Vintage Swap Perfume Sample Round Up; Patou Lasso, Dana Emir, Ciro Oh La La etc

(image: mes-parfums.com)

I'm finally digging into my vintage sample drawer accumulations from last year and I pulled out a small blue bag of goodies, all tied up like a pretty Christmas package, sent to me from a fellow vintage perfume lover. It's a mixed assortment that includes a few things I haven't tried before. The past few days have been dedicated to test wearing a new acquisition of mine, another chypre for the collection. I've been working on a review of it but since it's from a rare old perfume house, my research isn't going so well. So today I'm taking a break from that project to do a quick sample sniffa- I just wish I'd thought to stick a little note inside the bag so I'd know who to thank (again) for sending me this particular package!

First up is Ciro's Oh La La parfum. This opens as a bright and full sweet floral, very universal and flattering but it quickly morphs beyond the pretty but common into a very French, tight green chypre with lemony soapy tones. Very womanly, enticing but neat as a pin; I really like this one. Next is Emir parfum, from one of my favorite old houses, Dana. This one is very spicy and almost medicinal with some animal notes but it stays somewhat sour/flat on my skin. It recalls Youth Dew but with less of a warm-sweet dry-down. Flair by Yardley is next, also a parfum strength. I want to say it has a scotch and lavander thing going, sort of a soft cologne style perfume with touches of aldehydes. Nice but not really my style. Lasso by Patou is one I've really wanted to smell. This sample is labeled an EDT but it has a richness, similar to one of these other parfums. It is my favorite of the whole bunch, with contrasting juicy tropical notes and herbal, hay-grass notes, a most original and satisfying perfume. There is an edc version of Shocking by Schiaparelli- this one I do have in parfum form. From what I can tell, the edc is very different than that version...I smell the herbal opening notes but the honey is nowhere to my nose and there is none of the complex layers and chewyness I find in the parfum. Possibly the edc is a newer reformulation, as all of my other Shocking examples have been quite a dark color and this juice is much paler gold color. Lastly, I spy a newer spray vial of Joy tucked into my package. As familiar as this one is, I sprayed on a little, just for fun. It's as narcotic and indolic as ever, a feast of jasmine and white florals. I like the edt, formula, it has a green qualityand sharpness that the vintage parfum lacks, but that makes it more modern (in a good way) and more wearable for daytime. Overall this has been a fun, if short and sweet, diversion. But now I have a serious hankering to procure myself some more of both of the Ciro and Patou scents. Oy vey!

The Vintage Perfume Vault, where the scent of yesterday's vogue lives.

Platine ~ Platino ~ Platinum Vintage Dana Perfume Review

Unlike the polite and lovely platimun blondes of the exclusive Dana perfume magazine ads (shown below), this image of Blonde Venus (Marlene Dietrich by Josef Von Sternberg) fits Platine better, an icy platinum blonde but done in a sparkling, zingy, soft and super luxe almost surrealist manner. Bright citrus and juniper open this scent up like a cocktail. On top of jonquil (daffodil), lemon, cypress and a sweet base of beeswax and honey, kept bright by the excellent lingering citrus/cypress duo. I don't have a list of notes to tell you how close I am to the actual composition, but Daffodil, which is usually called narcissus when used in perfumes, is a very complex flower scent. According to my source it has facets of iris, rose, jasmine, tuberose, ylang ylang, orange blossom, storax and oak moss in it, which is enough to be a perfume all in one flower, and this multifaceted beauty is within Plainte, too.


Platine Perfume ad with sillhouette from Vogue 1946 (photo credit: John Rawlings)
“Platine parfum was the scent of a rich glamour girl who lived on Park Avenue and wore jewelry from Harry Winston ~ a strictly special occasion scent; the soapy floral... which was Platine. Platine parfum was meant to make women think of diamonds set in platinum bands or the glamour of platinum blonde hair” D. Chedwick on Tangled Up in l’Heure Bleue blog, May 2008.


