Cologne Drunkards

In the late nineteenth century, a brief moral panic emerged about the alleged existence of "cologne drunkards" — society women who inebriated themselves by means of sugar cubes soaked in cologne.

Seems like an expensive way to consume alcohol, but I guess it's plausible that some women really did this.

Good Health magazine - Apr 1885

Philadelphia Times - Feb 7, 1893

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 23, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Inebriation and Intoxicants, Nineteenth Century, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Follies of the Madmen #548

Posted By: Paul - Mon Nov 28, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Sex Symbols, Fantasy, 1970s, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Harley-Davidson Perfume

Classic business failure: "Hot Road," an eau de toilette released by Harley-Davidson in the mid-1990s and quietly discontinued a year or two later. It wasn't exactly an "on brand" product.

More info: Milwaukee Magazine

image source: parfumo.net

Posted By: Alex - Sun Sep 18, 2022 - Comments ()
Category: Business, Products, Success & Failure, 1990s, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Perfume for Ice Cream

Ice-cream chain Salt & Straw is coming out with "culinary perfume" that's designed to be sprayed on ice cream. It'll come in three varieties: "A Cloud of Cocoa," "A Plume of Blooms," and "A Swoon of Citrus."

I'll stick with chocolate sauce.

More info: instagram

Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 21, 2022 - Comments ()
Category: Junk Food, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Potato Perfume

Created as a gimmick by the Idaho Potato Commission. Already out of stock.


More info: Idaho Potato Commission, Instagram, upi.com

Posted By: Alex - Wed Feb 16, 2022 - Comments (5)
Category: Food, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Burberry Hero—man/horse duality

AdWeek named this as the weirdest fragrance ad of 2021. I'd have to agree.

From YouTube:

Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 28, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Advertising, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Whiffy’s Club

Because Marilyn Meissler had always wondered if she was the only person who liked the smell of skunks, in 1989 she placed an ad in USA Today seeking out other skunk lovers:


She got such a positive response that a year later she founded "Whiffy's Club" — a club for people who like the odor of skunks. For $35 members got a t-shirt, button, membership card, and newsletter. And for an extra $11, they got a bottle of skunk aroma.

Montreal Gazette - July 3, 1989

Sequoyah County Times - Jan 31, 1991

Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 03, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Skunk Guard

Skunk Guard was a solution of skunk spray packaged in small glass vials. Ray Hanson and Jack Scaff started selling this stuff in the 1980s with the idea that it could be used as anti-rape perfume. If a woman feared she was about to be raped, she could break open a vial and smear herself with skunk scent, making herself smell so bad that the rapist, hopefully, would go away. As Scaff explained, "The idea is to make the woman so repulsive the attacker runs away."

If the attacker didn't run away he would end up smelling awful also, making it easier for the police to identify him.

Skunk Guard never sold well. I'm guessing most women wanted a form of defense that was more proactive than just making themselves stink.

Honolulu Advertiser - Feb 19, 1985

Minneapolis Star Tribune - May 29, 1985

Santa Cruz Sentinel - Oct 9, 1985

Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 29, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: 1980s, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Amphibia Eau de Toilette

A fragrance for muppet fans was a cute idea, but the image of Kermit with six-pack abs was a bit unsettling.



For some reason, Amphibia was deemed culturally significant enough to be added to the Smithsonian's collection. From the Smithsonian:

Fort Myers News-Press - Dec 26, 1995

Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 16, 2021 - Comments (1)
Category: 1990s, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

Currier and Ives Toiletries

Many cultural touchstones of my youth have vanished, and mean nothing now to new generations.

"Currier and Ives" is one such.

At one time this name meant "nostalgic popular culture invocations of the nineteenth century." But given that meaning, what kind of smells would you necessarily associate with it? Horse manure? Coal fires? Unwashed longjohns? Was that what was meant by "manly elegance?

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jul 29, 2021 - Comments (1)
Category: Advertising, 1960s, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents, Nostalgia