Estée Lauder Youth-Dew Parfum 0.5 oz Splash Sealed 1975 Confirmed Vintage 1970s
An exceptional early example of one of Estée Lauder's most important fragrances, this 1975 CONFIRMED Youth-Dew parfum preserves the fragrance in its highly concentrated perfume form and in a beautiful early luxury presentation. The petite satin-glass flacon, polished clear sides, original decorative cording, and sculptural frosted glass flower stopper give this bottle an entirely different appearance from the familiar ribbed Youth-Dew bottles of later years. Even more importantly for the collector, this example remains corded, sealed, and full.
Available for immediate purchase is this lovely, vintage 1975 CONFIRMED, corded and sealed, made in the USA, original and authentic (Batch Number: A50D; Reference Number: 1004; Pre-EMB; Pre-UPC), Original Youth-Dew perfume (parfum/extrait) splash housed in a 0.50-ounce (1/2 ounce or 15ml) satin glass bottle with clear polished sides by Estée Lauder of New York, NY 10022. The frosted glass flower stopper is by Verreries Brosse, a premier luxury glass designer and manufacturer famous for its high-end perfume glass. All photos were taken at high magnification to best highlight overall condition. The buyer will receive the exact item pictured. Dating Confirmation
Estée Lauder used a four-character alphanumeric batch format during this period. The first letter A identifies the factory or production line, with A representing the U.S. main plant; the second and third characters 50 represent the internal lot or fill sequence; and the final letter D identifies the production year. Within this sequence, C = 1974, D = 1975, E = 1976, and so forth. Therefore, the A50D batch code confirms 1975 production.
The dating is further supported by the original labeling, decorative cording, Pre-EMB and Pre-UPC presentation, and distinctive satin-glass bottle style. This example comes from the final years of this earlier satin parfum flacon before Estée Lauder transitioned to its later ribbed-glass Youth-Dew presentation around 1977-1978. Condition
This bottle is in excellent vintage condition and remains new, corded, sealed, and full. The satin glass finish presents beautifully, as do the contrasting clear polished glass sides and original frosted glass flower stopper. The original cording remains securely in place around the neck and stopper. The original presentation box is not included. Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description. Why This Item Stands Out
Early Youth-Dew is collectible in many forms, but finding the parfum/extrait in this earlier satin-glass presentation still completely full, corded, and factory sealed is considerably more difficult. The 0.50-ounce (15ml) capacity is also a generous quantity for a true parfum concentration.
The bottle itself is an especially attractive piece of Estée Lauder history. Its nearly opaque satin body, transparent polished edges, delicate cording, and sculptural frosted stopper have an elegant mid-century appearance quite unlike the ornate ribbed-glass Youth-Dew bottles familiar to later generations. The confirmed 1975 production date, Pre-EMB and Pre-UPC presentation, original seal, and early bottle design make this a particularly desirable display and collector piece. Collector's Notes
Youth-Dew occupies an important place in American perfume history. Estée Lauder introduced it not simply as a conventional perfume, but as a perfumed bath oil that women could purchase for themselves and also wear directly as fragrance. Its enormous success helped establish fragrance as an important part of the Estée Lauder business.
This 1975 parfum is particularly interesting to collectors because it predates the later and much more commonly encountered ribbed Youth-Dew bottles. The combination of true extrait concentration, early satin-glass presentation, original cording, intact factory seal, Pre-EMB and Pre-UPC markings, and confirmed production year makes it an unusually complete surviving example from this period. Fragrance History:
1953: Estée Lauder introduces Youth-Dew as a perfumed bath oil designed to double as a personal fragrance. Its extraordinary success helps establish fragrance as an important part of the young Estée Lauder company. 1950s-1960s: The popularity of Youth-Dew leads to the fragrance being offered in additional concentrations and presentations, including true parfum. 1975: This exact bottle is produced during the earlier satin-glass, corded flower-stopper generation. Its A50D batch code confirms 1975 manufacture. Circa 1977-1978: Estée Lauder transitions Youth-Dew into the later ribbed-glass presentation that becomes one of the fragrance's most recognizable bottle designs. Today: More than seven decades after its debut, Youth-Dew remains in production and is one of the longest-lived fragrances in the Estée Lauder collection. Fragrance Notes
Originally launched in 1953, Youth-Dew is classified as an amber spicy fragrance and features top notes of orange, spices, aldehydes, and bergamot; middle notes of clove, rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, and cinnamon; on a base of Tolu balsam, amber, musk, vetiver, and vanilla. Rich, warm, spicy, and balsamic, Youth-Dew became one of the defining American fragrances of the postwar era.
