming flacon for usage in the stores. I am unsure if it actually contains perfume inside as the seller says the stopper is frozen.

Ambre des Pagodes was still being sold until 1925, as I saw it still being advertised.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMBRE-DES-PAGODES-Lydes-Paris-1920s-HUGE-Vintage-Perfume-Bottle-Factice-Tester-/140918214977?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cf615141





Parfumerie de Luxe, Lydes of 29 rue Auguste Bailly, Courbevoie (Seine) France, established in 1918 by Eugene Philippe Rodier. Their most successful perfume was their first, Ambre des Pagodes, which interestingly did not bear the name Lydes (sometimes). The company became well known practically overnight and exported their luxurious presentations worldwide:
  • 1919 L'Ambre des Pagodes
  • 1922 Narcisse
  • 1923 Les Jasmins de Lydes
  • 1925 Diamant Noir
  • 1925 L'Heure du Baiser
  • 1927 Bibelot
  • 1928 Dans la Chevelure
  • 1928 La Fleur du Lac
  • 1920s Arabian Passion


Monday, October 31, 2022

Complice de Francois Coty c1973

Francois Coty originally created Complice ('Accomplice') in 1934, but died before it could be launched. It remained on ice until 1973, when the Coty company launched it in a period design bottle. The name Complice was filed for trademark in 1939, company claimed use since 1938.




Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Passion by Elizabeth Taylor c1986

In 1986, Elizabeth Taylor licensed her name to a perfume company, the Parfums International division of Chesebrough-Ponds.




Sunday, April 16, 2017

Friday, May 3, 2013

Forever Amber by Kathryn/Kay Daumit c1945

Forever Amber by Kathryn, Inc (owned by Kay Daumit) launched in 1945 in connection with the 1943 novel by Kathleen Winsor. The novel tells the story of amorous courtesan Amber St. Clare in the court and bedroom of Charles II. The novel was banned in Boston and throughout Massachusetts, and the controversy over its purported indecency stimulated sales and became a bestseller . The book's popularity was further aided by the film version directed by Otto Preminger in 1947.




Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Saturday, July 16, 2022

Rudi Gernreich by Rudi Gernreich c1974

Rudi Gernreich by Rudi Gernreich: launched in 1974 in association with American Essence, Inc..  

Created by Betty Busse and produced by International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF).  




Monday, September 19, 2022

Prince Douka by Marquay c1951

Prince Douka by Parfums Marquay: launched in 1951. Originally named "Parfum Douka" when it was first released in 1949.

The name refers to Douka, Tieghemella africana, also called Makore wood, sometimes used in place of African Mahogany (Khaya spp.), and has been sold under the trade name Cherry Mahogany, though the wood is not closely related to any of the species or genera in the mahogany (Meliaceae) family.


Chicago Tribune, 1949:
"Parfum Douka, a newcomer from France by Marquay, It is exotic, gala and wonderful for furs. $17.50 and $35."




Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Tempest by Lucien Lelong c1947

Tempest by Lucien Lelong: launched in 1947.

This is the fragrance 'Orage', renamed for the English market.

Tempest was a line complete from lipsticks to perfume.



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