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04 May 2009

The best known of Patou's perfumes is "Joy," a floral scent; another is "Sublime," which combines floral and musky tones. The world's second best-selling scent (the first is Chanel No. 5), Joy was created by Henri Alméras for Patou at the height of the Depression (1935) for Patou's former clients who could no longer afford his haute couture clothes. Upon its introduction, Joy was called "the costliest perfume in the world" by American socialite Elsa Maxwell, and it remains two to three times the cost of most department store scents. Joy's high cost comes from its use of rare florals; each ounce is purported to contain the essence of ten thousand flowers including Bulgarian roses and Grasse jasmine, as well as Michelia champaca alba.

JOY was created with a lot of care, just like the most expensive Haute-Cotture dress, and thus it was extraordinary and timeless. It was presented by Jean Patou as 'the world's most expensive perfume' right at the time of The Great Depression in 1929, when the market of luxury fashion crushed and Jean Patou's house could survive only through the perfumes.

JOY is created of rare flowers in unique concentration of 10600 flowers of jasmine and 28 dozens of roses which adorn the exceptional heart of this perfume. With the time JOY attains enormous success and became the second best selling perfume of all times (the first best-selling is the legendary Chanel N°5).

Intense and luscious with alluring floral composition, JOY was created by Henri Alméras, who made its top notes irresistibly delightful. The composition starts with fragrant jilt tuberose, luscious rose, ylang-ylang blossom, aldehydes, sweet and mouthwatering pear, and green notes. The heart beats passionately in pure and sweetly fresh jasmine notes, seductive and balmy spicy and darkened iris root. The base whiffs with sensual musk, warm and milky-powdery sandalwood, with mild musky civet tones.

The bottle, of simple and straight lines with a golden thread around its neck, was designed by the architect Louis Süe in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml sizes for Eau de Parfume and 30ml and 50ml sizes for Eau de Toilette. Regardelss of its simplicity, the bottle leaves an impression of luxury and hints that its content is one of the best perfumes of the world. In 1932 Jean Patou designed a small black and red bottle in which this perfume is also presented.

The nose behind this fragrance is Henri Almeras.

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