Coty, Cordon Rouge, 'Red Ribbon', 120 ml. or 4 oz., Eau de Cologne, 1909, 1950, Paris, France ..

'Coty' is a beauty brand founded by François Coty in 1904. François Spoturno, originally from Corsica, studied perfumery with Antoine Chiris in Grasse for one or two years before moving to Paris, adopting a variation on his mother's name, which was 'Coti', and launching his perfume business with La Rose Jacqueminot in 1904.

Coty was one of the first to understand the importance of fragrance packaging, and more specifically a beautiful bottle. "A perfume is seen as much as it is smelled", he said. His business expanded, eventually encompassing cosmetics and powders as well as perfumes, until he was one of the wealthiest men in France.

Eau de cologne contains a mixture of citrus oils including oils of lemon, orange, tangerine, bergamot, lime, grapefruit and neroli. It can also contain oils of lavender, rosemary, thyme, petitgrain or orange leaf, jasmine, and sometimes even tobacco.

The original Eau de Cologne is a spirit-citrus perfume launched in Cologne in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina (1685–1766), an Italian perfume maker from Santa Maria Maggiore Valle Vigezzo. In 1708, Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain". He named his fragrance Eau de Cologne, in honour of his new hometown of Cologne.

Aromatic citrus scents in the top notes are offered by vibrant and sparkling citrus fruits of bergamot, lemon, mandarin, and orange from the island of Sicily. The heart notes bring aromas of neroli, myrtle, petit grain, carnations, roses and rosemary, while the base notes hide a discreet spicy twist from Mediterranean herbs.

This very beautiful bottle of Coty Eau de Cologne was first launched in 1909. My guess is that this bottle is from around 1950. It is still as beautiful as the day in was produced, over 70 years later. “Exclusively composed of the essences of the fruits of Sicily and the flowers of France” and suggests use in 'baths, frictions, and massage’.

Top notes are Lemon, Orange, Orange Blossom, Tangerine, Bergamot and Neroli
Middle notes are Lime, Grapefruit, Petitgrain, Lavender, and Lilac
Base notes are Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage and other secret herbs

Offered here is a lovely old bottle of this exquisite cologne. One of the best ..