Hello and welcome! Please understand that this website is not affiliated with Coty in any way, it is only a reference page for collectors and those who have enjoyed the classic fragrances of days gone by.

The main objective of this website is to chronicle the history of the Coty fragrances and showcase the bottles and advertising used throughout the years.

However, one of the other goals of this website is to show the present owners of the Coty perfume company 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), who knows, perhaps someone from the current Coty brand might see it.

Also, this website is a labor of love, it is a work in progress and is always being updated with new information as I can find it, so check back often!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

La Rose Jacqueminot by Coty c1902

La Rose Jacqueminot by Coty: launched in France in 1904, in USA by 1906. The perfume, created by Francois Coty in 1902, was named after a highly fragrant breed of long stemmed cabbage roses first grown in France in 1853 who were named as a tribute for the famous heroic general of the Napoleonic war.





The Times Herald, 1925:
"La Rose Jacqueminot: The transfused sighs of a thousand roses blowing on the southern slopes of France. Troubadours and Provence - Masquers gay and colourful- laughing, backward glances; Escape and capture in the tantalizing pathways of the maze - Little red heels tapping in the dance. Fragrant essence of the woman with honey-colored hair and a laughing imp in her eyes, of delicious impudence, ever the coquette."

A 1925 ad reads:
"For Blondes: L'Effleurt, La Rose Jacqueminot & L'Or."

A 1926 ad reads:
"La Rose Jacqueminot:- glamorous, lovely, the perfect perfume of the rose, flower of love and true symbol of adorable women."


Fragrance Composition:



So what does it smell like?  The warm floral fragrance was based on cabbage roses and composed of aldehydes, attars of both the "Paul Neyron" and "American Beauty" varieties of rose, jasmine, violets, sweet and green spices and synthetic materials called ionone and rhodinol. It is described as a creamy, dark and rich honeyed rose, slightly animalic, powdery, mossy with jammy rose notes. A rose chypre to end all desires...of orange blossom then comes jasmine, rose, heliotrope, and ylang ylang.
  • Top notes: aldehydes, tea rose, Bulgarian rose, jacqueminot rose, green accord
  • Middle notes: jasmine, cabbage rose (rosa centifolia), damask rose, violet, ylang ylang, honey, orange blossom, lavender, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom
  • Base notes: oakmoss, ambergris, Indian musk, Mysore sandalwood, tobacco

A 1907 ad reads:

"Coty's La Rose Jacqueminot an exquisite pure odor of the American Beauty Rose in 1 ounce cut glass bottles and with miniature satin sachet $3.00 "

Marie-Claire, 1937:
"La Rose Jacqueminot by Coty: Warm and discreet. She prefers her entire household, her husband, her children. She knows how to make 'a bouquet, a hem, a stew' (Leon-Paul Fargue)."

Combat, 1954:
"Eau La Rose Jacqueminot de Coty: There is a cerebral pleasure in the smell of the rose. The one we call Jacqueminot is red, vigorous, fervent, prosperous. The richness of summers nourishes its pollen. Its perfume is a song of joy, alacrity and triumphant, which makes one think of the great sonorous effusions of the nightingale. Is that why I love it above all at night, on a young woman sparkling in tulle, when the arrows of the moon silver the steps of the Grand Meaulnes."


In the 1920s and 1930s, it was customary for perfume companies to introduce the idea that women of certain complexion or hair color would be better suited to particular perfumes. Incidentally, perfumers said, blondes should wear light perfume, brunettes, heavy Oriental perfumes.  

  • For Blondes: Paris, L'Aimant, L'Effleurt, La Rose Jacqueminot & L'Or.
  • For Brunettes: L'Aimant, L'Origan, Emeraude, Chypre, Ambréine, Fougeraie au Crépuscule, or Styx.
  • For Red-Haired Women: Emeraude, Paris, L'Origan, L'Ambre Antique, Iris & Cyclamen.


Other perfumers advised women to seek out perfume based on their personalities or moods rather than their looks. These marketing techniques worked and thousands of bottles of perfume were purchased, probably by those who needed to buy gifts for others or were unsure of what perfumes to wear.
  • For the Woman of Sunny Joyous Type: L'Effleurt, Muguet & Violette.
  • For the Woman of the Dreamy Elusive Type: Jasmine de Corse, La Jacinthe & Lilas Blanc.
  • For the Exotic Types: Chypre, Violette Pourpre, Ambre Antique
  • For the Mysterious Types: Ambre Antique, Styx & Cyclamen
  • For the Brilliant Sophisticated Temperaments: Emeraude, Paris, L'Origan


Francois Coty purchased a large stock of rose essence from the essential oil manufacturer Alber Camili, who had declared bankruptcy. The inexpensive prices due to the company going out of business made it easier for Coty to buy large quantities in bulk.

Originally, La Rose Jacqueminot was built around an accord of the Alber Camili rose absolute and two bases: Rhodinol and Ionone. Rhodinol, manufactured by Rhone-Poulenc, was a combination of the main constituents of rose and geranium oil. The synthetic violet chemical, Ionone, made by De Laire, was based on a 1898 discovery by Tiemann and Kruger.

It is said that Coty tried unsuccessfully to market the perfume to several department stores. At the Parisian store, Le Grands Magasins du Louvre, Coty tried to gain attendance with the director of the store, Henri de Villemessant to convince him into purchasing an order for the store. When de Villemessant refused to see Coty, Coty came back a few days later and flicked the Baccarat crystal perfume flacon onto the floor of the cosmetics department, where it shattered and the fragrance blossomed into the room. Soon everyone present and Villemessant wanted to know “what that was” and Coty’s career was launched.