Platine Perfume & Marshall Field's jewelry, Vogue 1945 (photo credit: unknown)


Grace Kelly & Prince Rainer, May 1955 at Cannes Film Festival. (unknown photo, "Paris Match" magazine layout)


Platine by Dana, circa 1940s (my photo)


Bottom of my Platino Bottle- its the lotion but I would love to try this in cologne or perfume! In lotion form, especially when dabbed on, it has not too much lasting power. But it has better weight and oomph when sprayed. (Edit: Although I do not mention it above, I think aldehydes and a lemon or flower of lemon are in Platine also adding to the soapy impression.

Another soapy blonde beauty of the 50s. Marilyn Monroe; photo by Sam Shepard- natch!.


This is another little Dana bottle; I'm not sure of the age, but isn't it cute? This is Herbissimo Cologne Refresher in Juniper. It not only smells delightful but it makes the skin feel absolutely marvelous, invigorated and tinglingly fresh. Highly recommend this one (and I'll bet there were more in the Herb series: Lavender? Melissa? Rosemary?).


Back of Herbissimo Bottle (my photo). Platine shares a little of the zesty aromatic nature of Herbissimo, so I'm including it in here.

TVPV resumes next week...

(Image: 1950s magazine ad for Dana perfumes; this one happens to be from an old Ebay ad). I haven't forgotten the Platine review I've promised you but a winter cold and several new projects have gotten my attention for now, but I'll have more vintage goodness to share with you next week. Until then, happy scented travels!

20 Carats 20 Quilates 20Ks Vintage Dana Perfume Review

Note: This post has been edited.

One of the most famous stories about Dana erfume is that of its first perfume, Tabu. It’s said that Serra asked Jean Carles to create ‘un parfum de puta’, and Carles brought him Tabu. Since then clever magazine advertisements for Dana perfumes stated the perfume was designed just for a specific type or even a specific coloring, of woman. I'm not sure that was an idea of Serra's so much as an idea of clever marketing men. There were more than 50 Dana perfumes created but it seems that the majority of these had limited release only in Europe (or France), so most of these I've only seen in photographs. From what I've gleaned there were only about 10 Dana perfumes released here in USA. These were Tabu (1932), 20 Carats (1933), Canoe (1935), Emir (1936), Platine (193x), Sirocco Donna (1942), Voo Doo (194X), Priorite (1949), Imposible (1950) and Ambush (1955). The dates indicate when these perfumes were created, not when they debuted in America. Of those, I've only smelled Tabu, Emir, Ambush, Canoe, Platine and 20 Carats- hardly a fair sampling of all this house had to offer in its prime.

Probably the most familiar and accessible of all of Dana’s original scents is Tabu. The sensation that Tabu created may have cast a shadow on those scents that were released soon afterwards. There are so many I haven't smelled yet... of those VooDoo, Sirocco Donna, Priorite and Imposible, all US releases, remain high on my “most wanted” to-sniff list. Of course I'd love to find any of the beautiful old French Dana perfumes even more.

But of those I've tried the two that captivated me right away were 20 CARATS (20Ks) and Platine! They are kind of nifty also being the only paired fragrances I know of among the Dana creations. Each perfume is named for a precious metal and speaking to the luxury and presentation values of this brand, each perfume came with large flakes of real gold or platinum swirling around in the perfume. Uber modern designer-perfumer Solange Azagury-Partridge has given us another pair of perfumes with precious materials incorporated into them by putting diamond dust into her very delicious (psychadelic candy amber) chypre perfume, Stoned and meteorite dust into it's partner, the lovely Cosmos.

Dana's 20 Carats came out in 1933. But in this time perfumes were produced and sold in perhaps only one shop and for Dana that was in Paris. So American women did not even know about these perfumes until they received them from boyfriends and husbands stationed in France during the War. In the late 1940s Dana began to export a select number of its perfumes, including 20 Carats, to America. It surprised me to learn that 20 Carats continued to be a best selling luxury scent in high-end department stores here in the US until the 1980s when it was discontinued! But my bottle of 20 Carats came in a numbered box (#3302) from the late 1940s or early 1950s. It’s the cologne version which according to the box was “blended in the USA from imported essences”. The bottle had lain neglected on my back shelf for the past couple of years; I'd haul it out periodically but I never cracked the thick cardboard seal open. Then, just before Christmas this year, I snagged a pristine, sealed bottle of Platine (which I'd never heard of either). Something about having this beautiful pair inspired me. So right then, I popped the bottles open. As soon as I smelled 20 Carats, I knew right away that this perfume was fully wearable and had to be immortalized here on TVPV..

