Saturday, June 24, 2017

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Parfum d'Ete by Kenzo c1992

Parfum d'Été by Kenzo: launched in 1992. Created by Christian Mathieu of IFF/Tamaris S.A.

The name means "Perfume of Summer" in French, summer just happens to be Kenzo's favourite season.


Friday, June 16, 2017

Parfumerie Hera

Parfumerie Hera, also known as Parfums Hera, established by Marthe-Jeanne Thibault at 81-83 rue de Cherzy, Neuilly, Seine in 1910; cosmetic, perfumes and toiletries. The company also sold gold tipped "Egyptian Soir d'Orient" cigarettes. The company lasted until the late 1920s.

c1919



Friday, June 9, 2017

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Friday, June 2, 2017

Jaipur by Boucheron c1994

Jaipur by Boucheron: launched in 1994. Created by Sophia Grojsman and Jean-Pierre Mary. The perfume was named after a village in India that was once home to the Maharajah of Patiala.



Thursday, June 1, 2017

Paradis by Saks Fifth Avenue c1982

Paradis by Saks Fifth Avenue: launched in 1982. Paradis was Sak's own private label perfume, which they claimed was created to be a reflection of Saks Fifth Avenue and the Saks Fifth Avenue woman. This is not the first time that a department store launched their own fragrance line, Neiman Marcus brought out Volage and NM, Bloomingdales had it's Bloomie's.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Daniel de Fasson by Daniel de Fasson c1990

Daniel de Fasson by Daniel de Fasson: launched in 1990 in association with Parlux SA. . Also known as Daniel de Fasson pour Femme.




Tuesday, May 2, 2017

L'Ambre de Carthage by Isabey c1924

L'Ambre de Carthage by Isabey: launched in 1924. Originally created by perfumer Jean Jacques as a woman's perfume.

The name evoking the ancient Tunisian city of Carthage.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

L’Ardente Nuit by Corday c1930

L’Ardente Nuit by Corday: launched in 1930. The name means "The Fiery Night" in French. It was suggested to be worn with "rich fabrics and furs."



Friday, April 28, 2017

Adolfo by Frances Denney c1978

Adolfo by Frances Denney: launched in 1978. Created as the signature fragrance for Adolfo Sardina, the Cuban born fashion designer.  He had a salon at 36 East 57th Street in New York.  Sardina, who has never used his surname professionally, started designing hats in New York in the early 1950's and opened a millinery salon in 1963.


Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Intoxication by D'Orsay c1938

Intoxication by D'Orsay: launched in 1938.

"Intoxication, the champagne fragrance that whispers 'Someone lovely has just passed by' wearing Intoxication".

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Diorling by Christian Dior c1963

Diorling by Christian Dior: created by Paul Vacher and launched in 1963. The name Diorling was a play on Darling. Christian Dior adored all things British and this was his take on how the upper classes pronounced Darling.



Thursday, April 20, 2017

Gloria Swanson and Perfume

Famous actress Gloria Swanson was a collector of perfume bottles. Only a few photos survive showing her with some, mostly from her films. I wonder if she supplied her own bottles to be used during filming. I do know that she wore Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, Shocking by Schiaparelli, Fille d'Eve by Nina Ricci, Narcisse Noir by Caron, Breathless by Charbert,  My Alibi by Renoir, Joy by Jean Patou, Cabochard by Gres, Five O'Clock by Gourielli, Casma by Caswell Massey, Black Satin by Angelique, White Satin by Angelique, Sortilege by Le Galion, Command Performance by Helena Rubinstein, Chypre by Coty, Le Fruit Defendu by Rosine, Shining Hour by Jacqueline Cochran.




Sunday, April 16, 2017

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Vendetta Pour Femme by Valentino c1991

Also known as Vendetta Donna. Created by the perfumers from IFF in association with Elizabeth Arden Creative Marketing Dept..



