Parfums Astrologique Cie was one of the more unusual and imaginative fragrance ventures to emerge during the early 1930s, a period when perfumers increasingly embraced theatrical marketing concepts to distinguish themselves in a crowded luxury market. Established in 1930 and headquartered at 730 Fifth Avenue in New York City, the company built its entire identity around astrology, mysticism, and personality-driven fragrance selection. At a time when fascination with horoscopes, occultism, spiritualism, and esoteric symbolism permeated popular culture, Parfums Astrologique cleverly merged perfume with the romantic allure of the zodiac, transforming fragrance into something supposedly written in the stars.
The company’s central gimmick was both novel and commercially savvy: each astrological sign was assigned its own perfume, allowing customers to choose a scent according to the month and zodiac sign under which they were born. Aquarius corresponded to January, Pisces to February, Aries to March, Taurus to April, Gemini to May, Cancer to June, Leo to July, Virgo to August, Libra to September, Scorpio to October, Sagittarius to November, and Capricorn to December. This concept appealed strongly to consumers seeking individuality and self-expression during an era when department store beauty counters increasingly emphasized “personality” in cosmetics and fragrance advertising. Rather than merely purchasing a pleasant scent, customers were invited to discover the perfume supposedly destined for their astral identity.
A 1930 article from The Milwaukee Journal captured both the novelty and playful skepticism surrounding the brand. The article described the “ballyhoo about matching up perfume and personality” reaching “a new peak” with Parfums Astrologique’s twelve contrasting odors. Customers were instructed to consult an astrological chart to identify their zodiac sign and then select the corresponding perfume. Although the article gently mocked the line’s “mystic pretensions,” it nevertheless acknowledged that the fragrances themselves were genuinely attractive bouquets. This distinction is important because many novelty perfumes of the era relied solely upon marketing gimmicks, whereas Astrologique appears to have attempted to produce legitimately appealing fragrances in addition to its astrological theme.
The presentation of the perfumes was particularly striking and reflected the glamorous Art Deco aesthetic popular during the early 1930s. According to contemporary descriptions, the perfumes were sold in circular onyx bottles topped with small crystal-ball-like stoppers, visually reinforcing the occult and fortune-telling imagery central to the brand’s identity. Such designs would have strongly appealed to fashionable consumers fascinated by exoticism, mystery, and modern luxury. By 1931, another bottle style appeared: a tall, square black glass flacon with a button stopper and gold foil label, standing approximately 3¾ inches high. These elegant black glass bottles were likely manufactured by Cristalleries de Nancy, a respected French glassworks known for sophisticated perfume flacons during the Art Deco period. The stark black glass contrasted beautifully with gold accents, giving the bottles an aura of sophistication, secrecy, and nocturnal glamour perfectly suited to the astrology theme.
The company’s marketing positioned fragrance as an extension of feminine identity and destiny. A 1931 advertisement from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle emphasized the notion that “perfumes must be entirely different for each distinctive type of woman.” This reflected broader trends in interwar beauty culture, when perfumers increasingly segmented scents according to personality types, hair color, temperament, or lifestyle. Astrologique merely pushed this concept further by anchoring fragrance selection in the zodiac itself. The same advertisement also reveals the dramatic price collapse caused by the economic pressures of the Great Depression. Bottles originally priced at $15 — a considerable luxury sum in 1930 — were being sold for only $1.79 by 1931, illustrating how even glamorous perfume houses struggled amid worsening economic conditions.
Although little survives about the actual fragrance compositions, the perfumes were likely constructed in the fashionable style of the era: rich floral bouquets softened with powdery bases and enhanced by the growing use of synthetic aroma chemicals. By the 1930s, perfumers were blending traditional natural materials such as rose, jasmine, violet, orange blossom, and sandalwood with modern synthetics including ionones, aldehydes, vanillin, and synthetic musks. These materials allowed fragrances to possess greater diffusion, abstraction, and longevity while also making production more affordable during financially uncertain times. It is possible each zodiac perfume attempted to embody stereotypical traits associated with its sign — perhaps fiery spices for Aries or warm oriental nuances for Scorpio — though surviving documentation remains scarce.
Today, Parfums Astrologique Cie remains a fascinating example of Depression-era perfume marketing, where fantasy, mysticism, luxury, and identity converged in an effort to enchant consumers. The company’s surviving bottles, particularly the black glass examples and crystal-stoppered designs, are now prized by collectors for their evocative Art Deco styling and their wonderfully eccentric concept — fragrances chosen not merely by taste, but by the heavens themselves.
- Aquarius-January
- Pisces-February
- Aries-March
- Taurus-April
- Gemini-May
- Cancer-June
- Leo-July
- Virgo-August
- Libra-September
- Scorpio-October
- Sagittarius-November
- Capricorn-December