20 Carats- The Review:

‘Carat’ can refer to either gold or gemstones. But with the gold flakes and rich color, you can tell it’s named after the metal. Yet I can just as easily picture it being named after a gorgeous (red!) 20 carat gemstone. And how does 20 Carats (20ks) smell? The first notes to fill my nose sweet orange, cherry, whisky and tobacco, followed immediately by the spicy-powdery, almost rubbery nutmeg brought to mind images from an upscale 1920's speakeasy- sipping on a Manhattan cocktail, the muted horns, the smoky room. The scent releases a relaxed, warm glow that says the party has been on a while. Myrrh and fennel (or anise), and tangetes or another herbaceous flower adds some depth to the impression of rich spice.
But the heart of this fragrance opens up to reveal fully a carnation theme with cinnamon, precious balsamic and root beer notes, accompanied by powdery sweet helitrope and patchouli. The dry down has a nice touch of woody, rooty vetiver to accompany the sweet balsams, tonka and patchouli. Powdery musks and a tiny bit of animal (civet?) are also apparent. Hours later the fragrance has fully settled leaving only traces of the sweet powdery heliotrope, vanilla like tonka and cinnamon on the skin. In reading about this scent, I noticed a few people referred to it as a fougere, which if you're unsure, is described as: Fougère means "fern" in French, is a fragrance family including fresh, floral, herbaceous and woody/warm elements, typically blended with notes like: bergamot oakmoss, lavender, coumarin, tonka bean, sandalwood, and geranium. While a fern doesn't have a distinctive smell per this particular fragrance classification implies a mossy green, forest-like aroma(quote from BellaSugar.com) There may be oakmoss in this blend but what I smell is vetiver, I'm almost sure and it is not enough to make a green or foresty base.
Instead, I find this to be a seductive cheerful perfume, relaxed and rich (as I mentioned)- if you picture a cocktail, a cigarette, the allure of gold jewelry against tanned skin, you will get the picture. I think Terracotta by Guerlain is along the same lines. 20 carats completes a picture of a woman of grace, ease and enjoying the good life circa 1933. If Serra had Tabu created as the perfect perfume for a puta, then I will try to guess for what sort of beautiful woman this perfume would have been made… It could only be Renee Perle! Ms. Perle was the famous and fabulous muse of Jacques Henri Lartigue. They met in 1930 and the rest was captured and immortalized by his photographs of her. Laird Borrelli on style.com wrote that, “'Jacques Henri Lartigue… called her "angel". The revered photographer met his muse in 1930 on the Rue de la Pompe. He thought she was Mexican, but he guessed wrong; Perle was Romanian, and a model once employed by the French dressmaker Doeuillet. "She is beautiful," Lartigue told his diary. "The small mouth with the full painted lips! The ebony black eyes. From under her fur coat comes a warmth of perfume. The head looks petite on her long neck."
20 Carats came out 3 years after the pair met, but they were still together at that time. As I imagine it: the lovers are together shopping in Paris. They stroll along the rue de la paix perhaps stopping off before lunch at the Les Parfums Dana shop on 9, rue de la Paix. Renee picks up a perfume bottle; she is drawn to the golden flotsam contained within – it matches the gold on her arm. But before can purchase the perfume for her, it is lifted from his hands and presented to her with a flourish by the perfumer… He has just finished 20 Carats, his latest creation, and brought it to Javier Serra in the show room of the Les Parfums shop. And looking up, he sees before him the vision of the woman he made the perfume for. Or so goes my romantic dream. At least it’s plausible.
I enjoy wearing 20 Carats way more than I might expect to, given its formula is nearly 75 year old. But Carnation is a favorite of mine and this perfume has a precious amber musky golden deliciousness to it. It’s furry but not like wild animal fur; it’s like the soft, luxurious belly fur of a contented house cat. It might be a tad powdery (“old lady”) for today's hip younger perfumistas but I hope somewhere someone under the age of 30 is wearing 20 Carats and loving it for all it is. Look for my review of Platine, coming next.








