Lightyears Collection
Colgate Perfume Sample Vials
Colgate
(c.1910's, 1920's)

Click on image to enlarge Sample bottles of Colgate perfumes.

Colgate was one of the first perfumers to undertake an aggressive sampling campaign. One of their giveaways was small perfume vials like these. Each contained just enough of the fragrance for one or possibly two uses. Then the bottle was discarded. These little bottles were the equivalent of today's sampling cards inserted into magazines. If you liked what you smelled, you went back to the store and bought a full size bottle.

These small vials were stopped by a tiny cork.

If you have any information on Colgate's early sampling program or the history of Colgate perfumes, please share it with us using the message sender below.