There is a rumour that Coty had hired women (some say friends of his wife) to act frenzied and inquisitive about the perfume. A fact was that Coty's mother in law worked at the department store and may have had a hand in helping him and his perfume to gain acceptance.

A deal was made between the department store that evening Coty received an order for twelve or fifty bottles (the references vary) of La Rose Jacqueminot to be delivered the following day, and Coty and his wife Yvonne spent the night in their kitchen pouring the elixir into tiny vials. Their perfume factory had been their modest apartment and had just enough space for a tiny laboratory and a sewing room where Yvonne would create the silk perfume pouches to hold the flacons. Using her training as a milliner to good use, she tied gold string and binding onto the bottles to make them even more attractive, a process used by other perfumers, called baudruchage. Le Louvre immediately ordered 12 bottles. The success was just beginning. Within days, 500 bottles of La Rose Jacqueminot were sold.

Bottles:


Baccarat supplied the large containers for La Rose Jacqueminot and eventually produced thousands of the slim, classic bottles that most collector’s associate with the scent. Later, the perfume was housed in elegant bottles by Rene Lalique. The early labels for the perfume were designed and engraved by Yvonne’s brothers Henri, Paul, and their uncle, Alphee, and then newer ones designed by Lalique for usage on his bottles. Bottles made after 1920 were made by Coty’s own glassworks in Pantin and his flacons were fitted with presentation cases made at his boxing factory in Neuilly.

A larger second run of La Rose Jacqueminot was rapidly produced with Coty’s newly purchased Laloue factory inventory from Grasse. Frederick Firmenich supplied Coty with ingredients on credit for the making of this perfume.

The bottle below is a Baccarat crystal flacon, very rare, see the beautiful lapidary stopper? This bottle was made in two sizes: 4 1/2" tall and













A nice purse size bottle was created and presented in a hinged metal case. The case stands 2 3/4" tall. The bottle has a stopper molded with flowers and ridge details. A larger size bottle was also created for the boudoir, standing at 6" tall. These bottles were also used for other Coty perfumes.




The larger boudoir size is shown below.










Fate of the Fragrance:



La Rose Jacqueminot was discontinued for many years before being reformulated and relaunched in 1986.


In 1986, Coty released three forgotten scents in a set called The Chateau Collection. This collection of old favorites was comprised up of La Rose Jacqueminot, Chypre and Muse which was rechristened as Les Muses. The original fragrances were brought up to date to satisfy the tastes of the 1986 woman. The full parfum concentrations were not released as they were feared to be "too heady for modern tastes" as the originals were "more full bodied and romantic in earlier days". The setting and inspiration for the collection's display and advertising is the famous Chateau D'Artigny, the former estate of Coty in France.


So what does it smell like? It is classified as a floral fragrance for women. Rich, full bodied floral of roses and jasmine, enhanced with warm woody notes of sandalwood and oakmoss.
  • Top notes:  
  • Middle notes: jasmine, roses
  • Base notes: oakmoss, sandalwood

La Rose Jacqueminot was available in 1 oz eau de parfum splash for $12.50 and 1.75 oz eau de toilette spray for $10.00. A gift set included a bottle of eau de parfum, and purse atomizer and a funnel to decant the edp splash into the atomizer, this set retailed for $17.50.
A wonderful advertisement packed inside the box reads:
“The Chateau Collection - Now Every Woman Can Have a French Accent!
$5.00 for all three, regularly $11.25. La Rose Jacqueminot, Chypre and Les Muses. It’s so easy. All it takes is a little dab of the right fragrance in the right places.

Lesson One: How to Flirt: Fascinate them with La Rose Jacqueminot. Romantic. Captivating. The scent that started it all in Paris in 1905. Wear it and absolutely no man will be able to resist.

Lesson Two: How to Keep Them Guessing: Intrigue them with Chypre. Elegant. Evocative. The scent that has inspired so many imitations. Yet it has gone unrivaled. Its sensuous aura says you’re a woman of style and a bit mysterious too.

Lesson Three: How To Command Attention: Seduce them with Les Muses. Coty’s highly guarded secret. Dramatic. Sensuous. A multifaceted scent that leaves men longing for your attention. Now that you’re fluent in French, its up to you to decided exactly what to say.”





In 2004, to celebrate the firm’s 100th anniversary, Henri Coty, François’s son, commissioned the re-creation of his father’s La Rose Jacqueminot perfume, to be housed inside a French crystal flacon. These were sold in a limited number of just 200 only available to the French Market, and the perfume was reformulated by Daphné Bugey. Bottom of the bottle is marked in raised letters, "Bottle Made In France". This bottle measures 2" tall x 1 1/4" square. Other perfumes in this limited edition set included: Jasmin de Corse, L'Origan, and Emeraude. The perfume set was celebrated with the launch of a book Coty: The Brand of Visionary by Editions Assouline..





The trademark for the name La Rose Jacqueminot was taken out in 2006 by Coty, I hope they decide to relaunch the fragrance.

2 comments:

  1. Please, Please, Please consider reissueing the three set 1987 collection of La Rose, La Muses and Chypre! I would buy these again, probably a couple of each one just so I have it when it is discontinued again. I loved this collection and the La Rose is the only perfume that I have worn that my husband has ever commented on liking.

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  2. There is no rose perfume as accurate as this one. I grow roses so I know what a rose should smell like and this perfume (NOT the re-done one from 1987) is the very best rose perfume EVER. I am fortunate to have 3 partially filled bottles of this perfume and they have not gone bad thankfully and I was able to buy them over the years for a very reasonable price (well under $60.00)

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