How Scent Historians Reignited Smell-O-Visions’ Long-Lost ‘Scent of Mystery’ Perfume Created for Elizabeth Taylor’s Character; Now, A Rare, Limited-Edition Fragrance

Art of Fragrance

Aug 8

Elizabeth Taylor at “Scent of Mystery” Premiere. Photo: Art Shay, courtesy of Richard Shay

When two of my passions seemingly “blended," I thought I was dreaming: Perfume with a cinematic co-star by none other than the eternally glamorous (and philosophical) Elizabeth Taylor ~ (and in a decades later kind of plot twist, introduced her own Passions perfume.) You can readily see how much I adore this icon just by the quotes I spotlight on the Garden Glamour opening page.

So Perfume and Liz = Kismet 🌟 When looking for a real, i.e authentic perfume story, it doesn’t get any better than this 1960 script.

Let me explain this particular kind of Hollywood romantic pairing because I’m not referring to Liz’s own line of fragrances, including Passions in 1987, followed by her precious jewels that launched in 1991 with the best-selling White Diamonds, followed by The “Diamonds” Collection: Diamonds with Emeralds, with Rubies, and with Sapphires in 1993. It can be argued that the inspiration for her to create her signature perfume, Passions, was ignited by her experience playing a role where fragrance was a kind of co-star and smell was a plot device.

Here is that story.

Not so long ago, I received news that Olfactory Art Keller was featuring an exhibit of a long-lost perfume that was originally created for the 1960 Smell-O-Vision film. Oh, if Christopher Nolan could lend his considerable talent and create a film with fragrance in a major role 😉. But Mr. Nolan swims in the waters of success and alas, Smell-O-Vision technology ~ the intriguing pursuit of disseminating odors/smells in theaters as part of the movie was a concept that never succeeded.

The core elements to this momentous art story I’m about to share, unfolds not unlike scenes from a film, or a perfume where you move from top note to heart to the base.

One element is the exhibit itself, which celebrated the film and scent; the other being the fragrance that was co-curated by scent historians Jas Brooks and Tammy Burnstock as a limited edition purchase ~ much like an exhibition catalog accompanies a gallery’s fine art show. When I saw that the limited edition fragrance was offered for sale, needless to say, I clicked straight-away to reserve my bottle. (More on that later)

The work of a fragrance historian is utterly fascinating. I wish I had known that this was even a career option! For me, the entire history of fragrance itself is astonishing ~ from ancient perfumes, to love potions, to its veneration of plants, to its role in cultural and religious rituals (think incense and the portal to heaven…) Perfume historians track how ingredients and the scent-making reflect or influence culture and impact an era’s social norms of fashion, politics and lifestyle. These historians study archives ~ documenting lost or classic recipes; organizing fragrances into searchable databases; and reconstruction, where they collaborate with experts using data and recovered ingredients.

Opening Credits

First, let me share some context: Olfactory Art Keller was a “unique museum in lower Manhattan featuring artists working in all mediums to experiment with scents and perfumers to create scents as objects of aesthetic experience by providing a dedicated exhibition space for olfactory art.” Regrettably it is now shuttered. (I’m hoping that, like Phoenix, it rises yet again.) I attended a few avant-garde shows there, located in what was a former barber shop.

Its owner, Andreas Keller was so helpful to me, back in 2022 when I had identified an inspiring woman I wanted to feature on my Ladies Who Lunch Conversations videocast; he readily stepped up to network me to the incredibly talented and inspiring Mackenzie Reilly, the world-class perfumer, now a visual artist.

Therefore, I was already a huge fan and advocate for Keller and his Olfactory Art. When I received news of his exhibition presenting Her Scent of Mystery, an exhibition centered on the rediscovery and reimagining of Scent of Mystery, a long-lost perfume originally created for the 1960 Smell-O-Vision film of the same name, I was all in.

Fragrances offer a truly sensual experience and this had all the markings of an epic tale.

Scent of Mystery ~ Act One

In taking my perfume classes from the Grasse Institute of Perfumery I learned that every good perfume starts with the story. Just as I have always said, every good garden design starts with a story. In turn, this reinforced for me to be ever more aware and appreciative that Art of many mediums has its roots that start as a story. Whether it’s gardens, music, painting, garden design, tablescapes, they all are telling a story. As a writer, this acknowledgement just warms my senses.

