Toujours Moi by Corday (1924)

I want to take a break from the freshness of the May flower and discuss a vintage Oriental perfume I forgot I had in my cabinet of curiosities/perfume closet: the soft and sexy Toujours Moi by Corday.

Launched in 1927 by Blanche Arvoy, Corday perfumes are more whimsical and charming than their namesake — assassin Charlotte Corday, who stabbed pro-French Revolution radical Jean-Paul Marat to death in his bathtub. (Gotta love the French.)

With the vanillic sensuality of Shalimar, a hint of Tabu's amber eroticism, and a comforting whisper of smoky tobacco that recalls Habanita, Toujours Moi (Forever Me) is a must-have for lovers of perfume in the Oriental category. It manages to be intense and subtle at the same time, like the sounds of an entire orchestra roaring along in a music hall, the strains of which can be heard faintly by a lone passerby on the street.

Notes: Orange blossom, lavender, jasmine, lilac, vetiver, musk, incense, (I don't see rose, vanilla, sandalwood and amber listed, but surely a few of these too..?)

According to lore, composer Harry Revel caught a whiff of Toujours Moi on a beautiful woman, and when she told him what she was wearing, he decided to write musical compositions inspired by six Corday perfumes. (You can actually get Perfume Set to Music on Amazon! Apparently, it's heavy on the Theramin.)

Thanks to Revel's attention, musical motifs abound in Corday's beautiful and surreal ads. One I found on Fragrantica features a maiden trapped in a perfume bottle strumming on a mandolin. The instrument's musical sounds emerge from the bottle to become Corday's perfumes: Jet, Toujours Moi, Fame, Possession, L'Ardente Nuit. (I think this is the album cover, too.) From the ad:

"These six magnificent Corday fragrances inspired 'Perfume Set to Music,' an album of six delighful musical selections written by the famous composer Harry Revel and recorded by RCO Victor. An unparalleled tribute to the genius of Corday, 'Perfume Set to Music' is as soul-stirring...and beautiful....as the Corday perfumes themselves."

According to the blogger from Ambre Gris, Toujours Moi was reformulated by Dana in 1995, and if reviews on Basenotes are any indication, this reformulation was (and continues to be) a disaster. (Not surprising, considering what happened to Tabu.) I have what looks like a '60s version (with line drawings of maidens and unicorns), but it says on the box, "Distr. Parfums Corday" and "blended in New York." Hmmm.

The eBay vintage perfume expert from Cleopatra's Boudoir says that there was a small reformulation when Max Factor bought Corday, but that it mostly stayed true to the original, and that they kept the Corday name. (This must be where the "blended in New York" comes in?) She also says that Toujours Moi is a perfume translation of the incense used for hundreds of years at the cathedral of Notre Dame. Interesting... It does have a lovely incense bite.

All I can go by is my nose, and my nose says that whether or not this was a reformulation of the original 1924 scent, it is a lovely one — sweet, spicy, and soft (detractors would say powdery). Its warm (ambery/vanilla), woody finish hours into the dry-down is my favorite part. If you love Tabu and Habanita, try to get a bit of Toujours Moi; it's their love child.

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There's a lyrical and informative post about Toujours Moi on the French perfume site Ambre Gris. Using my busted high school French and the helpful translation website Dicios, I managed a decent translation of it. If you know any French, I suggest you visit it. It's totally worth it to hear the French talk about perfume! Where else are you going to read stuff like this:

"What is nevertheless most striking in the Parfum de Toilette top notes of Toujours Moi (the old term for a perfume concentration and the only one I had the time to try), is that they frankly reminded me of...bubblegum. Orange blossom, touched with jasmine, is intimately combined on a sweet bed of honey, nuanced with soft spices: I sensed a touch of pepper and above all the coloring of eugenol's clove/carnation facets. This rather monochromatic mix evoked a wad of rose-scented chewing gum, inside whose heart lay coiled, slyly...a small Tabu. A warm and sweet note of sandalwood discreetly props up the sweetened orange blossom: one is now well into the category of woody oriental."

One place you will NOT read stuff like this is if you use Google Translate, unless you want to LOL at gobbledegook like the following, from the same post and paragraph as above:

"What is most striking, yet in the top note perfume toiletries Toujours Moi...is that they take a frank look like...bubblegum. The orange flower, jasmine affected, there is interwoven with a layer of gently sweet-honey, subtle spice fluffy: I feel a shiver of pepper and cloves especially the colors/eye of eugenol. The assembly thus composed, rather monochrome, evokes a bubble gum pink heart of which loverait sly, a little Tabu...A soft, warm notes of sandalwood has quietly support this sweet orange flower: it is in the register of the eastern woodland."

Got that, everyone? "It's in the register of the eastern woodland." I'm so using this...

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UPDATE: A reader got in touch with me and told me she has a 40s-era Toujours Moi in that lovely bottle you see in the ad. If you're interested, you can contact her here: [email protected].

