Weird Cologne With No History . . .

[Featherweight]

Has anyone ever seen the item pictured below? I've been trying to figure out the back story behind this cologne for a while now, and haven't had much luck. I asked on a basenotes thread, and someone managed to scrape from Google that it was introduced by Max Factor in the 1950s, but that was it. Nothing else can be said about it, at least not from where I've searched.

I came across it while cleaning out a friend's old house. He's 70 years old, and keeps junk from every decade of his life, regardless of its actual worth. When this was uncovered, he admitted he couldn't remember anything about it, or where he'd gotten it, and just gave it to me. I guess it was just Max Factor's "Signature" men's scent, but since when did Max Factor produce and sell men's cologne???

 

[Jim]

So..Whats it smell like?

 

[Featherweight]

Actually, I have no clue. I've smelled it of course, and it just has this powdery, synthetic musky-gone-bad sort of smell. I think it turned a long time ago. I would have to guess tho based on what's left that this was a sort of sweetish-musk fragrance.

 

[theperfectstorm]

Max Factor produced a huge amount of colognes, perfumes, etc. for both Men and Women during the 50's, 60's and 70's.

Back in the day Max Factor produced Royal Regiment, Gentleman, Citrus for Men and Herbal Musk for men, and probably some others.

http://www.basenotes.net/company/100584

 

[Featherweight]

Interesting . . . but why no Signature for men? Or even just "Max Factor" plain and simple? I see they have one listed called "Gentleman", but it's from the '80s and this is definitely not that new. The only others for men that are listed on basenotes are California and Royal Regiment . . . . . ???

 

[john parker]

Checked the web for Max Factor Signature Cologne, and a couple ebay entries popped up. One of the sellers, from Michigan, said that that bottle was found in a store that closed in the 70s. If that is correct, 70s or earlier. Hope that helps.

 

[Featherweight]

Thanks, yeah it's definitely from before that era. I had the packaging also, but don't know what I did with it . . . I'm pretty familiar with hallmarks of commercial design as I was a graphics major in school, and it had late '50s written all over it.

 

[NYBill]

SIGNATURE Cologne for men was produced by Max Factor starting in the early 1950's until around 1980. It came as an individual product or as part of a set which consisted of cologne and an aftershave in "splash" bottles. The item you pictured is an atomizer spray introduced in the early 1960's. I believe, it was introduced to draw more woman to buy it. (Many woman liked the fragrance and would use the spray as their cologne because as a splash it had a wallop to shame Old Spice, but was more gentle as a spray on, which was fine for the female market.) It had a powerful, perfumy" fragrance that the ladies loved- in the same category of Chanel or Trouble. When a wearer entered a room, it definitely announced your presence. Unfortunately, it was perceived to be too popular with the gay community (I knew a few gay men and woman and not one of them used Signature...but, they loved mine.) and the thinking at the time was,""real men" would not wear such a perfumy fragrance"" and instead chose to wear things like High Karate' and Canoe (LOL) which was a male version of the very popular woman's perfume,Shalimar!! Mama said it best, stupid is...
This was in a time when the Beatles were shocking and Archie Bunker seemed Liberal by comparison. I am not gay and I wore Signature for over 15 years until the stores stopped carrying it...However, like the Holy Grail,I am in constant search. I recently purchased a half bottle in hopes of salvaging it and having it duped, but, it contained something that was never Signature...more like nail polish remover. There is one born every minute and I guess that was my minute. Caveat Emptor.

 

[The Chandos]

Cool find. Always fun to learn about something new and obscure, especially vintage. Citrus notes are probably turned, musk notes are probably not, there may be some oakmoss in it. Floral notes could have turned, too, I guess. Hard to say. If the bottle was not so plain I'd say keep it but it looks like a bottle of model paint. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Featherweight]

SIGNATURE Cologne for men was produced by Max Factor starting in the early 1950's until around 1980. It came as an individual product or as part of a set which consisted of cologne and an aftershave in "splash" bottles. The item you pictured is an atomizer spray introduced in the early 1960's. I believe, it was introduced to draw more woman to buy it. (Many woman liked the fragrance and would use the spray as their cologne because as a splash it had a wallop to shame Old Spice, but was more gentle as a spray on, which was fine for the female market.) It had a powerful, perfumy" fragrance that the ladies loved- in the same category of Chanel or Trouble. When a wearer entered a room, it definitely announced your presence. Unfortunately, it was perceived to be too popular with the gay community (I knew a few gay men and woman and not one of them used Signature...but, they loved mine.) and the thinking at the time was,""real men" would not wear such a perfumy fragrance"" and instead chose to wear things like High Karate' and Canoe (LOL) which was a male version of the very popular woman's perfume,Shalimar!! Mama said it best, stupid is...
This was in a time when the Beatles were shocking and Archie Bunker seemed Liberal by comparison. I am not gay and I wore Signature for over 15 years until the stores stopped carrying it...However, like the Holy Grail,I am in constant search. I recently purchased a half bottle in hopes of salvaging it and having it duped, but, it contained something that was never Signature...more like nail polish remover. There is one born every minute and I guess that was my minute. Caveat Emptor.

Thanks for the anecdote, NYBill. Reading it spurred me to do something I rarely do - spray some Signature on and refresh my memory of what it smells like. It always struck me as a softer, more aldehydic/spicy progenitor to Aqua Velva Musk. You know, the orange one in the square bottle. Has the same musky-sweet vibe to it. I think the citrus notes are totally gone, maybe a ghost of some orange oil left in there. The floral notes are mostly gone too, except what seems like a bit of carnation. All that really survived in full richness is the musk (nitromusk?) in the base. Smooth, a little sweet, a little sweaty. Nice, very old school, still smells good. I don't smell any similarity to Old Spice (could be age has diminished the wallop you speak of) and guess I can see it losing market share to traditional ferns like Canoe/Brut. Thanks for dating the bottle. I wish it was a more ambitious fragrance in a fancier bottle though.

Cool find. Always fun to learn about something new and obscure, especially vintage. Citrus notes are probably turned, musk notes are probably not, there may be some oakmoss in it. Floral notes could have turned, too, I guess. Hard to say. If the bottle was not so plain I'd say keep it but it looks like a bottle of model paint. Thanks for sharing.

It does indeed look like a paint bottle. I used to have the box but chucked it. The box was actually a bit nicer than the bottle.


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