The Stow-Away Purse Bottle (1935)

Introduced in 1935, Coty’s “Stow-Away” brought an ingenious blend of practicality and glamour to a woman’s handbag. This compact accessory was engineered specifically for safe, elegant perfume transport—a concern shared by many women of the era, when delicate glass bottles often risked leaking or breaking inside a purse. Coty’s answer was a cleverly designed round Bakelite case, fluted for both beauty and grip, which concealed a slim glass cylinder filled with Coty perfume. The case opened to reveal a secure screw-cap fitted with a built-in glass applicator, allowing for precise, mess-free touch-ups throughout the day.

Although originally introduced in white, the Stow-Away soon appeared in an array of appealing pastel and jewel-toned shades, including Ivory, Gipsy Red, Lido Blue, and Absinthe Green. The material—urea-based plastic—was feather-light yet durable, making it ideal for daily use. Coty promoted it as the safest and most stylish solution for carrying perfume, an “important addition to your purse beautifiers,” and one that placed “glamour at your command wherever you may be.” Each case came pre-filled with a dram of Coty perfume, and importantly, it was fully refillable, extending its usefulness far beyond a single purchase.

Contemporary praise reflected its immediate appeal. The New Yorker noted in 1935 that Coty’s Stow-Away was “an attractive little case containing a vial of your favorite Coty perfume,” emphasizing its reliability—“it doesn’t leak in your handbag”—and its accessibility, costing only seventy-five cents. For women navigating the elegance and bustle of mid-1930s life, the Stow-Away offered confidence, convenience, and a touch of artistry—all neatly packaged in the palm of the hand.

The Stow-Away purse vial was one of Coty’s most charming and practical perfume innovations of the mid-1930s. Compact at just 2.8 inches tall, it was designed to slip effortlessly into even the smallest handbag, giving women a secure and stylish way to carry their favorite scent. Its fluted Bakelite shell—lightweight, durable, and available in fashionable colors—felt pleasantly smooth in the hand, echoing the sleek, modern lines that defined 1930s design. Inside, a glass perfume vial was safely encased, its contents accessed by a screw-on cap fitted with a slender glass applicator, a detail that brought a touch of elegance to on-the-go fragrance use.

Coty wisely offered the Stow-Away pre-filled with some of its most beloved perfumes, allowing customers to choose a scent that matched their personality or daily routine. Whether it held the soft radiance of L’Aimant, the spicy floral warmth of L’Origan, the refined femininity of Paris, the emerald richness of Emeraude, or the mossy sophistication of Chypre, the Stow-Away made these classics portable without sacrificing beauty or safety. Its thoughtful engineering, combined with Coty’s unmistakable glamour, made the Stow-Away an indispensable accessory—both a practical necessity and a stylish indulgence.

Pearls of Fragrance Packaging (1957)

The Coty “Pearls of Fragrance” presentation, introduced in 1957, exemplifies the elegance and glamour of late-1950s perfume packaging. Each perfume was housed in a box covered in gold-foiled paper, creating a luminous, reflective surface that immediately conveyed luxury and sophistication. The foil was printed with lustrous illustrations of pearls, artfully arranged to suggest opulence and refinement, reinforcing the theme of preciousness and indulgence.

This presentation was designed to evoke a sense of glamour and celebration, appealing to customers seeking both a high-quality fragrance and a visually striking gift. The combination of gold foil and pearl imagery made the boxes not only protective containers but also decorative keepsakes, embodying the mid-century fascination with elegance, femininity, and collectible packaging in Coty’s product line.

The Pearls of Fragrance presentation included 2/3 oz Eau de Toilette plus perfume "starlet" in L'Aimant, Emeraude, L'Origan or Paris. 

The Pearls of Fragrance presentation included 2/3 oz Eau de Toilette plus perfume "starlet" in L'Aimant, Emeraude, L'Origan or Paris. 

Also included in the Pearls of Fragrance Packaging was the "Coquillage" or Gold Shell presentation.

Standard Informal Fragrance Bottles (1940)

In addition to the pottery amphorae, Coty offered its Informal Fragrances in a more conventional format using clear glass bottles reminiscent of their 1930s perfume designs. These flacons retained a simple, elegant profile, allowing the fragrance to take center stage while providing a familiar, collectible form for consumers.

Each bottle was fitted with a plastic atomizer head, reflecting Coty’s attention to convenience and modern usability, allowing the wearer to apply the fragrance easily and evenly. The bottles were produced in three different sizes, catering to a range of needs, from personal daily use to travel or gifting. This glass format provided a complementary option to the more decorative stoneware amphoras, combining practicality with the classic Coty aesthetic.

