Magie by Lancome c1949

Magie by Lancôme: launched in 1949. In USA by 1950. The name means "Magic" in French. Created by Georges Lepieux.

Magie was said to be a favorite of the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson.

Fragrance Composition:

Armand Petitjean had dreamed of this perfume for years and had made over a thousand tests with George Leplieux, the Lancôme “nose.” The essences that enrich it are each matured for at least a dozen years before use, and there are fifty-eight drawn from all over the world - from France, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Italy; from Ethiopia, Madagascar and even the little island of Reunion. 

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a soft aldehydic green floral oriental fragrance for women. 

Created from high quality ingredients from around the world comes a special fragrance. Nothing has been spared, its a modern blend, beginning with sparkling aldehydes, brightened by the pungency of Calabrian bergamot, then a sweet note of jasmine emerges, the finest jasmine of Grasse, France. This is then enriched with the softness of Italian violet, delicate Swiss hyacinth, and Bulgarian rose petals. Woods like Lebanese cedar, the sandalwood of Mysore, earthy Singaporean patchouli, are heightened with the fragrance of grasses heralded by vetiver from Java and the Reunion Islands then rounded off with Tyrolean oakmoss. The fragrance is somehow mellowed by an odor of Florentine iris, balsamic Madagascar vanilla bean, splashes of aromatic spices, Ethiopian incense and exotic resins. Bound with luxurious fixatives of sensual wild musk from Tibet, precious Abyssinian civet and rare ambergris from the South Seas. Out of it all comes a perfume that is softly pervasive, utterly feminine. Classic, elegant,effervescent; long lasting. 

Magic, this perfume that will prolong the essences of cologne waters through the harmony of jasmine,  and Florence iris that it contains.

• Top notes: aldehydes, Calabrian bergamot, fragrant grasses
• Middle notes: Grasse jasmine, Italian violet, Bulgarian rose, Swiss hyacinth, spices, Florentine iris, lily of the valley
• Base notes: Abyssinian civet, styrax, Tyrolean oakmoss, Ethiopian incense, ambergris, Lebanese cedar, Singaporean patchouli, Mysore sandalwood, Tibetan musk, Java vetiver, Madagascar vanilla, Reunion vetiver

Combat, 1954:

"Eau parfumee a Magie de Lancome: Dominant with jasmine, but very subtly chypre and woody, with a note of musk and a touch of patchouli. There is much more to this lighter version of a luxurious fragrance. Bells of lily of the valley tinkle freshly there, while an amaranth rose, queen of the precious ones, sheds its leaves. All offered in a sandalwood box, for the magic of an impossible and magnificent outdoor ball, or the Count Orgel would invite Madame de Lafayette to dance."

Town & Country - Volume 110, 1956:

"Below, left, another French newcomer: Lancôme's perfume flacon with floral bouquet. Magie or Tresor, a rich, spicy blend. $5."

Harper's Bazaar, 1960:

"Magie-Lancôme's masterly potpourri: cedar, sandalwood and a profusion of grasses and flowers."

The New Yorker, 1967:

"Magie. When the moment calls for a touch of magic.... Magie. ... luxurious fragrance of France, in bottles, mists and fluted silver flacons. Available at fine stores all over the world."

Bottles:

Armand Petitjean's conception for the bottle was a prismatic crystal torsade, which was brought to life by Georges Delhomme and made by the Maurice Annebicque glassworks. Also created by Baccarat, bottle shape number 805. The heavy crystal perfume bottle features a chunky crystal over cap, inner glass stopper, and sealed with a metallic label. The 1 oz bottle stands 4 1/2" tall.  This is known as the Deluxe Presentation" and retailed for $35 and $60 in 1952.

"Its heavy crystal flacon, executed by Baccarat, set against a background of rose satin, for an effect of sheer glamour, in a white satin jewel case that sparkles with sequins, is the grand finale to an impressive gift."

The bottle was housed in a silk covered presentation box featuring a starburst design done in a rainbow of colors with hand applied foil spangles. The padded interior of the box is lined with hot pink satin and the inside of the lid features a gilded Lancôme rose logo. The back of the box is marked  Made in France.

