Coty Perfumes

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Peacock Presentation (1935)

The Peacock Presentation, introduced in 1935, marked a vibrant and decorative chapter in Coty’s packaging innovations. This limited-edition ensemble was distinguished by a peacock feather motif adorning the exterior boxes, while the bottles themselves featured stylized peacock eye designs, reflecting the period’s fascination with exotic and ornamental themes. The overall effect was both luxurious and visually striking, lending a sense of elegance and drama to the perfume line.

The bottles were produced in three sizes to suit different needs: purse, travel, and boudoir, allowing for versatility in both personal use and display. This presentation was applied to several of Coty’s most celebrated fragrances, including Chypre, L’Aimant, L’Origan, Paris, Emeraude, and Ambreine, making the line cohesive while emphasizing the visual identity of the peacock motif.

By 1937, the lineup had been slightly reduced, with Emeraude and Ambreine no longer included in the Peacock Presentation, as evidenced in the 1937–1938 catalog. Despite this change, the peacock-themed design remains a memorable example of Coty’s mid-1930s approach to combining artistic packaging with collectible appeal, showcasing how decorative motifs could enhance the presentation and desirability of luxury perfumes.

Yellow Mimosa Packaging (1935)

In 1935, Coty introduced a striking limited-edition presentation for its floral perfumes, featuring mimosa prints on bright yellow backgrounds. This decorative ensemble was initially applied to a selection of Coty’s signature florals: Muguet, Iris, Oeillet France, La Rose Jacqueminot, Heliotrope, La Jacee, Lilas Pourpre, and Violette Pourpre. The cheerful, nature-inspired motif provided a fresh and elegant seasonal update, while reinforcing Coty’s reputation for stylish, collectible packaging. Two sizes were available: 0.5 oz and 1 oz.

Metal Flip Top Case Purse Flacon (1934)

The Metal Flip Top Case Purse Flacon, introduced in 1934, represented a stylish update to Coty’s portable perfume offerings. Moving away from the earlier “coffin-style” cases of the 1920s and early 1930s, this new version adopted a sleek, modern rectangular silhouette. The case was finished in a gold-tone metal, though surviving examples often show wear to the gilding from years of handling. Its most distinctive feature was the flip-top lid, accented with a strip of black Bakelite that added both visual contrast and a touch of contemporary sophistication.

The construction was practical as well as decorative. A hinge on the left side allowed the lid to lift smoothly, while a small deep-red tab on the right served as the release mechanism—pressing it caused the top to spring open, revealing the perfume bottle nestled inside. The front panel was engraved with Coty’s logo, giving the case an elegant, branded finish. Measuring approximately 2.5 inches tall, 1⅜ inches wide, and ⅝ inch thick, it was perfectly sized for a handbag or evening purse. The case was invented by August Mitchell and produced by the Scovill Manufacturing Co., a longtime maker of quality metal goods.

Inside, the accompanying bottle was deliberately simple. Made of clear glass, it echoed the earlier banded-style flacons in its clean, unadorned form. The stopper provided the decorative flourish—molded with a stylized floral motif typical of the 1930s. The base was molded with “Coty”, indicating production at Coty’s own glassworks. The bottle held ¼ ounce of parfum and was offered in fragrances such as Emeraude, L’Aimant, L’Origan, and likely others.

Altogether, this presentation blended functional design with modern materials, offering a practical yet fashionable way to carry Coty’s most-loved perfumes.

Other packaging:

Arched Crystal Flacon (1930)

The Arched Crystal Flacon, introduced in 1930, was one of Coty’s more sophisticated Art Deco presentations and stands out for its refined architectural styling. The bottle was designed with a flat, arched profile, giving it a graceful silhouette that felt both modern and luxurious. Its gently curving form was complemented by a distinctive stepped glass stopper, a geometric detail typical of the early 1930s that added height and visual rhythm to the overall design. Crafted in clear crystal, the flacon captured light beautifully, emphasizing the purity and elegance Coty aimed to convey during this period.

This presentation was issued in two sizes—1 oz and 1 5/8 oz—and was used for several of Coty’s most important fragrances. Among the perfumes offered in this bottle were Emeraude, L’Aimant, L’Origan, Rose, La Jacée, L’Effleurt, Chypre, Paris, Styx, and L’Or. Its limited distribution and short production span have made it a genuine rarity today. Collectors note that examples seldom appear on the market; in fact, it is so scarce that many long-time perfume bottle researchers have encountered it only once. Its combination of Art Deco design, crystal craftsmanship, and limited availability places it among the more elusive treasures in Coty's line of early twentieth-century presentations.

Cathedral Flacon for Parfum (1930)

In 1930, Gimbel’s promoted what they called the “Cathedral” bottle, announcing it as a design created exclusively for their store to house Coty’s most prestigious perfume extracts. According to the advertisement, this remarkable presentation was reserved for the extracts of L’Aimant, Emeraude, Styx, L’Origan, La Jacée, Chypre, Muguet, L’Or, L’Effleurt, Lilas, La Rose Jacqueminot, and Paris. The marketing implied that the flacon was a proprietary commission, unique to Gimbel’s and unavailable anywhere else.

Further research reveals that this claim was purely promotional flourish. Contemporary advertisements from other retailers—most notably L. S. Ayres—featured the identical bottle, each asserting that the design had been created especially for them. These competing claims make it clear that the “Cathedral” bottle was not an exclusive commission at all, but rather a limited special-edition presentation distributed to multiple high-end stores.

The bottle itself lived up to its dramatic name. Its silhouette was strikingly modern for the early 1930s, with strong architectural lines that evoked the soaring verticality of contemporary skyscrapers as much as the spiritual grandeur of cathedral spires. Coty issued the bottle in two sizes—1 ounce and 1 2/3 ounces—each filled with one of the house’s classic perfume extracts and sold as a seasonal or promotional luxury offering rather than a regular part of the line.