Scent of Mystery premiere. Photo Art Shay, courtesy of Richard Shay

The narrative behind Scent of Mystery is best told in the scent historians’ own words. Here is their story: Crafted not just for the screen but for Elizabeth Taylor’s elusive character Sally Kennedy, the perfume played a pivotal role in the film’s plot, guiding viewers by scent to distinguish Taylor’s character from her decoy. “Her Scent of Mystery” dives into the cinematic and sensory spectacle of “Scent of Mystery” (1960), where Taylor’s elusive character, Sally Kennedy, was identified by her signature perfume: one of 30 aromas delivered via Smell-O-Vision’s automated scent track.

Though trademarked and teased for commercial release, the fragrance was never brought to market.

Fast forward. Brooks and Burnstock partnered with acclaimed perfumer Marissa Zappas to reconstruct the scent using archival research, chemical analysis, and creative interpretation. Inspired by a surviving sample of Raoul Pantaleoni’s lost 60-ingredient formulation, the revived perfume captures what the film’s novelization described as “the girl at the far end of the rainbow:” an unattainable ideal glimpsed only in passing.

The reconstructed fragrance is presented in a custom handblown flacon by glass artist Mark Eliott, accompanied by a sample of the original oxidized perfume used in the analysis.

Scent of Mystery flacon, designed by Mark Eliot

The flacon is so sexy. While I swoon to see it, my wallet could not accommodate the price for the teardrop design $1,400); rather splurging for the more do-able 10 ml option. Thank you, Jas and Tammy.

The exhibition presented this reinterpreted perfume alongside archival material that traces the perfume’s curious journey: from cinematic plot point to unrealized product.

Nadia Roden illustration of Smell-O-Vision for “Her Scent of Mystery” art exhibition at Olfactory Art Keller

Highlights from the museum’s exhibit included illustrations by Nadia Roden showing the mechanics of the original Smell-O-Vision system, along with rare promotional items, and evidence suggesting the perfume may have been developed to be distributed by a major perfume house: Schiaparelli ~ one of my all-time favorites.

One original, preserved bottle, was found on eBay by Susan Todd (daughter of producer Mike Todd Jr. who was Liz’s stepson from her marriage to his father), hints at a commercial vision that never came to be. Her Scent of Mystery also illuminates Taylor’s connection to the original film. More than a cameo, she was a major financial backer of Scent of Mystery and its Smell-O-Vision technology, reportedly investing between $1.5 and $2 million in the production. Even while battling pneumonia, she attended the Chicago premiere, and made a point to tell the press she could still smell the scents. Her belief in the emotional power of fragrance (my emphasis) would reemerge decades later with her own perfume line, the aforementioned and beloved Passions and the White Diamonds Collection.

Decades before celebrity fragrances became mainstream, Scent of Mystery envisioned scent as both storytelling tool and brand extension, according to the scent historians.

As Brooks and Burnstock suggest, this forgotten perfume marks a singular moment in cinematic history: when perfume, persona, and projection first collided on-screen. Hey, that’s a trifecta of passions.✨✨✨

Highlighting Brooks’ ~ Snivure’s Instagram post surrounding the exhibit Jas wrote: “We’re honored to present a few of photographer Art Shay’s gorgeous shots of the 1960 midnight premiere soiree in Chicago, on view thanks to Richard Shay. Femme guests that night received bottles of “Scent of Mystery” perfume as part of their souvenir package. True to Mike Todd Jr. 's flair for immersive promotion, these gift sets also included paperback versions of the screenplay, souvenir programs, and a 45 of the theme song sung by Eddie Fisher.

The limited edition perfume was reconstructed to imagine what the scent was like before sixty years from the original degraded and oxidized 1960 fragrance by Raoul Pantaleoni and its restored interpretation by acclaimed perfumer, Marissa Zappas

Fragrance: Marissa Zappas, inspired by Raoul Pantaleoni’s original “Scent of Mystery.”

Glasswork: Mark Eliott

Perfume Box: Luke Schepers

The innovative Scent of Mystery Exhibit at Olfactory Art Keller was covered by many media and news outlets, including the New York Times, highlighting the various artists and history.

