Recital by F. Millot c1931

Recital by F. Millot: launched in 1931. Created by Jean Desprez.

Half Doll Boudoir Novelties Catalog Page

Here is a wonderful page from a 1926 catalog showing interesting half doll novelties in a variety of types. These feature the "Colonial Dame" brand or style composition heads. Most of these that we have seen were made in France. The half dolls were mounted on strong wire frames, have wavy wigs in colors of white, blonde, auburn and black. They are dressed in high quality materials and fabrics made up of rayon and silk taffeta with ornamental passementerie trimmings, some metallic. The fabric colors were chosen to work best in the boudoir in shades of "old rose", "copen" which is a soft blue, "orchid" and "tan". I suspect the entire ensemble was made and imported from France.

Parfumerie Brissac

Parfumerie Brissac was a French company established in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1917 by L. Aubert y Cía.  (L. Aubert y Compania, Jorge Newbery St. Buenos Aires). They were associated with Les Parfums Persans. Brissac was still in business in 1924.

Un jour le parfum, il etait une nuit by Sephora c1996

Un jour le parfum, il était une fois la nuit by Sephora: launched in 1996. Perfume created for the opening of Sephora on the Champs Elysées, the largest perfumery in the world on December 11, 1996 at midnight.

Madame de Carven c1979

Madame de Carven by Carven: launched in 1979.

Les Parfums Nelombo

Nelombo was established in 1931 by Les Laboratoires Dausse, Societe Anonyme, Paris, France . The name Nelombo is the common name of the Netumbium speciosum, a large pink water lily or lotus.

Shanghai by Lentheric c1936

Shanghai by Lentheric: launched in 1936. Originally named Cœur de Paris and launched in 1911. Cœur de Paris was renamed Shanghai in 1936 and was repackaged in a beautiful Chinese styled vase.

Pia by Dimitri c1977

Pia by Dimitri Ltd.: launched in 1977. The company Dimitri of Italy was created by Piero Dimitri.

Maria Pia was was an employee in the Dimitri firm in Italy before her marriage Piero, the famous Dimitri of Italy the first mens wear designer in the Coty Hall of Fame. Maria put her family responsibilities first, but remained involved in Dimitri's career. As the children grew up, Maria moved into the Dimitri fashion and design picture.

Eau de Rochas by Rochas c1970

Eau de Rochas by Rochas: launched in 1970. Nicolas Mamounas.

Asphodele by Lentheric c1926

Asphodele by Lentheric: launched in 1926, pronounced "As Fo Del". Asphodele refers to the species of daffodil (narcissus) that grow around the Mediterranean and a species growing on both the coasts of Brittany and Galicia. In the ancient times, the daffodils were often used to bloom the grave of the dead, where the legend of Asphodel Meadow , instead of Hades in Greek mythology . I have read that the actual asphodele plant has no scent.

Vent Vert by Balmain c1947

Vent Vert by Balmain: launched in 1947. Created by Germaine Cellier of Roure perfumers.

Les Parfums Dorilly

Les Parfums Dorilly was established in 1920 by M. Pommez at 4 rue de la Paix, Paris. Dorilly made luxury presentations in the 1920s. Later established the successful Parfums Marquay in 1947.

What is Parfum de Toilette?

I get numerous questions about fragrance concentrations from my readers. People seem to be confused about terms such as "Parfum de Toilettes", to answer your queries, here is my easy guide to tell you what they really are.

Let's break it down from the top with Parfum.
Parfum, also called extrait, parfum classic, extrait de parfum or extract, is the highest concentration of perfume. A parfum may contain up to 20-30 percent oils and high grade alcohol, and a slight amount of water. Vintage Parfums can often contain at least 22-40 percent essential oils due to the high concentration of essential oils. Parfums can be composed up of natural and synthetic ingredients, no matter if they are vintage or modern. Parfum can last 7 to 24 hours on the skin. Parfum is the most expensive type of perfume. Any mixture lower in oils is known as an eau.

Next in concentration is the Eau de Parfum.

