Coty, the cosmetics company

I was just googling to see if anyone had written anything recently (or at all) about my favorite cheap drugstore perfume (Sand and Sable, if you must know) and I found the history of Coty cosmetics and it turned out to be pretty interesting.

Fun facts:
* a company that has changed ownership and identity many times over the > 100 years it has existed
* apparently invented face powder, no small thing
* now in a partnership with Guess? I mean, who could have predicted that? Not me.

I used their very pale face powder in high school and the smell of it is extremely evocative of that time for me. I don't know that much about the history of business in the USA, but this company seems unkillable and prone for a wee comeback, considering that the 90s are back and people are gonna start wanting that super matte look again? I dunno.

Discuss Coty cosmetics and perfumes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coty,_Inc.

Coty, Inc. is the world's largest fragrance company. It is also a beauty products manufacturer whose main businesses are fragrances (65% of revenue), followed by color cosmetics (20%), toiletries (12%) and skin care (3%). It is known for its cooperation with designers and celebrities for the creation of fragrances; prominent among them are Beyoncé Knowles, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech, Céline Dion, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Jennifer Lopez.

Coty Beauty

* Adidas
* Aspen
* Astor
* Baby Phat
* Celine Dion
* COTY body fresh
* Chupa Chups
* David and Victoria Beckham (Intimately Beckham and Intimately Night)
* Desperate Housewives
* Esprit
* Ethan James (Clothing)
* ex'cla.ma'tion
* Halle Berry
* Isabella Rossellini
* Jovan
* Kylie Minogue perfumes
* mary-kateandashley
* McGraw by Tim McGraw
* Silver by Tim McGraw
* Miss Sporty
* Miss Sixty
* Petr Čech
* Pierre Cardin
* Playboy
* Rimmel
* Shania Twain
* Stetson
* Vanilla Fields

Coty Prestige

* Balenciaga - not on current website
* Calvin Klein
* Cerruti
* Chloé
* Chopard
* Davidoff
* Jennifer Lopez
* Jette Joop
* Jil Sander
* JOOP!
* Kate Moss perfumes
* Kenneth Cole
* Lancaster
* Marc Jacobs
* Nautica
* Nikos
* Sarah Jessica Parker
* Vera Wang
* Vivienne Westwood

The Calgon and Healing Garden Brands were purchased by Ascendia Brands on 9 February 2007.[3]

I mean, Intimately Beckham and Intimately Night is not fucking around

* apparently invented face powder, no small thing

White face powder has been in use for centuries. Flesh-colored face powder was invented in the 19th Century by a guy with the last name of Rachel (yes, he lent his name to the foundation color). Was he involved with the Coty people?

The Calgon and Healing Garden Brands were purchased by Ascendia Brands on 9 February 2007.[3]

^^^how i learned about coty the brand!

i was so convinced this was gonna be a surm thread when i saw it on new answers.

Fine, so Coty didn't "invent" face powder -- but still, helluva company that I would bet has touched each of our lives in some way. Is it even possible to escape the tentacles of Coty as a female in the USA? You have at least smelled their products on other people.

surm changed his screenname to my irl name so maybe we're sharing one brain these days

btw, i still think sand and sable smells pretty good for drugstore perfume. it's like the poor girl's fracas.

i thought about this thread today when i put on some face powder

(not coty brand -- neutrogena. i would love to smell coty brand face powder again)

Flipping through a Vermont Country Store catalog the other day - they sell 4 Coty scents, including Emeraude which I loved when I was in high school.

I'm reading Mandy Aftels' Essence and Alchemy and there is a part in the first chapter about how Coty revolutionized the modern fragrance industry by putting fragrances in distinctive vessels. Good book, recommended for anyone interested in scent!

Oops her name is Aftel, not Aftels. This is the book:

http://cb.pbsstatic.com/l/33/5533/9780865475533.jpg

Do you have Walgreens in Chicago? The Walgreens here still sells the Coty Airspun powder. I saw it yesterday. I could always pick some up and send it to you if you really wanted it! :)

Yes, we do! I should go look for it. I wore Sand and Sable the other day and I STILL maintain that it smells really good for drugstore perfume. I like that smell a lot.

Walgreens was founded in Chicago! /misplaced civic pride

All of the Wal-Marts around here sell Airspun, too.

Look what I saw at a little (but free and quite interesting) perfume museum above the Fragonard store in Paris

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5964786185_0011f40c4e.jpg

saw this and couldn't resist
1972

http://25.media.tumblr.com/73a69a5dfadc4c467cefd056cfb7b8d0/tumblr_mjxkextetz1rlbyzno1_500.jpg