The Story Behind the Recreation of Scent of Mystery ~ Act Two

According to the research, “The revival is grounded in chemical analysis, historical and archival research, and first-hand accounts, conducted by Jas and Tammy, and brought to life through the expertise of perfumer Marissa Zappas. Together, their collaboration restored a vanished fragrance to the present, not as a copy, but as a living evocation of cinematic history.

The perfume peels back the layers of age, adding back lost citrus top notes of bergamot, softening the structure, and balancing its white florals, powdery talc finish, aldehydic lift, and trace of spice and warmth.

I just love these white floral and citrus plants’ essential oils. And feature then in my sillage scents...

Scent Of Mystery fragrance recreated. Luke Schepers box design that I was keen to display in my home office

According to the historians, “The 10 mL bottle itself was kept deliberately simple, allowing the design of its presentation to carry the drama. Each comes housed in a custom box inspired by Luke Scheppers’ case design for the exhibition: five walls surround the bespoke flacon that unfurl as the lid is lifted.

The box for the more demure 10ml bottle I own is in keeping with the unfurling concept and is designed to hold both the bottle and a blotter upright, enabling diffusion of the scent into a room as well as to display.

My delivery of “Scent of Mystery” included so many treats

Scent of Mystery bespoke packaging with it’s story

Jas wrote: “These pieces are designed so that the fragrance can be experienced in two ways: as a perfume you can wear, and as a kind of "olfactory photo book" for your coffee table. When fully opened, the box holds the bottle upright and displays a blotter you’ve just sprayed: inviting conversation, scent exploration, and a small window into the history behind the fragrance.

Inside, a set of perfume blotters echoes the crackled pattern of the fragrance’s original intended commercial packaging from 1960.

Unveiling a Treasure: video of bespoke “Scent of Mystery” unboxing is an experience

Epilogue ~ Post-Credit “Stingers”

Snivure creates olfactory and edible accompaniments that transform the way audiences experience film and performance. From intimate theater runs of a hundred scratch-and-sniff cards to large-scale productions for thousands, our work has brought scent and flavor into classics such as Nosferatu (1929) and Willy Wonka (1971). Each project is tailored to its context, employing formats that range from scratch-and-sniff surfaces to sprays and automated diffusers, ensuring that smell becomes an integral part of the story.

Jas operates Snivure, a studio dedicated to the design and research of scented and edible history, entertainment, and cultural experiences. The name Snivure merges sniff and gravure, evoking both the sensory act of smelling and the engraved impression left by an experience.

They specialize in bringing smell and taste into storytelling, whether through large-scale scratch-and-sniff productions for cinema, historically reconstructed fragrances, or bespoke edible projects. Much of their scent direction and design is informed by archival research as well as the lived experience of producing and staging multiple scented events, ensuring each project is grounded in both history and practice.

“At the center of Snivure is Jas Brooks, a media archaeology researcher, designer, and incoming Assistant Professor at MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Jas’s academic research focuses on technologies for smell and taste, spanning historical scent media to contemporary sensory interfaces. They received their PhD in Computer Science from the University of Chicago, where their work explored the conservation, analysis, and design of olfactory and gustatory technologies. Jas’s independent research investigates historical scent systems such as AromaRama and Smell-O-Vision (1960), documents scent-enhanced film exhibitions from 1900–59, and traces the forgotten stories of dot-com era pioneers like DigiScents and TriSenx. Their work has been featured in Perfumer & Flavorist, Ça Fleure Bon, and the Chicago Reader. They are a recipient of the University of Chicago’s Media Arts, Data & Design Fellowship, and their projects have been recognized with the Experimental Award at the Art & Olfaction Awards.

Snivure collaborates with a wide network of partners across disciplines. Frequent collaborators include Tammy Burnstock, Scented Storytelling, a film historian and curator who has long worked on reviving scent-enhanced cinema. Past collaborators include perfumer Marissa Zappas, alongside other artists, perfumers, and chemists.

The End

Perfume takes us on a journey and triggers our memories more than any of our other senses. I hope you enjoyed this historical journey and the special archival stories.

Cheers to the art of perfume and the romance of sillage…

P.S. The Stars have “Aligned.” 🌟🌟😉 Please allow me one moment to tell you that my next, limited-edition fragrance creation is finally ready to be launched. Watch for it?. Thank you.