Eau de Parfum, also known as Esprit de Parfum, Secret de Parfum, Millesime, or Parfum de Toilette, is composed of 10-15 percent of essential oils with a slightly weaker alcohol and water mix. Vintage Eau de Parfum, Esprit de Parfum, or Parfum de Toilettes were often made up of 15-20 percent essential oils and were highly concentrated. Eau de Parfums usually last about 4-8 hours. 

Parfum de Toilette first started being used around 1960 by Coty, followed by Revillon, Caron, Nina Ricci Rochas, Salvador Dali, Le Galion, Jean Desprez, Weil, Houbigant, Worth, Craven, Dolce & Gabbana and other brands. The timeframe for Parfum de Toilette usage was 1960-2000. The last time I saw "Parfum de Toilette" advertised in a newspaper was 1989. 

Christian Dior had both "Esprit de Parfum" for the Poison line, Dune, Miss Dior, Dioressence, Diorissimo and "Secret de Parfum", mostly for Opium. Oscar de la Renta had an Esprit de Parfum for his signature fragrance Oscar. 

Orlane had a Secret de Parfum for their scent Fleurs d'Orlane, as did Guerlain as a limited edition for Shalimar. 

Creed uses Millesime. According to Creed, the house hand-selects the very best crops - including blooms, fruits and spices - to create each “Millesime”, or Creed fragrance. Millesime indicates that The House of Creed has hand-selected the very best crops - including blooms, fruits and spices - to create each Creed fragrance. Creed Millesime fragrances are blends that consist of the highest-quality concentration of infused essential oils made from raw materials. Millesime can also refer to their fragrances being hand-crafted by our Master Perfumer, Olivier Creed.. 

Today most brands use the term Eau de Parfum, most of the other terms were used in vintage fragrances. Creed still uses the term Millesime.

.

Eau de Toilette: also called toilet water, is a much thinner dilution of the same materials, containing approximately only 4-10 percent of essential oils, in an even weaker alcohol and water mixture. Vintage Eau de Toilettes often can contain up to 5-15 percent essential oils and were much more concentrated than modern formulas. Eau de Toilettes usually last about 3 hours. Meant to be splashed or sprayed throughout the day to freshen up. Perfect for wearing during daytime, or during the warmer months or warmer climates.


Lesser concentrations:


Eau de Cologne: for men or women, or aftershave, is further diluted, about 3-5 percent of essential oils, in an even still weaker alcohol and water mix. Usually lasts about 2 hours. Meant to be liberally splashed or sprayed throughout the day to freshen up. Perfect for wearing during daytime, or during the warmer months or warmer climates. Used for toning and refreshing the skin after bathing.


Eau Fraiche: this is the weakest form of fragrance on the market, a light toilet water similar to cologne or splash usually with 1-3 percent of essential oil in water and a higher grade of alcohol. Usually lasts for less than an hour. Meant to be liberally reapplied throughout the day for a refreshing feeling. Perfect for wearing during daytime, or during the warmer months or warmer climates.

Voile de Parfum: also known as Eau Parfumée, Voile d'Été, Eau Sans Alcool, Brume de Parfum, Perfume Mist, is a non-alcoholic fragrance diluted with water and about 3-8 percent essential oils. Typically used to be worn during the warmer months at the beach or in warmer climates.

Miracle by Lentheric c1924

Miracle by Lentheric was launched in 1924 and named after the Max Reinhardt play starring actress Diana Manners.

 Lentheric issued it's perfume alongside the U.S. premiere of the elaborate pantomime 'The Miracle', which opened at the Century Theatre in New York City on January 15, 1924. The back of the program had a full page advertisement for the perfume. The program was by Karl Vollmoeller, the score by Englebert Humperdinck, and the design by Norman Bel Geddes. Among the many illustrations, are two full-page ink and watercolor renderings of costumes by Norman Bel Geddes.

Les Parfums de Colmy

Established by Edouard Colmant at 348 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris; also owned Parfumerie E. Coudray.

Voulez Vous by D'Orsay c1960

Voulez Vous by D'Orsay: launched in 1960.

History of Perfumery in the 17th Century

In the 16th and 17th centuries, bathing was to a large extent abandoned in favor of the liberal use of toilet waters, scented powders and luxurious fragrances.

