Joy by Jean Patou c1929

Jean Patou wanted to send a gift of appreciation to his many regular international clients who would be unable to visit Paris in that first year of the Great Depression. He asked Henri Almeras to create something very strong, yet simple, no matter what the cost. This lead to the creation of the costliest perfume in the world, Joy.


Renowned as "the costliest perfume in the world," the Joy line was created in 1930 by haute couture designer Jean Patou. The perfume was first used commercially in 1931 according to trademark records. Jean Patou was the first designer to use his initials as a logo, presaging the monogrammed designer labels of today.

Life, 1933:

"Most expensive of Patou's perfumes is "Joy" which commands $35 for two- thirds of an ounce. The selling argument behind this walloping price is that each customer who orders it is entitled to have a special label bearing the legend, "Made for..."

Harper's Bazaar, 1933:

"Patou, a Pasha at heart, indulges in like privilege. Last year he created Joy, a perfume scarcely to be begged or bought. He will make it on special order, and when it comes it has your name printed on the label."

Vogue, 1936:

"Joy by Jean Patou. Evokes the whole atmosphere of the refined woman, and the subtlety of her persistent perfection."

Stage, 1937:

"PATOU — The "Joy" scent continues to be one of the most expensive perfumes made, which is itself enough to delight a lot of people; two ounces, $60."

Rosicrucian Digest, 1945:

"One of the costliest perfumes on the market today is called Joy." It is put up by Jean Patou, and sold in jade and crystal bottles."

La Femme Chic, 1945:

"Very blooming, on the contrary, completely 'woman in flower', the splendid Joy de Patou, with its fragrant scents, the enchanting aroma of elegance and joy. Imagine a woman, beautiful, happy, loved, of perfect distinction and the most subtle coquetry, a true great lady in a word...You will attribute Joy to her as a perfume. And it is perhaps an omen of happiness to adopt it."

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a floral fragrance for women. It starts with a flowery green top, followed by a luxurious natural floral heart, resting on a feminine floral base.

• Top notes: aldehydes, Calabrian bergamot, flower calyx note, peach, Bulgarian rose oil, tuberose, leafy green note
• Middle notes: rose de Mai, French jasmine de Mai, woodland lily, orchid, orris, Comoros ylang ylang, lily of the valley
• Base notes: vanilla, musk, Mysore sandalwood, civet

The predominant ingredients of Bulgarian rose and Grasse jasmine-one ounce each, it is said requires 10,600 jasmine flowers and 28 dozen May roses, the scent is a timeless masterpiece in simplicity. During two short weeks in the summer, several kilos of blossoms are harvested from the Jean Patou flower fields in Grasse to achieve the 10,600 flowers required for just one bottle of Joy perfume. The luxurious composition is coveted by women around the world. 

Joy also made use of the Jasmin 231 base made by Firmenich. Jasmin 231 lent a trail of honeysuckle to the jasmine. Also used the Schimmel & Company chemical hyacinthine, and the schiff base citrindol (Indole/Citral) made by Firmenich.

Femme, 1950:

"At Jean Patou, it is always Joy who takes the spotlight...The aristocrat of perfumes contains essences whose production is limited and which are therefore very precious. The Americans call him "the costliest" in the true sense of the word, that is to say the one who has the most value. Very concentrated, Joy is perhaps the only high-class perfume that should be used in moderation. All it takes is a light touch of Joy, a very fine spray to scent the entire toiletry."

L'Atlantique, 1952:

"Patou likewise has a new handbag flask, known as 'The Companion,' a little flask made like rings with a gilded stopper and leather container which laces up the side. All the Patou perfumes: 'Joy', 'Moment Supreme,' and 'L'Heure Attendue' can be carried this way."

The range:

• 1 oz Parfum Baccarat Flacon
• 1 oz Parfum Luxe

Bottles

The bottle was produced in three different designs. The first one, a crystal flacon, was designed to classical proportions by Louis Sue, the second was a black crystal flacon inspired by Jean Patou's own collection of antique Chinese jade snuff bottles, and the third was a cut crystal flacon produced by Baccarat.

Classic Flacon:

The most commonly found bottle for Joy is the classic design by Louis Sue, made up of elegant cut crystal. Two strange bottles were made, one of black glass, and the other entirely covered in gold. these are thought to be prototypes and not actually sold.

The classic flacon came in several sizes:

• Factice (dummy) bottle stands 7" tall.
• 3.5 oz bottle stands ?
• 2.75 oz bottle stands 3 1/8" tall
• 2 oz bottle stands 2.5" tall.
• 1.75 oz bottle stands 2.32" tall.
• 1 oz bottle stands 2.25" tall.
• 0.5 oz bottle stands 2" tall.