To open the classic Magie crystal flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Lancôme themselves in 1963:

Circle the neck of bottle with a velvet ribbon. Depressing stopper with index finger, ease ribbon back and forth to generate warmth, discard ribbon and twist stopper carefully.

The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Volumes 50-51, 1952:

Lancôme's. "Magie". A magical new fragrance blended from more than fifty essences to weave a spell of exotic scent from faraway places . . an aromatic triumph for the woman who wears it. a. Baccarat, satin box $35 b. "Baton de Magicien" ...

Other bottles were the standard Lancôme crystal flacons used for other perfumes in the 1940s-1960s. These bottles were square, flat and had bowed out sides and slightly rounded corners. They were topped by crystal stoppers molded with an intaglio of stylized jasmine flowers. You could also find the tall, skinny versions of these bottles as well. Some people mistakenly believe these bottles were made by Lalique but they were designed by Georges Delhomme and most likely made by Verreries Le Bresle who created many of Lancôme's perfume bottles.


The bottle below was known as the "Standard Presentation" and was available in three sizes:

• 1 oz Parfum (retailed for $22.50 in 1952)
• 1/2 oz Parfum (retailed for $12.50 in 1952)
• 1/4 oz Parfum (retailed for $7.00 in 1952)

The flacon shown in the 1966 advertisement above replaced the jasmine stoppered bottle and was now used as the standard flacon for several Lancome perfumes, not just Magie:

• 2 fl oz bottle is 4 1/2 inches tall
• 1 fl oz bottle is 3 3/4 inches tall
• 1/2 fl oz bottle is 3 inches tall

To complement the parfum, Eau Parfumee Magie has been created in its image, more highly concentrated than the average toilet water, but considerably less in cost than the perfume itself. Either will probably get an audience reaction, long after you've applied it, of "What's that lovely fragrance you're wearing?"

The Eau Parfumee was available in three sizes:

• 2 oz (retailed for $4.00 in 1952)
• 4 oz (retailed for $7.50 in 1952)
• 1/4 litre (retailed for $15.00 in 1952)

 

Special Limited Edition Flacons:

In 1952, Magie de Lancôme was presented in a frosted glass perfume bottle whimsically molded in the shape of a magic wand decorated with embossed stars. This bottle is known as Le Bâton de Magicien (the magic wand). The bottom of the bottle states "Made in France" and is approximately 5" long. The bottle closes with a brass cap. The bottle holds 1/4 oz of Parfum and retailed for $8.50 in 1952.

Cue: The Weekly Magazine of New York Life, 1952:

"Another very feminine fragrance is the new Magic de Lancôme. There's a persistent note of jasmine in this bouquet of aromatic flowers, grasses and woods. A magic wand (designed by Lalique) holds one-quarter ounce of Magie, $8.50."

From 1952 to 1962 , Magie was issued in a special Christmas edition star spangled spherical bottle known as "Le Sphere Magique", the starry globe. Many people mistake this for a Lalique bottle, but it was in fact made by the Maurice Annebicque glassworks. This bottle holds 1/4 oz Parfum.


In 1952, Lancôme introduced a special perfume bottle called "la Goutte d'Eau", the crystal teardrop, to hold 1/5 oz extraits of Magie and Trésor. It was designed by Georges Delhomme and most likely made by either Annebicque or Verreries de la Bresle who manufactured most of Lancôme's flacons. The bottle is made up of polished clear crystal and has a brass screw cap fitted with a loop with a silk ribbon attached, which can be removed so that the bottle could be suspended from a necklace, pin or chatelaine.  The bottle measures 3 3/4″ in length x 1 5/8″ wide.  The brass screw cap will be engraved with "Lancôme" and either "Magie" or "Trésor". These are kind of rare since they only came out at Christmastime, and were only produced in the 1950s- early 1960s.

Other Bottles:

Fate of the Fragrance:

Magie was reformulated and relaunched in 2005 as part of the La Collection Lancôme. The fragrance was available in both eau de parfum and eau de toilette concentrations.

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