Donna Karan New York by Donna Karan c1992

Donna Karan New York by Donna Karan: launched in September 1992. Created by Jean-Claude Delville and Pierre Wargnye.

Spurred by her husband Stephan Weiss' desire to leave a lasting legacy beyond her fashion house, Donna Karan entered the world of fragrance. Taking a cue from Coco Chanel, whose iconic fashion empire was revived by her perfume ventures, Karan's husband persuaded her with the eventual fact that "hemlines go up and down, but fragrance is forever". 

Variations by Carven c1971

Variations by Carven: launched in 1971.

Allez Hop by Jovoy c1924

Allez Hop by Jovoy: launched in 1924.

CB Rocca

CB Rocca of Paris, France, launched a range of perfumes. Was owned by Clara Hirsch in 1946.

Ivoire de Balmain c1979

Ivoire de Balmain: launched in 1979. Created by Michel Hy and Francis Camail of Florasynth. Pierre Balmain stated that he was inspired by his lifelong "desire to create elegance and beauty for women." First distributed by Revlon in the United States. In 1985, Balmain Perfumes was acquired from Revlon by Cobepa, the Belgian subsidiary of Paribas. Jacques Bergerac (the brother of Michel, the ex-number one of Revlon) remains the CEO.

Magic Beat by Max Factor c1986

In 1986, Max Factor released Magic Beat, it's trio of fragrances specifically designed for teenagers in conjunction with singer Michael Jackson.

Magic Beat was under a license from Michael Jackson to use his picture and signature in promoting the line. Entertainment Properties paid $18 million for the right to market the Michael memorabilia.

La Route d'Emeraude by Isabey c1924

La Route d'Emeraude by Isabey: launched in 1924. Originally created by Isabey's chief perfumer, Robert Bienaimé.

The fanciful name refers to the so-called Emerald Route. The route delivered precious stones and other valuables from the southern regions of Asia, to Iran and the Near East.

Anny Blatt

Anny Blatt, a French designer, famous for her knitwear clothing. She was one of the first to launch hand knitted clothing for women.

Youthful Secrets Formerly Fantasy Perfumes Designer Imposter Perfumes

Youthful Secrets (formerly Fantasy Perfumes) distributed their versions of popular perfumes, otherwise known as "designer imposter perfumes". The "Youthful Secrets" brand was sold by the Seta Corporation and was available to airline passengers at deeply discounted prices. One ounce bottles of these oil based knockoff perfumes sold for just $19.99 as opposed to much higher prices for their genuine designer counterparts. The Youthful Secrets line was trademarked in 1989.

These perfumes were only identified by a number so if you need to know which fragrance your numbered bottle was supposed to mimic, use my handy guide below.

Dark Brilliance by Lentheric c1946

Dark Brilliance by Lentheric: launched in 1946.

Christian Lacroix by Christian Lacroix c1999

Christian Lacroix by Christian Lacroix: launched in 1999. The fragrance, created by Sophia Grojsman, is strongly inspired by Lacroix's native region of sunny Provence. 

It was first only available at Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Grain de Folie by Parfums Nicky Verfaillie c1981

Grain de Folie by Parfums Nicky Verfaillie (Monique "Nicky" Verfaillie): launched in 1982.

A verbatim translation of "Grain de Folie" is "grain of frivolity."

Heure Intime by Vigny c1933

Heure Intime by Vigny: launched in 1933. Created by perfumer Jacques Vogel.

Chaos by Donna Karan c1994

Chaos by Donna Karan: launched in 1994. Created by the perfumers at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF).

Garwood's Standard Perfumes

Philadelphia; claimed established in 1852; most likely c1873; a subsidiary of Schandein & Lind in c1900; launched a range of fragrances in the first quarter of 20th century.

Liz Claiborne by Liz Claiborne c1986

Liz Claiborne by Liz Claiborne: launched in 1986. This is the first fragrance by designer Liz Claiborne. Created by the perfumers at IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances). The idea was for the company to make a fragrance that represented Liz herself.

In 1985, Avon and Liz Claiborne had signed a joint agreement to create and market the new entry. Avon participated in product research, supply and development of the scent. Liz Claiborne Cosmetics were completely responsible for the sales and marketing of the fragrance.