Pottery Amphorae (1940)

In 1940, Coty launched a novel line of Eau de Toilette fragrances under the label “Informal Fragrances,” highlighting their most popular scents in a casual, accessible format. These perfumes were housed in amphora-shaped stoneware bottles, a design choice that combined classical elegance with practical durability. The amphoras were manufactured by the Zanesville Stoneware Company of Ohio, starting in 1940, and each stands 5.5 inches tall at the lip of the spout, holding a generous five ounces of toilet water.

The bottles are capped with unique stoppers, consisting of a cork topped with bronze-colored metal, giving a decorative yet functional seal. Some amphoras may still retain their original labels on both the bellies and bases, with the base label providing detailed usage instructions: “Coty New York Paris Informal Fragrance. Use this lovely Eau de Toilette as lavishly as you choose. A generous sprinkle in your bath—a dash in your hand basin—in your final shampoo rinse—on your lingerie or kerchief. Impart a touch of fragrance to your accessories or your furs. Take it with you to freshen up while traveling. Cont. 5 oz. Compounded in U.S.A.”

Each amphora was color-coordinated to correspond with the fragrance inside, creating a visually striking display: Emeraude was in light green, Chypre in a paler green, L’Aimant in pink, L’Origan in brown, and Paris in blue. This thoughtful color coding, combined with the classical amphora shape and practical five-ounce capacity, made the Informal Fragrances both decorative and functional, appealing to collectors and perfume enthusiasts alike.

 

Gold Tone Purser Flacon (1937)

The Purser Flacon is a compact and practical design introduced by Coty in the late 1930s, ideal for carrying in a handbag while retaining an air of elegance. The flacon itself is made of clear glass, but its most distinctive feature is the protective gold-tone metal case, which shields the bottle while adding a touch of luxury. Both the base and the cap of the case are accented with colorful plastic, providing a vibrant contrast to the gold and clear glass and lending a modern, Art Deco flair to the overall design.

The Purser Flacon was offered in several of Coty’s signature fragrances, including Chypre, L’Aimant, L’Origan, Paris, and Emeraude, making it a versatile and collectible item for those who wanted a portable version of their favorite scents. The flacon appears in the 1937/1938 Coty catalog, confirming its place within Coty’s broader strategy of producing elegant, functional, and visually appealing miniature bottles that combined practicality with stylish presentation.

Neptune Green Packaging (1935)

In 1935, Coty unveiled a striking new packaging design known as Neptune Green, a creative departure that brought an undersea motif to the forefront of the brand’s presentation. The line’s boxes, talc and bath salts, and dusting powder canisters were finished in a soft seafoam green, accented with air bubble details and rosy starfish motifs to evoke a whimsical, oceanic theme. This imaginative design aimed to capture the freshness and elegance of the sea, creating a visually distinctive identity for Coty’s mid-1930s toiletries.

The Neptune Green packaging encompassed a range of products, including toilet waters, bath salts, dusting powders, and talc, and was applied to several of Coty’s most popular fragrances: Styx, L’Aimant, Emeraude, L’Origan, Paris, and Chypre. The bottles themselves were crafted in satin-finished glass, each molded with subtle bubble details that echoed the oceanic theme of the packaging. This combination of tactile glass design and visually thematic boxes reinforced the luxurious, yet playful character of the collection, making Neptune Green a memorable and collectible example of Coty’s mid-century innovation in perfume and toiletries presentation.

Obelisque Flacon (1930

The Obelisque Flacon, introduced in 1930, is a striking example of Coty’s elegant and architectural bottle designs of the early 1930s. The flacon is tall and slender, giving it a refined and stately presence on a dressing table. Its most distinctive feature is the flat, square frosted glass stopper, which is molded with stylized foliate motifs and bears the COTY name in each corner, combining branding with decorative flourish in a sophisticated Art Deco style.

The Obelisque flacon was used for several of Coty’s leading fragrances, including Styx, Paris, Chypre, Emeraude, L’Aimant, and L’Origan, allowing the elegant design to unify multiple scents under a consistent visual identity. In addition to the standard sizes, a miniature version holding 0.34 oz was also produced. This smaller bottle featured a scale-patterned stopper, echoing the design motifs used in Coty’s Lilas Pourpre and Louvre packaging, creating a cohesive link between different lines and reinforcing Coty’s attention to decorative continuity.

Overall, the Obelisque flacon reflects the 1930s trend toward clean geometric forms, luxurious detailing, and thoughtful integration of branding with design, making it both functional and highly collectible. The flacon was discontinued in 1937.