I’m fascinated by solid perfume lockets, rings, and accessories as well as vintage scent holders, like this gorgeous Estee Lauder Solid Perfume pendant with Lapiz Lazuli center.
I became interested after acquiring a beautiful 1950s makeup compact holder carryall. It just reminded me of those cute little compacts that you see in old black and white Hollywood movies carried by glamorous actresses like Rita Hayworth.
There was no powder left in the compact holder, but you could still very clearly make out the scent of the powder that had been stored. There was also a lipstick compartment and a built in mirror. All in all, it was in great shape and just looking at it brought images of Marylyn Monroe dancing to mind.
For such a small item, the inside was actually quite roomy and could have easily been repurposed to carry credit cards and cash or even as a posh cigarette holder.
I kept it for many many months, till I was satisfied with having owned it. Then I listed it for sale and shipped it to a good home.
And that started a new Obsessed collection.
As I treasure hunted for similar items, I kept running across vintage scent holders, solid perfume lockets and poison/scent rings. That lead me to the world of Estee Lauder Solid perfume compact holders.
You can also find vintage ones made by Max Factor, Avon, Revlon, Corday, and Coty among other not so commonly known brands that are very collectible. I came across a beautiful Rondisse Luzier scent ring that had an adorable porcelain cabochon.
Nowadays you can find many no brand solid perfume rings and pendants for next to nothing and perfume refills in every scent and brand.
Before I started obsessing about these, I didn’t know Estee Lauder’s annual Christmas solid perfume compact releases were so highly anticipated and such a tradition. There’s even a book out there cataloguing every Estee Lauder solid perfume that has been released by the brand from its beginning in 1967 to 2001.
These are some that I have collected so far: From left to right:
Corday, 2. Max Factor, 3. Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise, 4. Estee Lauder Pleasures, 5. Assorted Variety, 6. Estee Lauder Aliage Pear Shape, 7 and 8. Estee Lauder Youth Dew, 9. Inside Estee Lauder Aliage
You can find more information here: https://www.amazon.com/Lauder-Perfume-Compact-Collection-1967-2001/dp/1574322761 and here: https://fidmmuseum.org/2017/03/estee-lauder-perfume-compacts.html
Newly released Estee Lauder compacts retail for over $200, so it is definitely a luxury buy for collectors. Lauder first launched her solid perfume compacts in 1967 filled with her first perfume line “Youth Dew.” I am a huge fan of Estee Lauder, but I’ll pass on Youth Dew.