To open the classic Patou crystal flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Jean Patou in 1963:

Cushion stopper with finger, tap top upwards gently with glass object. Never heat this bottle.

Snuff Flacon:

Black glass bottle imitating Chinese snuff bottle, lettering in gold. Red plastic stopper, this bottle style was launched in 1931. An unusual bottle is covered entirely in gold, this may have been a prototype or special edition.

Limited Edition Bottles:

The 1 oz Crystal Baccarat Flacon: An exclusive luxury fragrance for exceptional women—only 50 limited-edition inscribed Baccarat Pure Parfum bottles are created each year for Jean Patou Joy. Current retail price: $1000 at Bergdorf Goodman.

Limited Edition 1 oz parfum Baccarat crystal flacon for Joy. Only 150 examples were produced in 1998. This is a recreation of the famous 1930 bottle for Cocktail, a perfume by Patou originally released in the 1920s. This bottle features a stylized floral motif molded on the front panel of the bottle. It is housed in a black velvet covered demilune shaped presentation box with a triple mirrored interior. The bottle rests on a platform which rotates so that the perfume could be turned towards the curved part of the box so the doors can be closed. The original retail price for this limited edition parfum was $1,000.00 when sold at the Neiman Marcus department store.

In 1995, a limited edition of the Chinese snuff bottle was released. This pretty Baccarat crystal bottle is made of clear crystal rather than the usual black. The bottle holds 15 ml of pure parfum and is housed in a black velvet covered demilune shaped presentation case lined in red velvet and satin.



Other Bottles:

Joy was presented in various other bottles to hold different concentrations: eau de toilette, eau de parfum, cologne, etc.

In 1972, Joy could be had in many different ways:

• 1 oz Parfum (retailed for $75.00)
• 0.5 oz Parfum (retailed for $42.00)
• 0.25 oz Parfum (retailed for $23.00)
• 1/5 oz Parfum Compagnon Pour le Sac, purse bottle (retailed for $20.00)
• 2 oz Eau de Joy Atomiseur-Aerosol  (retailed for $30.00)
• 1.5 oz Eau de Joy Splash (retailed for $20.00)
• 3 oz Eau de Joy Splash (retailed for $31.00)
• 10 oz Foaming Milk Bath (retailed for $20.00, this was still made in 1983)
• 3 oz Velvet of Joy Body Cream (retailed for $27.00, this was still made in 1983)
• 6 oz Poudre de Toilette (retailed for $12.00)
• 3 1/3 oz Joy soap (each cake retailed for $7.50)
• Coffret containing 1/5 oz Parfum and 1.5 oz Eau de Joy (the set retailed for $40.00)

The tall Eau de Toilette atomizer with the black plastic cap was designed by Pierre Dinand in 1984 and manufactured by Verreries Brosse and Pochet et du Courval with plastic components supplied by TPI.

Joy de Bain Ancillary Products:

The Joy de Bain Perfumed Bath and Body Collection was released in 1986 and included: 

• 6.7 oz Perfumed Body Cream (Creme Parfumee), softens and protects delicate skin, retailed for $55. 
• 7 oz Perfumed Body Lotion (Lait Parfume), moisturizes and protects the skin. The lotion is contained in an unbreakable replica of the black flaconette bottle and is packaged with a removable pump. It retailed for $40.00 in 1987.
• 3.5 oz Perfumed Soap (Savon Parfume), is a lathering soap that is packaged in a black plastic fan shape box. The soap is enriched with natural jasmine waxes making a well suited for delicate and sensitive skin. It retailed for $20.00
• Perfumed Foaming Bath Gel (Gel Moussant)
• 7 oz Perfumed Dusting Powder (Poudre Parfumee), retailed for $45.

The line was expanded to include: 

• Perfumed Deodorant Spray
• Perfumed Body Mist

Solid Perfumes were added in the 1990s and 2000s. The Jewel shaped solid perfume compact appeared in 1998 as a limited edition.

The most modern of the Joy bottles was the 2.5 oz Eau de parfum Spray, it had a top that looked like a faceted emerald cut clear jewel in a gilded bezel. This appeared in 1998 and the top resembles the solid perfume Jewel compact in shape.

 

Legacy:

In 2011 Patou was bought by Designer Parfums Ltd, a UK-based firm. In August 2018, LVMH purchased Patou and Dior, an LVMH brand, acquired the rights to the name "Joy"

Joy by Jean Patou has been discontinued since 2018 and is no longer in production, but you can still find old stock in stores and online.