Ocean Dream by Giorgio Beverly Hills c1996

Ocean Dream by Giorgio Beverly Hills: launched in 1996 in association with Designer Parfums and Proctor & Gamble. Created by Alberto Morillas. Ocean Dream was inspired by the beach's omnipresence in the southern California consciousness.

Esprit de Phantom by Phantom of the Opera c1988

Esprit de Phantom for women was launched in 1988. Created during the Phantom play craze by Creative Fragrances, Inc. All the spirit, all the romance of the Broadway musical is distilled in a glamorous new fragrance as mysterious and seductive as the drama. Esprit de Phantom. This scent was commissioned to be sold during intermission at the shows. Limited edition souvenir scent from the show (interesting concept).

Dahlia by Arlene Dahl c1976

Dahlia by Arlene Dahl (Parfums Dahlia): launched in 1976. Created by Bud Lindsay of Roure Bertrand Dupont.

Parfums Avenel

Louis Avenel of 24 rue de Rocher, Paris, established in 1900 and had major exports to Great Britain.

Verdigris by Robert Lee Morris c1988

Verdigris by Robert Lee Morris c1988. First scent from the famed New York jewelry designer. Created by the perfumers at the French based essential oil manufacturers, Roure. The scent was named after the greenish metal Morris has made popular in his jewelry designs. He says "it's the greenish patina you find on ancient sculpture and artifacts."

L'Envie Parfum Shampoo & Conditioner c1986

L'Envie Parfum Shampoos & Conditioners debuted in 1986. This was a line of highly perfumed hair products that imitated the best selling perfumes of the era.

"For soft; sensual hair that smells as beautiful as it looks."

It't rich, luxurious formula contained soft emollients to soothe the hair and make it sensually soft to the touch. What it did not contain, was any of the famous perfumes it was imitating.

• Ember Musk: a fragrance similar to classic musk perfumes
• Cypress: a fragrance similar to White Linen
• Legace: a fragrance similar to Vanderbilt
• Siam: a fragrance similar to Opium
• Capture: a fragrance similar to Obsession
• Milano: a fragrance similar to Giorgio

These hair products were not manufactured, licensed nor endorsed by any of the following brands: Giorgio Beverly Hills, Estee Lauder, Gloria Vanderbilt, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent and Coty.

L'Envie was manufactured by S.C. Johnson.

By 1988, the line was dropped as it did not do as well as expected. It was said by fragrance consultant, Barry Jacobs, that women tend to think of perfume as sticky and oily, and this is something you'd expect a shampoo to wash out of your hair. The line did not include scents for men and excluded women who hated fragrance in their shampoos.  "We are close to dumping the line," said one buyer a a leading national drugstore chain.

It was also plagued by legal problems and flawed marketing.

The moment that L'Envie hit retail shelves, the threats from major perfume companies started rolling in. Cosmair, Inc, owner of the Vanderbilt trademark filed suit. Estee Lauder, Inc, the holder of the White Linen trademark, also considered joining in on the lawsuit. Cosmair originally demanded that the 1 million products already on the shelves be pulled.

In 1986, Cosmair had won a temporary restraining order against SC Johnson that prohibited the distribution of its new L'Envie shampoos and conditioners. L'Envie, produced by the Agree shampoo and conditioner line, printed Cosmair's Vanderbilt fragrance title on the containers. Cosmair declared trademark infringement and unfair competition as reasons for the court order. Although SC Johnson claimed to be solely in the shampoo and conditioner selling business, Cosmair charged that its marketing strategies copied those of "knockoff-fragrance marketers" by printing misleading material on the wrapping.

Sued by Cosmair Inc., SC Johnson settled out of court in 1987 by agreeing to add disclaimer stickers to the front of it's bottles. The settlement included an order for a more prominent disclaimer on the package. A temporary restraining order issued in federal court required ads to carry a similar disclaimer. The results satisfied the other fragrance companies.

CLICK HERE TO FIND L'ENVIE SHAMPOO

CLICK HERE TO FIND L'ENVIE CONDITIONER

Privilege by Parfums Privilege c1986

Privilege by Parfums Privilege: launched in 1986.