Nelombo was established in 1931 by Les Laboratoires Dausse, Société Anonyme of Paris, France. The term Société Anonyme translates literally as Anonymous Society, but in business usage it is the French equivalent of a public limited company or corporation. The company entered the highly competitive world of French cosmetics and perfumery during a period when beauty products increasingly blended scientific claims with ideals of luxury and glamour. By the early 1930s, cosmetic houses frequently sought to create complete beauty systems that combined perfumes, skin care products, makeup, and toiletries under a single brand identity.
The name Nelombo itself was drawn from nature and derived from Nelumbium speciosum, an earlier botanical designation for the sacred lotus, now generally classified as Nelumbo nucifera. The lotus had long held symbolic associations with purity, beauty, mystery, and exotic elegance. The flower's ability to rise pristine from muddy waters gave it spiritual significance in many cultures, particularly throughout Asia. Its large pink blossoms also carried an immediate decorative appeal well suited to the marketing of luxury beauty products. By selecting such a name, the company created an identity suggesting both natural beauty and sophisticated exoticism.
Trademark records filed in January 1933 reveal the remarkable breadth of products marketed under the Nelombo name. The registration covered not only perfumes and toilet waters but also face powders, compacts, rouges, lipsticks, eyebrow pencils, hair tints, lavender waters, vegetable-based lotions, eau de cologne, bath salts, dentifrices in liquid and paste forms, face and skin creams, beauty lotions, shampoos, depilatories, astringents, skin oils, brilliantines, and nail polishes. The filing stated that use of the Nelombo name had begun on December 18, 1931. Such an extensive product list demonstrates that Nelombo was envisioned not merely as a perfume line but as a complete beauty brand intended to accompany every aspect of personal care and grooming.
A 1934 report in The Pharmaceutical Journal highlighted one of the firm's more unusual cosmetic products, Tonilombo, also called Nelombo Tonic Milk. This preparation reflected the increasing tendency during the early twentieth century to merge cosmetic beauty products with quasi-medical language and scientific presentation. The product was described as a tonic, antiseptic, and astringent facial milk packaged in two separate bottles that consumers mixed before use. One bottle contained ingredients intended to tone and refresh the skin, including rose water and witch hazel, while the second contained antiseptic components such as camphor and benzoin. Two versions were offered: one formulated for dry skin and another for oily skin. This degree of specialization for different skin types was somewhat sophisticated for its period and illustrates the growing influence of cosmetic science during the interwar years.
The same article also praised Nelombo's perfume line, particularly Le Parfum de Gaby Morlay. The name translates simply as The Perfume of Gaby Morlay and referred to the famous French actress Gaby Morlay. During the early twentieth century, associations with actresses and celebrities increasingly became important marketing tools for perfume houses seeking glamour and recognition. The journal described the fragrance as possessing a pleasingly fresh and floral character that would likely appeal to English women, suggesting that Nelombo was also pursuing an international market beyond France.
The fragrance list introduced by Nelombo in 1933 reflects the perfume traditions of the era. Several compositions were centered around classic floral themes: Oeillet (Carnation), Rose, Violette (Violet), and Gardenia all followed well-established perfume conventions in which familiar flowers served as the basis for compositions. Pois de Senteur translates as Sweet Pea, another floral theme popular for its soft, delicate associations.
Other fragrances reflected broader perfume families or more imaginative concepts. Fougère, meaning Fern, referred not to an actual fern scent but to a major fragrance family characterized by fresh lavender, coumarin, oakmoss, and aromatic notes. Chypre, meaning Cyprus, belonged to another important perfume family combining citrus freshness with mossy and woody depth.
Some titles suggested travel and visual imagery rather than specific flowers. En Croisière translates as On a Cruise or Cruising, evoking travel, elegance, and fashionable leisure associated with ocean liners and Riviera lifestyles during the interwar years. Calliopsis, derived from Greek and meaning beautiful to see, carried a more poetic and artistic quality while also referring to a flowering plant.
Taken together, Nelombo reflects many of the characteristics that defined interwar French beauty culture: an attraction to exotic imagery, scientific cosmetic claims, celebrity associations, and elegant floral perfumery. Though the brand itself is largely forgotten today, its products provide a fascinating glimpse into a period when perfume houses increasingly sought to create complete worlds of beauty rather than simply bottles of fragrance.
The perfumes of Nelombo:
- 1933 Oeillet
- 1933 Rose
- 1933 Violette
- 1933 Fougere
- 1933 Calliopsis (Greek word for "beautiful to see")
- 1933 Gardenia
- 1933 Chypre
- 1933 Pois de Senteur
- 1933 En Croisière
- 1933 Le Parfum de Gaby Morlay