Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Ma Griffe by Carven c1946

Ma Griffe by Carven: launched in 1946. Created by Jean Carles. The name means "My Signature" as well as "My Claw" in French. Undoubtedly, a pun on the name, as Madame Carven clawed her way to top the design world and left her mark with her revolutionary Ma Griffe perfume.




Tuscon Daily Citizen, 1952:
"There is a fascinating story about the creation of the wonderful fragrances by Carven. Three French chemists in a German concentration had dreamt of what they would like to do when they were free once again. Their one wish was to offer the world a perfume that was gay, refreshing, and as new as tomorrow. A fragrance to give lift to the spirit ad put a song in the heart. A perfume that was clean and fresh, neither heavy or light yet had all the excitement of youth. That's how Ma Griffe was born...a beautiful dream come true."


Fragrance Composition:


So what does the original formula smell like? It is classified as a Chypre Floral fragrance for women. Green and woody with a flowery background.
  • Top notes: aldehydes, marjoram, neroli, bergamot, gardenia, galbanum, asafoetida, clary sage and lemon
  • Middle notes: iris, hyacinth, genet, orange blossom, daffodil, orris root, Grasse jasmine, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley and rose
  • Base notes: labdanum, tonka bean, sandalwood, cinnamon, musk, benzoin, oakmoss, vetiver and styrax.


Combat, 1955:
"Ma Griffe (eau de cologne perfumed by Carven) - mischievous, with her black beret slipping from her powdered hair and her spring-colored dress, we don't know if Watteau's Finette is watching an indifferent snitch or if she is stretching her fingers on her mandolin. She embellishes this perfume in which a hint of fruit evokes the pleasures of the country, while an impertinent musk specifies the amorous suggestions of the genets, the whole barely nuanced with neroli, hyacinth, marjoram and daffodil."


Bottles:


Like Chanel, she chose to house her perfume inside of a simplistic cube shaped clear glass bottle, but it was housed inside of a coffret cloaked in her lucky colors, white and green, which helped it to be distinguished among the other bottles on the department store shelves. This older bottle was used during the 1940s-1970s.

The original Parfum was available in the following:
  • 1/3 oz  
  • 1/2 oz  
  • 1 oz  
  • 2 oz  
  • 4 oz  
  • 1/4 oz Weekend Flacon
  • 1/3 oz Handbag Spray

The original Eau de Toilette was available in the following:
  • 4 oz
  • 8 oz 
  • 4 oz Spray

The fragrance was also available in 
  • Dusting Powder
  • Bath Oil
  • Velvet Foam Bath

Another bottle that was used was a variation of the cube shaped bottle topped with a gilt finish spiral cap designed by Jacques Bocquet, when viewed from the top, the spiral forms a stylized C for Carven. This unique bottle was used from the 1970s-1980s.

Other bottles were used to house Ma Griffe over the years and included the standard Carven bottle for eau de colognes, a tall, ribbed glass bottle with a plastic screw cap, or the tall, square shaped bottle, these were used in the 1960s-1980s. Later bottles used in the 1980s-1990s were simple kidney shaped spray flacons with gilded plastic caps or the curvaceous flat amphora spray flacon with the gilt metal cap.









In 1989, Ma Griffe was available in the following:
  • 1.7 oz Parfum de Toilette Splash
  • 2 oz Parfum de Toilette Spray
  • 6.7 oz Body Lotion
  • Dusting Powder
  • Parfume Talc
  • Soap








Fate of the Fragrance:


Ma Griffe was reformulated in 2000, the newest reformulations are shown in the photos below.


In 2013, Ma Griffe was reformulated and relaunched again.

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a floral chypre fragrance for women.
  • Top notes: bergamot, lemon and gardenia
  • Middle notes: jasmine, sandalwood, rose and ylang-ylang
  • Base notes: vetiver, musk, tonka bean and styrax



 


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