Monday, April 10, 2017

Sun Moon Stars by Karl Lagerfeld c1994

Sun Moon Stars by Karl Lagerfeld: launched in 1994 in association with Unilever. Created by Sophia Grojsman of IFF.





Saturday, April 8, 2017

Black Casket by Novaya Zarya c1947

Black Casket by Novaya Zarya: launched in 1947. Chyornyi Larets  (Tchernyi Larets)  черный гроб

The perfume was created by Vitkovskaya A.P.

Black Casket was imported into the United States by an American company known as The Russian Shop, who imported various Russian fragrances in the 1960s.

The name was said to be changed to "Treasure Chest" by 1961.

 Anglo-American News - Volume 28, 1961:
"Russian marketing experts show an acute sense of the problems of product presentation and merchandising in foreign markets. For instance, a big-selling perfume on the Soviet domestic-market, Black Casket, has been renamed Treasure Chest."

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

PERFUME HACK - Removing the Odor of Perfume

How to Remove Perfume Odor on the Skin:

Ever have stubborn perfume odor that lingers on your hands even after washing them over and over again? If you want to get it removed, you can use this quick hack:
  • Take one part of household ammonia and mix it with three parts water. Rinse your hands in this mixture a few times and then wash your hands with soap and water. It should take the perfume smell away. Remember, you must use the diluted ammonia to keep the skin from getting irritated. 
  • Another quick method is to make a paste of baking soda and water, apply it onto the skin where the perfume odor remains and rub gently. Then rinse off.  


How to Remove Perfume Odor from Clothing or Linens:

Sprayed your favorite perfume on your nice dress? How about your scarf, does it seem to retain the odor of last year's perfume? Did you purchase a second hand garment and want to get that stinky perfume smell out of it? A good alkali will kill the odor of almost any perfume and again, household ammonia will help you out! It also will help boost the performance of your detergent and brighten your whites.
  • You can add 1/2 cup of household ammonia to the water, along with the detergent, before you add clothes into the washing machine. If you are hand washing, you can try the method of one part ammonia to three parts water and a little bit of detergent so that it will not irritate your skin while you wash. Rinse and repeat if necessary.   
  • Another method is to soak clothing in a sink or washing machine filled with warm water and one cup baking soda before washing. 
  • Some peroxide will also help take the perfume stains out of your linens. You may wish to do a separate rinse with this ingredient. 
  • Fill a spray bottle with cheap, high proof vodka. Then spray on the perfumed area of your clothing. The vodka dries odorless and  should kill any scent. This is an effective method if you cannot wash the garment such as silk.



How to Remove Perfume Odor from Empty Bottles:


Question from a reader: I would like to put a new fragrance in my glass perfume bottle, but the scent of the last remains. How can I rid the container of this aroma?

Answer: First fill the bottle with rubbing alcohol and allow this to remain overnight. Empty the bottle and rinse with water.


Want to reuse a perfume bottle for another purpose, or refill it with another? You may find that the odor of some perfumes persist even after all the liquid has evaporated or been cleaned out. Before adding a new perfume, this must be removed. Here is a handy method for anyone who wishes to reuse an atomizer and get the scent of the previous perfume out for good!

  • Wash it with hot soap and water using a bottle brush. Rinse with clear water. Then fill the bottle with a strong solution of borax and warm water and let stand for several hours. Then empty the bottle and rinse again. An alkali will kill the odor of almost any perfume.
  • If this method does not work, or you do not have borax on hand, you can use household ammonia. But do not dilute it, pour it straight from the bottle into the perfume bottle, insert the stopper and allow it to stand for a few hours. Then you can empty it and rinse with warm soapy water.
  • To remove odor from bath salts bottles and jars so that they could be use for fruits or other foods, fill the bottle or jar with a very strong solution of hot water and apple cider vinegar (about 1/4 cup vinegar). Let stand a couple of hours; rinse with hot water, then add another mixture of vinegar and water if necessary, and you will find odor will have completely disappeared. Just washing with soap and water will not take away the smell.