Photo Credits:

1. 1954 Tabu magazine ad
2. 1952 Dana Perfumes magazine ad
3. 1960s Dana 20 Carats magazine ad (no photo credit available)
4, 5 Renee Perle (photos by Jacques Henri Lartigue both early 1930s)
6. 1970s Dana 20 Carats magazine ad
7. the Orange Cat

A Short History: The House of Dana Perfumes

Dana Logo circa 1940-1950 (photo credit: Uncle Sam Jones)

Dana Perfumes – The History:
The House of Dana was founded in 1921 by Javier Serra in Barcelona, Spain. Serra had worked previously as director of Myrurgia but he left there to open his own house. Serra chose the name Dana for his business because it was short, good sounding in all languages and could be easily tied to perfume and beauty themes- according to the Museu del Perfum, Dana was: "in Greek mythology the nymph that was planted flowers along the Mediterranean. Dana in ancient Egypt of the pharaohs, was the name given to women who are distinguished for their beauty. Dana in Afghanistan means sweet awakening. Dana is the name of an island in the Pacific, where, apparently, the youth has no sunset. Dana in the old and mysterious Basque language, means success." Furthermore, Dana means white pearl in Arabic and in Buddhism, Dana refers to the practice of generosity! For the company’s logo Serra chose a dramatic Greek-inspired Art Deco drawing of a woman's head taken from a sculpture by Mariano Andreu. He also engaged the most talented perfumers to create original scents according to his requests and packaged his products gracefully.


(photo credit: passionforperfume.com)

He was set to compete with the best in the world so on August 22, 1932 Serra released to the world the first Dana perfume, Tabu. The House of Dana, located in Paris went on to release a string of nearly 50 original perfumes through the 1950s, among the best known in the USA are Tabu(1932), 20 Carats (1933), Canoe (1935), Emir (1936), Platine (193x), Sirocco Donna (1942), VooDoo (194X), Priorite (1949), Imposible (1950) and Ambush (1955). Jean Carles who had composed many outstanding perfumes of the modern era such as Shocking de Schiaparelli, Ma Griffe and Miss Dior, created three of the early Dana perfumes: Tabu, Emir and Canoe. (The perfumers who made the many other of his early perfumes have seemingly been forgotten.)

Benckiser, a German family-run company that produced mostly chemicals and soaps acquired Dana at some point in the 1980s. A few of the more popular Dana perfumes were still produced but the Benckiser group finally sold what was left of Dana to Renaissance Cosmetics Inc in 1995.

Renaissance had begun as a pet project of Thomas Bonoma’s. Bonoma, was the former head of Harvard's MBA program and a well thought of marketing expert. He was especially interested in perfumes and had an idea that if he purchased as many small ‘Mom-and-Pop' cosmetic companies (those who’d created successful perfume products but that had fallen out of production) as he could and new products under the familiar names of those old favorites, he would tap into consumer nostalgia- and find a ready market for the companies new goods.

Soon after taking over the Cosmar Corp in 1994, Renaissance began to get into perfumes. First they bought 12 fragrances from Houbigant. Things went well and the company went on an “acquisition binge” in 1995 at which time they acquired Dana. The company had planned to grow the brand aggressively. But in 1997, at the age of 50, Bonoma, the company's founder and visionary, died suddenly. The company soon floundered and by 2000 it had been put up for auction. However, Dana didn't languish; a private Florida investment group snapped it up right away and 'New Dana' was born. New Dana continues today to produce many of the best loved “classic perfumes” that you can see in mostly drugstores and cheaper department stores throughout America and Canada. They have continued to expand their catalog of lower-end fragrances with the addition of more recently discontinued releases. Some of their most popular current scents include Love's Baby Soft, Navy, Toujours Moi, Chantilly, British Sterling, English Leather. They even make perfumes named for 2 reformulated Canoe and Tabu.