She sent me a sample of the 1956 Toujours Moi so I could compare it with the older one I reviewed here, and it is ever-so-slightly softer, rounder (by that I guess I mean more seamless in its blending of notes), more powdery and ambery-vanillic-warm than the 60's-70s one I reviewed. The 60s-70s bottle leaves a stronger tobacco-incense impression in the drydown. Both wonderful formulas, the 50s just a little warmer and softer.

About the '90s Toujours Moi I also received: I only have to say — run away from this as fast as you can. Its nauseating chemical drydown is as bad as the Tabu that you can now get for like 5 bucks. Awful.

(This last photo is from my own collection; the "Corday" name was cut off by copiers. I forgive you NY Public Library!)

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Thanks for writing about Toujours Moi. I love the beautiful advertisements. I am still searching for an affordable bottle of the Corday but I did find the Max Factor edition of Toujours Moi and it is very nice indeed; long-lasting and the drydown is gorgeous. I don't find it monochromatic, except for maybe the first few minutes. The Dicios translation site is good to know about--I have been discouraged from using Google because it is so clunky.

[Perfumaniac]

The Corday ads are actually what drew me to their perfumes, Elizabeth. The'yre wonderful! And yes, Google Translation is inadvertantly hilarious; not so much if you actually want to know what the writer is saying! Let me know if you want to do a swap of the Corday TM and the Max Factor version you have. I'd love to know if/how they're different.

[anonymous]

I read somewhere that if a box of perfume (or the sticker on the underside of the bottle) has a zip code for New York or whatever city the perfume was made in, then it indicates a vintage year of 1962 or later. Prior to that, zip codes weren't in use.

Hopefully, that helps date any mystery bottles of Toujour Mois that you have. Does anyone know when Max Factor did the reformulation?

[Elizabeth]

Barbara, I would be happy to do a swap! Please email me and we'll set it up.

And anonymous, that is a very interesting idea. I will look at my bottle when I get home from work tonight. I often look at supposedly vintage bottles/packaging from Europe for the large lower case "e". According to Wikipedia, "It is a mark required to be appended to the nominal mass or volume printed on prepackaged goods for sale within the European Union. It certifies that the actual contents of the package comply with specified criteria for estimation." As near as I can tell, it was proposed in 1976, although I am not yet clear if that was when it was put into use. Nevertheless, it can be a useful clue.

[Angela Cox]

Wonderful article,thank-you.

[Perfumaniac]

Anonymous — thanks for that tip. I think I read that somewhere, too; thanks for reminding me! Well, my box of Toujours Moi says "Distr. Parfums Corday, Inc. NY, NY 10019 CODE 8840-02," so if that info is correct, it's post-'62. There are pen and watercolor drawings of maidens and unicorns, and when I looked at the bottle again, it has a raised relief unicorn on the glass. (When were unicorns big? I would think the '60s.) Here's a Max Factor bottle with the cap in the shape of a unicorn: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/toujours-moi-magical-musk-unicorn-perfume. Wow.

Also, I remember reading about a site that was in beta that allows you to type in the code from your perfume box and it will tell you what the year is. It only has a few brands, but it might be useful: http://datecalculator.googlepages.com/englishhomepage
Angela, glad you enjoyed this post and thanks for stopping by! And Elizabeth, we'll get in touch. When I get my camera back, I'm going to take a pic of the crazy box and bottle and add it to this post...

[[email protected]]

Fascinating! How I would love to be at home, now, reclining on my sofa whilst listening to Harry Revel and sniffing Toujours Moi! (I LOVE Habanita, so this sounds very tempting... Thanks for giving me something else to daydream about ;-) - Emma

[Perfumaniac]

Sounds pretty decadent, emma! Would you wear a smoking jacket and hold a cocktail? I wonder what would be appropriate...scotch and soda in a highball glass?

[[email protected]]

Hehe, I'd definitely be holding a cocktail of some description. A gin Martini is about all I can make, but perhaps a scotch would go better with Toujours Moi? (I've just won a bottle on ebay! :) Am looking forward to sniffing the Shalimar + Habanita combo, and admiring the lovely art-nouveau style bottle on my shelf - thanks for the tip). - Emma

[Perfumaniac]

Score, Emma! Come back and tell us what you think...while nursing a cocktail, of course.

