Saturday, March 9, 2019

Bambou by Weil c1934

Bambou by Weil: launched in 1934.




Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a sporty woodsy oriental fragrance for women. It was described as a "sports scent with an oriental tang like a breath of flowers wafted over Himalaya snows." Also described as " an unusual new perfume - strangely suggesting Japanese temple dancers and incense from Old Censers - a heavy scent for evening or costumes luxuriously furred."
  • Top notes: aldehydes, bergamot, lavender and mandarin orange
  • Middle notes: orange blossom, incense, ylang ylang, tuberose, jasmine, rose, carnation, lily of the valley
  • Base notes: oakmoss, vetiver, cedar, musk, tonka bean, Mysore sandalwood, ambergris, labdanum


Bottles:



The Deluxe Presentation contained a bottle of parfum in a clear glass, tiered pagoda shaped bottle. The box for this presentation was made up of bamboo with the top and base of lacquer red. This is a extremely rare presentation to find. Bottle available in several sizes.

  • 0.25 oz
  • 0.5 oz
  • 1 oz
  • 1.5 oz
  • 4 oz


In 1934 The smallest size retailed for $5.50 (1/4 oz),  the medium sized for $9.75 (1/2 oz), the larger size for $22.50 (1 oz) and the largest size retailing at $42.50 (4 oz).





Other bottles used for the parfum were made up of the clear glass cylinders with the flat disk stoppers. These were housed in presentation boxes that mimicked the look of bamboo with red lacquer trim. The bottles were used into the 1950s. These bottles were available in three sizes: 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz and 1 oz. These may be easier to find than the aforementioned Deluxe presentation.


Cylindrical Baccarat Bottle:


Bottle made by Baccarat. Weil started using Baccarat model #524 as early as 1933. This bottle was also used by other perfumeries: Gabilla, Molyneux, and Jean Desprez.






Chemist & Druggist - Volume 124, 1936:
"Parfums Weil of Paris. ... Ltd., 27 Old Bond Street, London, W.i. The series of perfumes issued by this firm includes Cassandra, which is a. new variety, as well as their other perfumes, Zibeline, Bambou , Chinchilla, Hermine and Une Fleur."


Country Life - Volume 83, 1938:
"A really good perfume is very new. Its creator makes to express a personality - that of a woman, gay, tender or dazzling, the ingenue and witty woman, the elegante who dresses in Paris, the woman who looks superb. All this and more can he said of the perfumes of Weil of Paris, among whose distinguished odours are Zibeline, Cassandra, Bambou.. ...Producers of only the best, Parfums Weil have recently introduced their Bambou Lipsticks, which are imported from America, the home of the best cosmetics, and made by their New York house. "



Fate of the Fragrance:



Discontinued, date unknown.

During World War II, importations of the Weil perfumes from France were halted, they did not resume until 1950. This perfume was still being sold in 1951.


Reformulated and relaunched in 1964. It was also reformulated by Daniel Moliere and relaunched in 1984.





So what does it smell like? It is classified as a green floral fragrance for women.
  • Top notes: mandarin orange
  • Middle notes: ylang ylang, tuberose, jasmine, rose
  • Base notes: bamboo accord, oakmoss, vetiver, sandalwood



1 comment:

  1. This is very interesting, but tell me why do you date simple bottles-cylinders, the same years as bottles of complex shape, for example Cassandra in a bottle in the form of a column? Did the perfume come out in different bottles at the same time?

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