Catalyst by Halston: launched in 1993.
The company, Halston Borghese Inc, was formed in 1992 by four brothers from Saudi Arabia, who bought the Halston & Borghese brands from Revlon, launched the newest Halston perfume, Catalyst in May 1993. It was said to be the first heavily supported Halston launch since 1976. At the time, there was some talk about reviving the Halston fashion line.
"Halston's first fragrance (the classic Halston for Women, launched in 1975) was the cutting edge of the perfumer's art, both in its packaging and its scent," said David Horner, Halston Borghese Inc.'s president for North America. "Now Catalyst follows as one step ahead of the rest."
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? Catalyst is classified as a fruity floral fragrance for women. The floral fragrance has top notes of jonquil and rose with mid-notes of jasmine absolute, lily of the valley, violet and herbs and bottom notes of musk, vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli.
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Still sold in 2010.
- Top notes: Bulgarian rose otto, Egyptian jasmine absolute, galbanum, jonquil, gardenia, peach, hyacinth, and Italian bergamot oil
- Middle notes: blackcurrant bud, violet, French carnation, tuberose, French orange blossom, narcissus, orchid, chamomile, herbs, lily-of-the-valley, French orris root
- Base notes: oakmoss, Indonesian patchouli, Bourbon vetiver, Mysore sandalwood, amber, musk, vanilla and Texan cedar
"Although it's traditionally been difficult and expensive to distill pure essence of jonquil, making it a rare basis for scent, Catalyst's perfumers mastered the process. Catalyst combines jonquil, otto of rose, tuberose, and jasmine absolute top notes with herbs, muguet, violet and chamomile mid notes. Musk, sandalwood, and vetiver blend as base notes to create a rich floral scent with an enduring character. Catalyst is linear and long-lasting," said Horner.
Bottles:
The bottles were inspired by the silhouettes found in Halton's archives, which were donated to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Marc Rosen designed the bottles to have a flowing, cape-like shape. The packaging is reminiscent of Halston's signature black silk cape lined with fuschia. The Three bottle designs: flowing cape, gentle flare of a skirt, and a draped one-shoulder dress. "Catalyst is the interpretation of Halston's design philosophy - classic simplicity and elegance," said Horner.
Catalyst was available in the following:
- 0.125 oz Parfum mini
- 0.25 oz Parfum (retailed for $75)
- 1 oz Parfum (retailed for $250)
- 1.7 oz Eau de Toilette Spray (retailed for $38.50)
- 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray (retailed for $55)
- 3.4 oz Body Lotion
- 6.7 oz Body Lotion
- 3.4 oz Bath & Shower Gel
- 6.7 oz Bath & Shower Gel
Fate of the Fragrance
Still sold in 2010.