How to Remove Perfume Spillage Odor from Carpet or Upholstery:

Did you accidentally knock over a bottle of perfume onto the rug or sofa and now the smell is overpowering?

  • Mix one quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent in a spray bottle to get rid of perfume odor in carpet or on upholstery. Spray the affected area and let sit for 24 hours. Blot away the excess with a paper towel and let air dry.




Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Eau de Fleurs by Nina Ricci c1980

Eau de Fleurs by Nina Ricci: launched in 1980. Created by Betty Busse as an eau de toilette. A more intense version of the fragrance named Fleurs de Fleurs, in eau de parfum concentration was also released in 1982.






Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Safranor by LT Piver c1901

Safranor by LT Piver: launched in 1901. (Trademark filed in 1904, Piver claimed use of the name since 1901.)



Monday, March 20, 2017

Master Merchandise Corp

Master Merchandise Corp. was a fragrance distribution brand from New York who made knockoffs of popular fragrances during the 1950s that were named after popular plays, songs or movies of the time. They were a very short lived company that were affiliated to the following brand names: 

  • Codell, Inc.  
  • Miss Codell
  • Vivian Parfums Inc (originally a brand for Vivaudou)
  • Peggy Page (originally a brand for Klinker Manufacturing Co in 1926)

Murasaki by Shiseido c1980

Murasaki by Shiseido: launched in 1980. Created by Jean-Claude Astier.

The name translates to "purple" which is reflected in the bottle design which features purple accents. The name also refers to Lady Shikibu Murasaki, the Chinese royal court figure of the 11th century who penned the love story "Tale of Ghenj".




Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Farouche by Nina Ricci c1973

Farouche by Nina Ricci:  launched in 1973. Created by Michel Hy, it was composed of over 100 ingredients with the property of unfolding its full effect on contact with skin, creating a fragrance unique to its wearer.




Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Friday, February 3, 2017

Fairy Tale of Tsar Saltan by Novaya Zarya c1949

Fairy Tale of Tsar Saltan by Novaya Zarya: launched around 1949. It was released in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin alongside two other perfumes: Queen of Spades, and The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish.

Новая Заря: СКАЗКА О ЦАРЕ САЛТАНЕ

Monday, December 26, 2016

MW de Messire c1972

MW de Messire: launched in 1972 in association with Jean d'Albret/Orlane. In USA in 1973.  It was created for the young career orientated, active women who were tired of the more flowery perfumes.

The MW stands for "Modern Woman", however, a blurb in a newspaper article mentioned that "MW" stands for "whatever you want it to be" and that the fragrance was unisex. "The first modern and vigorous fragrance created for women in a line for men."



Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Parfums Degas

Parfums Degas of Paris, France was established by Guy Degas in 1947. By 1965, they had a branch located at 1325 Fifth Avenue, New York City.



Welcome!

This is not your average perfume blog. In each post, I present perfumes or companies as encyclopedic entries with as much facts and photos as I can add for easy reading and researching without all the extraneous fluff or puffery.

Please understand that this website is not affiliated with any of the perfume companies written about here, it is only a source of reference. I consider it a repository of vital information for collectors and those who have enjoyed the classic fragrances of days gone by. Updates to posts are conducted whenever I find new information to add or to correct any errors.

One of the goals of this website is to show the present owners of the various perfumes and cologne brands that are featured here how much we miss the discontinued classics and hopefully, if they see that there is enough interest and demand, they will bring back these fragrances!

Please leave a comment below (for example: of why you liked the fragrance, describe the scent, time period or age you wore it, who gave it to you or what occasion, any specific memories, what it reminded you of, maybe a relative wore it, or you remembered seeing the bottle on their vanity table, did you like the bottle design), who knows, perhaps someone from the company brand might see it.

Also, if you have any information not seen here, please comment and share with all of us.

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Faking Perfume Bottles to Increase Their Value

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