Joséphine Catapano was an American perfumer, born in 1918 and educated at Hunter High School and Hunter College, who built her career as an executive at International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF).
In 1953 she created Estée Lauder's first fragrance, Youth Dew, a bath oil that doubled as perfume and became a perennial bestseller that helped establish the brand. She also created JHL and Guy Laroche's Fidji, and mentored other perfumers, including Sophia Grojsman. She received the Cosmetic Career Women's Award in 1980 and the American Society of Perfumers' Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, and died in 2012.
Complex, long-lasting compositions built on careful note balancing, exemplified by the enduring commercial power of Youth Dew.
Scentsation editorialFragrances credited to Josephine in our catalog, by house.
Story-driven, unconventional compositions that reject European perfumery tradition in favor of unusual landscapes and forgotten histories.
109 creations
American perfumer.
55 creations
Narrative-driven fragrances built to evoke fictional worlds and characters, blending literary inspiration with fine raw materials.
37 creations