The Cathedral bottle originally appeared with a fitted glass stopper, a feature that underscored its early positioning as a refined special-edition presentation. By 1934, however, the design underwent a noticeable transformation. The glass stopper was replaced with a plastic screw cap, a practical update that aligned with evolving manufacturing methods and Coty’s expanding mass-market reach. During this period, the bottle was also issued in additional sizes, allowing the Cathedral silhouette to be used more broadly across Coty’s offerings.

The distinctive slope-shouldered profile of the Cathedral design—its hallmark architectural contour—proved versatile enough to extend beyond perfume extracts. Coty adapted the shape for related toiletries, most prominently for bath salts, where the form complemented the more modern, streamlined packaging trends of the mid-1930s. This adaptation was especially striking in the company’s “Neptune Green” packaging line, a collection recognizable by its cool sea-green tones. In this context, the Cathedral shape took on a fresh visual identity, showing how Coty successfully repurposed a celebrated perfume bottle design into an elegant motif across multiple product categories.

Lilas Pourpre Flacon (1911)

The “Lilas Pourpre” flacon, created by René Lalique in 1911, was first designed for Coty’s fragrance of the same name and quickly became one of the house’s most enduring bottle forms. Its silhouette is distinguished by an arched, gently rounded body paired with sloping shoulders, giving the bottle a graceful, architectural presence. Topping the flacon is a frosted glass stopper molded with a distinctive stepped or scale-like pattern, a subtle decorative element that adds texture and refinement without overwhelming the clean contours of the bottle.

Because of its elegant, versatile design, Coty adopted the Lilas Pourpre flacon for nearly all of his perfumes from the 1910s through the 1930s. While the earliest versions were produced by Lalique, most bottles manufactured after 1920 came from Coty’s own glassworks in Pantin, reflecting his shift toward in-house production for cost efficiency and control. These flacons were then paired with presentation cases crafted at Coty’s packaging factory in Neuilly, ensuring a cohesive, luxurious presentation from bottle to box.

Collectors today may encounter the Lilas Pourpre bottle in various sizes, including the small 0.35 oz version, which carries the same graceful proportions as the larger forms. Its long period of use and timeless design make it one of Coty’s most recognizable and historically significant perfume bottles.

Louvre Presentation:

In 1929, the Lilas Pourpre flacon became the centerpiece of what Coty promoted as the “Louvre” presentation, a refreshed marketing concept that introduced the bottle as a “new flacon” despite its earlier origins. For this presentation, the bottle was produced in a size that held 1⅔ ounces of Parfum, making it substantial enough to feel luxurious while still suited to gift-giving and personal use.

The flacon was housed in an eye-catching faux reptile–skin covered presentation box, a stylish and modern choice for the period. The textured covering added a sense of sophistication and fashion-forward appeal, reflecting Coty’s continued emphasis on pairing fine fragrances with equally striking packaging. Advertisements from the era confirm that this special presentation was still in circulation in 1930, offered for several of Coty’s most celebrated perfumes, including Emeraude, L’Origan, Chypre, Paris, and La Jacée.

The use of the name “Louvre” carried symbolic meaning. It was a nod to the department store where Coty first sought to introduce his fragrance La Rose Jacqueminot back in 1909, marking the beginning of his ascent in the perfume world. By invoking the Louvre name two decades later, Coty blended nostalgia with prestige, linking his newest presentation to the origins of his success.

Etui a Cigarette Presentation (1927)

The Etui à Cigarette presentation, introduced in 1927, offered a clever blend of elegance and practicality that reflected Coty’s flair for innovative packaging. The perfume was housed in a compact flacon standing 3⅛ inches tall, molded at Coty’s own glassworks and marked “Coty France” on the base. The bottle itself echoed the clean, modern lines typical of Coty’s late 1920s designs, making it visually refined while still suitably sized for daily use.

What set this presentation apart was its multifunctional outer box. Designed as an étui—a slim, protective case—it originally cradled the perfume but was intended to be repurposed once the fragrance was finished. After the bottle was removed, the box could be used as a cigarette case, giving it a second life as a fashionable personal accessory. This dual-purpose concept aligned with the era’s fascination with stylish smoking accoutrements and added a touch of novelty to the Coty line.

The Etui à Cigarette presentation remains an appealing example of Coty’s ingenuity, marrying practical design with decorative charm at the height of his company’s creative output in the late 1920s.

Each bottle is slim, with sloping shoulders and fitted with a frosted glass stopper modeled as a small bundle of flowers. The domed stopper has gently rounded four edges.

Coty's refined and practical packaging style for its Étui and Cylindrical presentations—designs that reflected the brand’s commitment not only to beauty but also to functional elegance. These containers were crafted from chrome-tinted yellow paper, a material chosen for its subtle metallic sheen and warm golden undertone. This distinctive paper was then printed in brown and embossed with a delicate caned pattern, giving the surface both visual texture and a tactile, handcrafted quality.

The caned embossing created an appealing interplay of light and shadow, enhancing the illusion of woven material while maintaining the durability and structure needed for modern cosmetics packaging. The combination of the warm chrome-yellow base and the rich brown detailing produced a harmonious, understated palette—stylish without excessive ornamentation.

The overall impression, as noted at the time, was one of “neatness and usefulness.” Coty’s design struck a careful balance: elegant enough to feel special, yet practical enough for everyday handling and storage. These Étui and Cylindrical boxes exemplified Coty’s talent for elevating functional packaging into thoughtful, aesthetically pleasing design—adding charm and refinement to even the simplest product presentations.