Lightyears Collection
Prince Matchabelli

Guéorgui Vassilievitch Matchabelli

Had it not been for the Bolshevik takeover of Georgia in 1921, Prince Matchabelli would be an "unknown" today. Prior to 1921, Guéorgui Vassilievitch Matchabelli (1885-1935) served briefly as Georgia's ambassador to Italy, was known to love opera (and at least one lady of the opera), and, in 1916, had married Norina Gilli, an Italian actress. Some biographies, possibly to support his credentials as a perfumer, state that he had studied chemistry in Germany.

In 1924, the Matchabellis found themselves in the United States, penniless refugees from the Bolshevik terror. The prince, it is said, could only go out at night in a dinner jacket for all his other clothes were being held as security for debts he could not pay. His situation was similar to other formerly wealthy nobles fleeing the Bolsheviks.

We don't know how the Matchabellis got the idea to start a perfume business or where they got their first formula. It is worth noting that in 1924, Coco Chanel entered into a marketing agreement for her No.5 perfume. Chanel had been introduced to perfumer Ernest Beaux, himself an exile from Russia, by another refugee from Russia, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavolvitch — whose sister, Marie, who had worked for Chanel, would later consider launching a perfume of her own in the United States. Perhaps as Russia had been the home of so much perfume, perfume was in the air for the Matchabellis, and in 1926 a perfume could still be launched with very modest capital.

Click on image to enlarge Older Prince Matchabelli perfume bottle (c.1930-1935), possibly for Holly Berry

In 1926 the Matchabellis went a bit deeper into hock to set up their perfume company. Princess Norina Matchabelli is said to have designed the trademark bottle — a bottle said to be a small replica of Prince Matchabelli's (lost) crown. A publicist arranged for an interview with Collier's magazine. Somewhere a formula was obtained. Stories were told that it came from Matchabelli's grandmother and that Matchabelli was an amateur chemist. The interview was a success. The fragrance generated sales. More fragrances were introduced.

In 1931, Princess Matchabelli became a dedicated follower of Meher Baba; in 1933 the Matchabellis divorced. Prince Matchabelli died in 1935 and was buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Queens, New York.

The Prince Matchabelli perfume business was sold to Saul Ganz in 1936 for $250,000. Ganz appointed his son, Paul H. Ganz, to be president of the company. In 1941 Prince Matchabelli was sold to Vicks Chemical Company. In 1958, Vicks sold Prince Matchabelli to Chesebrough-Ponds. Chesebrough-Ponds was acquired by Unilever in 1987. In 1993, the Chesebrough-Ponds division of Unilever sold the Prince Matchabelli brands to Parfums de Coeur, Ltd.

In the fall of 1954, General Motors gave away 1,016,920 bottles of Prince Matchabelli perfume to promote the introduction of the 1955 Chevrolet.

The advertising campaign for Prince Matchabelli's Wind Song perfume is believed to be the first campaign the industry has ever used for a woman's fragrance that featured images only of men.

Perfumes By Prince Matchabelli

If you have any comments about Prince Matchabelli, please share them with us using the message sender below.

• Tammy, 02/26/2024. I love Fresh White Musk! I received comments every day on how good it smelled. I wish you would bring it back! I wore it every day and I miss it. I can not find anything close to the smell.
  
  

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• Anne, 06/16/2023. I was given a bottle of Masquerade by Prince Matchabelli. I received compiments whenever I wore it. But I used it all and have not been able to find another bottle. eBay has one but I don’t want to pay $100 for less than an ounce of 50 year old fragrance that might have changed by now. I was hoping to find it has a new name and is being made again .
  
  

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• Rhonda Tanner, 12/22/2022. I got a gift 3 piece set of Golden Autumn for Christmas in maybe 1972. Had perfume powder and lotion. It became my favorite and I’ve been searching for it since then. Anyway it is available now ? I loved it and have never been able to find it since then
  
  

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• Cheryl schaar, 11/28/2022. Odyssey perfume is sold thru Avon. Windsong was also thru Avon in the 80s. My mom used to buy these. Now I can only find windsong in body spray at Bi-Mart and Walmart. The perfume box is a website that even sells some rarer fragrances at a cost though. Check it out!
  

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• Angela, 09/28/2022. I came across this web site because I was interested in finding out about a perfume box I have - it was kept in storage and must be close to 80 pluse years old now. It is of black laquered paper with a red velvet top imprinted with a gold crown, 5 1/2' l x 4 3/4' w x 2"h. It is imprinted on the end "Prince Machabelli" and on the underside says that it contained 2 FL OZ COLOGNE: ONE DRAM PEFUME etc. It does not give what perfume so that I can gauge the year/s. Any ideas?
  

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• Marty Allen, 06/15/2021. I have one of these bottles in good shape

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• Mary Carroll, 01/28/2021. Back in the 1970's there was Prince Matchabelli "Blue jeans" and I have search for many years to try to find it and see if anything could come close to that wonderful scent along with the memories. Please help and Thank you!
  
  

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• Nathaniel H Dahl , 07/20/2020. My uncle, Norman F. Dahl, was president of Prince Matchabelli for some period of time during the years it was owned by Vicks. He was a chemist who rose through the executive ranks at Scott and Baum Co. of Bloomfield, NJ (makers of Scott's Emulsion and other products). He also worked for a time for Elizabeth Arden. I remember him as two people - the reserved and rather stuffy man he was before his first wife, Gladys (nee Masker) died, and the happy-go-lucky jolly guy he became when he married his second wife, who's name I can't recall. It was shocking, the first time I saw him in his 2nd incarnation - he was wearing blue jeans instead of a suit and tie, and drove a Ford Mustang rather than a Lincoln Continental. He died a happy man at his 80th birthday party, with a martini in his hand.
  
  

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• Sandee snyder, 06/18/2019. I would love to smell and bathe in the oil of ABANO once more before I died.... please let me know if there is a newer scent similar. Thank you
  
  

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• Lg O'Brien, 03/18/2019. I want my Cachet back!!! I've been using that since it came out. Absolutely nothing like! Awesome fragrance. If anyone can tell me how I can campaign to get this back please do so. I'm so lost without it. Nothing else comes close to smelling that good on me. I'm so disappointed.
  
  

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• Bev Langdon, 03/15/2019. Chimere is the most beautiful perfume in the world equating with the perfume Joy.
  The recipe should be on file. Please start production of it again or sell the recipe to someone else. It is a crime to keep it under wraps. I still have a spray from 1982 that I sniff occasionally to bring back my courtship days.
  
  

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• Ma Swain, 03/19/2018. My grandmother wore Golden Autumn and it turned into the fragrance I loved as well. I have ordered from a company that is supposed to be able to replicate any scent but when I received it the scent was more like Wind Song not Golden Autumn. I wish they would bring this scent back.
  

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• Kathy Sturr, 03/19/2018. I love my Wind Song. I have been wearing it for many many many years. I hope that you continue to make this lovely fragrance.
  
  

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• Cheri Rice, 03/19/2018. I agree. Please bring back Cachet. I'm lost without it also. Used it every day and always got compliments about it. Please, Please bring it back.
  
  

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• Lg O'Brien, 07/17/2017. I want my Cachet back!!! I've been using that since it came out. Absolutely nothing like! Awesome fragrance. If anyone can tell me how I can campaign to get this back please do so. I'm so lost without it. Nothing else comes close to smelling that good on me. I'm so disappointed.
  

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