[Emma]

Oh dear. This is LOVELY! It starts off quite “old” rich, deep perfume smelling, with a kind of menthol-eucalyptus element over a resinous base, which becomes a rich, sumptuous incense. Not too long after it dries to a delectable, powdery, honey-tobacco scent. So closely did it seem to resemble Habanita, though, that I tried a little Habanita on my other arm, for comparison. Habanita came out VERY vetiver-heavy – sharper and reedier, and surprisingly lacking in the tobacco-nougat aspect that Toujours Moi evokes so deliciously. I definitely get the similarity to Bal a Versailles, too: the same powdery, softly-spicy, close-wearing balsam and vanilla/tonka – sexy yet snugly at the same time. The Toujours Moi, though, lacks the “skank”/old dentures element that you have to get through in Bal a Versailles, which is of course a plus point. I only wish my bottle of Toujours Moi was bigger! But thanks for alerting me to this. - Emma

[Perfumaniac]

Wow, Emma. So glad you loved it. Tobacco nougat sounds delicious! I need to revisit this sucker...:)

[walter]

Hello,I have a small compact, It's a carousel. the writing on the bottom is, Toujours Moi Le Carousel cream perfume net wt. .12 oz Perfume essence imported from France blended in U.S.A. Distr. parfums Corday,Inc.N.Y.N.Y.10017. It has a uncorn on the pole all in gold color, Not sure if it is Gold. Cant seam to fine anything on it could any one help Email me with Subject" "Toujours Moi Le Carousel" with any help Thanks

[karen]

I used to wear Toujour moi in the 70's it was the most gorgeous smell i used to buy it from the store Barkers in Kensington, then they it was going to be discontinued so i bought 3 bottles of it, i was gutted i couldn't get it any more then i heard a little story about it on tv and i really want to buy some again but am not sure exactly which make smells like the original.

[Perfumaniac]

I think any of the pre-70s Toujours Moi, Karen. They're readily available on eBay. Good luck! It's a beauty, for sure.

[Julia stoner]

I use to wear it in the 60s. I had it in cream form that came in a tiny compact box. Wish I could find it or something like it again.

[Christina]

I found Toujours Moi in the 70's from Bentalls in Kingston. I could never find it again not even in France.
It was wonderful and everybody asked me what I was wearing.
Then I found it again made not by Corday but by Dana. It didn't smell as I remembered it but was identical to their Tabu.
It's nice but I thought my memory was playing tricks. Now I know that the memory in my nose is o.k. Toujours Moi just isn't the same formulation.

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Christina, You can find the Corday Toujours Moi on eBay for reasonable prices if you shop around. I hope you're reunited soon!

[Kathleen Sewell]

When cleaning out my cousin's estate, I found a small gold box of Toujours Moi partially filled with lingerie tablets. The scent is delightful, and I'm glad to learn more of the history of this fragrance. I feel lucky to have some tablets to enjoy. Kathleen

[Perfumaniac]

Interesting, Kathleen. I didnt know Toujours Moi were sold in the form of lingerie tablets. So girlie!

[Perfumaniac]

Interesting, Kathleen. I didnt know Toujours Moi were sold in the form of lingerie tablets. So girlie!

[Jaryl]

I have loved Toujours Moi since the 1960's ..

Does anyone know where to buy the 1960's version ???

Thank you for the information.

[david lincoln brooks]

Bubblegum: That note is created by the addition of Methyl Salicylate, an old synthetic that smells of wintergreen, like the note found in Pepto-Bismol, rootbeer, those pink candy wintergreen lozenges of yore, the wax lips of Halloween, the old Pepsodent toothpowder, and Fleer's and Dubble-Bubble bubblegum. In perfumery, it often enhances the smell of white flowers, and is also present in scents like L'ORIGAN and TABU. Mix raspberry, vanilla and methyl salicylate, and you will get the aura of old bubblegum.

[Barry atkinson]

Can you still buy Toujours Moi

[[email protected]]

I have smelled all three versions and I think the current Toujours Moi by Dana is a nice fragrance. In fact I think it smells as good or even better than the Max Factor version though not quite as fine as the Corday. Of course everyone's nose smells things differently. However any of the three Toujours Mois are better than 90% of what passes for women's cologne and perfume on the market today.

[Brenda Frey]

My granddaughter found a metal bird cage with Toujours Moi Love Birds Crème perfume in the base. It also has a ring on the top as if it were to be worn as a necklace. We would like to know when these were distributed.It does have a zip code for Parfums Corday, inc of N.Y. so I am assuming a 60's product. What can you tell us about this item. It would be quite heavy to wear as a necklace

[Gayla Turnley]

I have a 1/4 oz. bottle of Toujours Moi still in original box that I received as a gift in 1968. The bottle was opened but never used as I didn't care for the fragrance. I would like to give this to my granddaughter who collects perfume bottles. Is there a value on this particular bottle

[Constance DeAngelis]

Hi I ahave two boxes and full bottles of Possession Spraygrance Cologne by Corday 2.5 oz it is in a white plastic spray bottle cap and bottle with gold line where the cap and base of bottle meet. How might I find the age of the packaging . It is off white and yellowish with an oval emblem of a unicorn in a fenced area the oval is bordered by a gold rope, The unicorn is white and the backround is brown or burgundy. Three flowers sprout up like a tree behind the unicorn and they are either daiseys or crysthanthinums. Both the Possession and the Toujours Moi boxes are teh same except size 2. oz for Toujours moi and that is not a spray , and Possession has an included print that explains how to remove the plastic cover to refill or replace . Any idea of the age
The reference # on Possession is 770-18 and for Toujours is 872-18 both imprinted on the back of the box. Please respond or direct me to find info