trvlgirlmq

This is a weird question but I am going to Paris in a few weeks and am trying to find this perfume. My grandmother was a nurse in WW2 and was based in Normandy (arrived Sept 1944). She brought back this perfume and now my mom would like to find out if it is still available. I have googled and the only thing that comes up is from Yves Saint Laurent and was brought out in 2009. My grandmother can't remember where exactly she got it or what brand it was. If any of our resident France experts may know where to look I would very greatful.

Thanks.

Christina

well, it certainly wasn't YSL as he was less than ten years old in 1944 and wasn't selling perfume, you can bet. That name used under YSL was first brought out in 2002.

To be honest, I think these kind of quests aren't very fruitful. That name is so generic that probably many perfumes over the years have had names like that, and it doesn't exist any more or you will never obviously know what brand it is since she can't remember. Even if it were still in production, it probably wouldn't have the same ingredients, a lot of perfumes are reformulated over the years. It could have just been some cheap store brand or souvenir perfume, not a big perfume house, anyway.

I suspect the name was "eau de Printemps" to make sense in French. Here is a list of all perfumes by French perfume houses since the 1800s and I don't see it on there (except when YSL used that name in 2002), so I doubt if it was an expensive brand or anything by a known perfume house.
http://www.toutenparfum.com/date_parfums.php

I gather your grandmother doesn't even have the bottle left, as if so and it were something wellknown, that would help as some bottle shapes and colors were distinctive, as well as the design of the label (and you could hopefully read the label and get some idea of where it was made).

cigalechanta

It mostly likely not being sold anymore.
I loved "ode" by Guerlain but they discontinued it.
I went to the Guerlain shop in Paris hoping they may have some.

StCirq

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of all French perfumes and the dates they were released that I found on French Google. Don't see anything like it on the list.

http://www.toutenparfum.com/date_parfums.php

If the department store Printemps was around back then, maybe it was their store brand or something.

PatrickLondon

The department store used to be known as "Au Printemps", and its founder (Luce Printamp" apparently launched a number of perfumes under different names. Chances are that by 1944, the shop would have been lucky to have much in the way of luxury goods to sell, and may well only have had things like perfumes under some sort of generic own brand. You might have to ask them if they have any historical record:

http://departmentstoreparis.printemp...act/index.aspx

trvlgirlmq

Thanks everyone. I knew it was a long shot. I remember my mom using is sparingly when I was a kid. My grandma didn't wear perfume and I suspect she got it in trade for her cigarette ration (she didn't smoke either!). She sealed the bottle with clear nail polish and finally gave it to my mom some 25 years later. Apparently we are also getting older because we can't remember all the little details. If we make it to Primtemps maybe we can speak with someone in the perfume area and see what they have.

Christina

Printemps wasn't founded by someone named Printamp according to all histories I've read, including the one on their own website. http://recrutement.printemps.com/lep...que/index.aspx

Printemps means spring in French, and it was founded by Jules Jaluzot. Luce "Printamp" sounds sort of like a bogus name to me, wonder where that UK directory got that info that he was the founder of the store. I think the store has always been Le Printemps or really Grands Magasins du Printemps, and "au Printemps" is just a prepositional phrase used in various places or on the facade in one building to indicate you are there, at Printemps. Although I could see maybe naming a perfume that (au printemps).

You can drop by to see what they sell, but if it was their perfume, you'd have to write management or public relations or something to get research, and I doubt if they would reply, but who knows (the store clerk won't know history of all brands they've sold).

cigalechanta

trvlgirl, here's a list of printemps but most are discontinued but i believe Nia Riccci's L'air du Printemps
created in the 40s is still being sold.


http://www.perfumeintelligence.co.uk.../p/p6/p6p3.htm

trvlgirlmq

Thank you for the updates. I talked to my grandma again last night and no jog to the memory. We will see what happens when we get there.

Gretchen

Long ago (in the 50s and 60s) I had a favorite French perfum called Bandit (Ban-dee, au Francais). I had used it all up of course, but on a trip to Paris in the 90s, we found a store (maybe pharmacy?) in the 16th that sold "old"/discontinued perfumes and bought a bottle. Blast from the past for me!! Special gift/quest for DH!! ;o)

janisj

5 yo thread . . .