Tabu

Here is a perfume gift box with unopened bottles of Tabu by Dana.  The larger bottle is not the one the box was built for, however, as the padded opening is 1/2" longer and rectangular like the little one.  The sizes are 2 fl oz and 1/8 fl oz.

The perfume has condensed and evaporated even though the bottles are still sealed with wax under the caps.  It still smells ok, but, not knowing what it smells like fresh, it may not be usable.

There are little foil tags on strings around the necks.  Blended in the USA with Imported Essences.

Here is the cover of the pretty box.  I could not find another online, so don't know if this is a Tabu box originally or one of the other Dana fragrances.  Does anyone know?

Jean Carles created Tabu in 1932.  Here is his method of becoming a perfumier.  Here is a link to a blog that reviews vintage perfumes.  Evidently the scent is not for the timid.  I got some on my fingers from the wax and it doesn't smell as bad as some of the descriptions I've run across,but it is not for me.

Here is the description of the fragrance:

Top notes: Bergamot, Orange, Neroli, Coriander, spice notes
Heart notes: Clove bud, ylang-ylang, rose oriental, jasmine, narcissus, clover
Base notes: Patchouli, civet, cedar, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, amber, musk, oakmoss

I learned a new word - anosmic.  It is the inability to distinguish smells.

The New Dana Perfume Company now sells Tabu, but aficianados disparage it as a supermarket brand and say it does not smell the same as the original.

THe Hollywood Cocktail Facial

Today if you search for "Milk Pak" on Google all you find is Nestle Powdered Milk sold in Pakistan or a food supplement for livestock, but in 1936 it was a different story.  The maker of this fine beauty product was Alberto-Culver, Inc of Hollywood, California.  I can find nothing of this company's early existence on the web.  Even the official company website says it was founded in 1955, which we all know is not true, as this little packet of Milk-Pak would not lie.  Wikipedia says the same thing.  I could not find anything in the patents section, either--probably because it is listed under the inventor's name, not the company name.  I learned way more about blackheads than I want to know.  Anyway, enjoy this little item from a time when putting the name "Hollywood" into anything made it worth buying.