Francois Coty: Fragrance, Power, Money Hardcover - 2009

From the jacket flap

"Perfume is a love affair with one's self."
--Fran1/2ois Coty

Captured in an exquisitely crafted translucent Baccarat bottle adorned with a gently shimmering gold-leaf label, the liquid gold of a classic Coty fragrance represents the epitome of luxury, style, and sophistication. At the dawn of the twentieth century, a time when perfumes were sold by pharmacists in dark, inelegant medicinal flasks marked with unsightly labels, Fran1/2ois Coty was developing the first fragrance in what would become the most coveted and glamorous line of cosmetics in the world. He engineered a revolution in the fragrance industry, and in doing so, he became a member of Europe's cultural elite, France's first billionaire, and the Emperor of Perfume.

A talented, passionate, and obsessive man whose Corsican pedigree linked him to Napoleon Bonaparte, Fran1/2ois Coty became a figure of tremendous consequence during his lifetime. This spellbinding chronicle of the life and legacy of the fragrance king traces the rise of the man who would single-handedly transform the way cosmetics were produced, packaged, and marketed around the world.

In addition to being one of history's greatest parfumeurs, Coty was a politician, artist, industrialist, news magnate, and amorous adventurer. Embroiled in the glamor, culture, and romance of turn-of-the-century Paris, and later in the tensions and politics of Europe on the eve of World War II, Coty attracted no small amount of scandal, speculation, and awe. The allure continues to this day. This dynamic biography provides an intimate glimpse into the life and loves of Fran1/2ois Coty, whose exceptional and volatile story is marked by the bittersweet smell of tremendous success.