About Me

 

Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel

Independent Perfume Historian | Researcher | Writer | Antique Dealer & Collector

Welcome to My Max Factor Perfume Archive

Welcome, and thank you for visiting my Max Factor perfume website!

My name is Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel, although many in the fragrance community know me as Cleopatra, the founder of Cleopatra's Boudoir. I am an independent perfume historian, writer, researcher, antique dealer, and collector with more than twenty-five years of experience studying antique and vintage perfumes, historic fragrance houses, decorative bottles, cosmetics, advertising, and the beauty industry.

Since establishing Cleopatra's Boudoir in 1999, I have devoted myself to uncovering and preserving the often-forgotten history of perfumery. What began as a fascination with antique perfume bottles grew into an extensive collection of historical research covering thousands of fragrances, manufacturers, and beauty products.

I created this website to explore the fragrance heritage of Max Factor, a company best remembered for revolutionizing Hollywood makeup but whose contributions to American perfumery are equally fascinating.

My interest extends beyond familiar fragrances such as Blasé, Aquarius, and Khara. I am particularly interested in Max Factor's early perfume laboratories, the work of perfumer and chemist Dr. Anthony T. Frascati, the company's connection with Hollywood glamour, and its later association with historic French perfume houses such as Corday.

Rather than repeating the company's history here, which I have documented separately, this page introduces the person behind the research.

My Research and What I Do

I often describe myself as a perfume historian and detective because much of my work involves piecing together forgotten histories from scattered evidence.

I research original newspaper and magazine advertisements, department-store catalogs, perfume trade journals, patents, trademarks, business directories, and surviving bottles and packaging. These primary sources help me establish fragrance introduction dates, identify original presentations, document historical scent descriptions, and distinguish early products from later reformulations.

My research into Max Factor encompasses not only perfume but also the cosmetics, packaging, advertising, and beauty innovations that helped shape twentieth-century popular culture.

I am especially interested in the relationship between Hollywood and fragrance: how perfumes were marketed, how celebrities influenced consumer tastes, and how changing ideals of beauty were reflected in the products women purchased.

As a collector and antique dealer, I also enjoy helping others identify and date vintage perfume bottles, decorative vanity accessories, and discontinued beauty products.

My goal is to make reliable historical information freely accessible, particularly when it concerns products that have disappeared from the marketplace or are poorly documented elsewhere.

My Work in the Fragrance Community

Over the years, my research has been referenced and appreciated by perfume collectors, writers, journalists, and historians.

I have contributed writing to Fragrantica and The Perfume Magazine, previously served on Sniffapalooza's Fragrance Advisory Board, participated in Allure magazine's Beauty Panel, and have been associated with the International Perfume Bottle Association (IPBA).

I have also authored more than 200 educational eBay guides on antique and vintage perfumes and collecting.

My research has been cited or acknowledged in publications including Lizzie Ostrom's Perfume: A Century of Scents, Gregory N. Daugherty's The Reception of Cleopatra in the Age of Mass Media, and Mary May Robertson's The Marriage between Perfume and the Lyric Stage.

Cleopatra's Boudoir has been affectionately described as a "Temple to Ancient Perfumes" by Beauty Bible, while Scent Grail has called it a "gold mine about dating vintage perfumery." Amelia of The Vintage Perfume Vault generously recognized my work as an important contribution to the free exchange of historical perfume information online.

These acknowledgments mean a great deal to me because my work has always been driven by curiosity, a love of history, and the desire to share what I discover.

Why Preserving Perfume History Matters

Perfume is an unusually fragile part of our cultural heritage. Fragrances evaporate, formulas change, bottles are discarded, and once-popular products disappear from memory.

Yet a single advertisement, original box, or surviving perfume bottle can reveal fascinating details about the fashions, technology, and social attitudes of its time.

Through this website, I hope to preserve the stories behind Max Factor's fragrances and the people who created, advertised, and enjoyed them.

My research is ongoing, and I continue to welcome historical photographs, advertisements, catalogs, and information from fellow collectors.

Whether you are researching a discontinued perfume, identifying an inherited bottle, or simply exploring the glamorous world of vintage cosmetics, I hope you find something here that inspires your curiosity.

Thank You for Visiting

I am sincerely grateful to the readers, collectors, and fellow fragrance enthusiasts who have supported my work throughout the years.

Your questions, discoveries, and encouragement continue to inspire my research.

My greatest hope is that these archives will help preserve the history of perfumery for today's enthusiasts and future generations of collectors and historians.

Thank you for visiting, and happy collecting!

Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel
Cleopatra
Founder of Cleopatra's Boudoir
Independent Perfume Historian, Researcher & Writer
Southern New Jersey, USA

Contact: reinedeparfum@gmail.com

Preserving the past, one perfume at a time.

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This website is an independent historical and educational resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially associated with Max Factor, its current or former owners, or any affiliated companies. All trademarks and brand names remain the property of their respective owners.