Yardley Lavender Sellers Powder and Rogue

 
Today we all may associate the brand Yardley with our grans - with smells of lavender, lily of the valley and roses. Yet Yardley is one of the world's most established toiletry and cosmetic brands. Since the 1770s Yardley became a popular manufacturer of soaps and perfumes, challenging the strong position of the French cosmetic houses by developing their own lines. With their strong grasp over the marketplace their compacts first started appearing in the 1920s, yet the popularity of the brand mean they are easy to come by today. While they are easy to find, they are often made with considerable style, detail and quality. Often they feature a tiny little motif which became the image of the firm - that of three Lavender Sellers, perhaps a mother and her two daughters. This motif became the brand, the success of both resting upon each other.

Source
1923 advertisement for Yardley's Old English lavender soap

This oblong compact opens by a red plastic clasp, which allow sounds and looks somewhat odd against the metal casing the colour makes a huge statement. Plastic claps look to be a feature of Yardley compacts of this shape - often coming in a contemporary colour to the outer metal ware. The case is marked with the Lavender Sellers motif on the top and Yardley England on the bottom, additionally the brand name is engraved between the two wells inside. 

Circa 1940s this compact has a framed mirror and original puffs, not only this but it came complete with both powder and rogue. Because these compacts were designed to be reused, the two cosmetic holders pop out rather easier with their colour details still attached to the bottom which makes interesting reading.

It is only the rogue [left] which still has Yardley visible in the powder that states it's shade number - that of "Rogue refill no. 1705". What shade this corresponds too I'm unsure but it goes on to state all the available shades as "medium, natural cherry, vivid and poppy". I would just love to see the colour of natural cherry and poppy - they sound really fun! The same accompanies the details regarding the powder - "Yardley Lavender compact powder refill - Natural English Peach, Rachel 1 and Rose Rachel, 33 Old Bond Street London".

While the company was London based they did open and work from New York often marked with an American patent number. However with the refills stating the London address this compact has me considering it's all English in its origin [then again I could be wrong]. While Yardley continues it's perfume and toiletry lines, it's cosmetic lines were discontinued nevertheless they carry on through their vintage compacts.