Fragrance created for JFK by French aristocrat and smuggled in books to avoid the Nazis goes on sale

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

For the first time in over 60 years, the fragrance that was created for John F. Kennedy by a French aristocrat in 1937 is now available to the public.
The intriguing story of Eight & Bob reportedly began when the former president was a college student on vacation in the French Riveria.
Fashionista reports that he struck up a conversation with Frenchman Albert Fouquet by asking him what fragrance he was wearing.

Story behind the packaging: Eight & Bob was reportedly smuggled inside empty hardcover books to avoid Nazi inspectors during World War II , hence the style of the box

Mr Fouquet, a perfumer, left a fragrance sample at JFK’s hotel with a note that said, 'In this jar, you will find the dash of French glamour that your American personality lacks.'
When Kennedy got back to the States, he sent Mr Fouquet a letter saying that all his friends back home loved the fragrance, and asked for eight samples - and 'if your production allows, another one for Bob' (meaning his brother Robert Kennedy).

 

Mr Fouquet complied, and after he labeled the samples 'Eight & Bob', the brand was born. 

The perfumer was shocked when he began receiving requests from Hollywood stars like Cary Grant and James Stewart, who had been introduced to the scent by Mr Kennedy's father Joe.

Rich scent: The main note in the fragrance inspired by John F Kennedy, pictured here in 1961, remains secret

Back story: The Kennedy family has never confirmed or denied Mr Fouquet's story of celebrity, intrigue and very creative packaging 

In 1939, Mr Fouquet died in a car accident. In his absence, the company claims that Fouquet family butler Phillippe continued to fill orders until the start of World War II forced him to leave his job. 

Family fragrance: Eight & Bob was named for samples sent to JFK (left) and his brother Robert Kennedy (right) 

In the last shipments he sent, Philippe hid the bottles inside books that he carefully cut by hand to prevent the Nazis from seizing the perfume.
But his family later recovered the formula and production process, and Eight & Bob hit the market again for the first time in 60 years.
The ingredients to the woody vanilla fragrance remain a closely-guarded secret.
The company says that the fragrance contains extracts of the Andrea plant, which is a nickname Mr Fouquet gave to the plant when he discovered it on a trip to Chile.
A perfume representative told Fashionista that the scent  'smells very much like 1940s.' 
It can only be harvested in December and January, and only 7per cent of the harvest is usable, so the company does not know how much product will be available until the process is complete. 
The perfume comes in one size for $195, and it’s sold in a hardcover book as as a nod to Philippe’s clever Nazi-outsmarting packaging technique. 

Eight & Bob was launched in 2012, and is exclusive to Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman in the U.S.
Some commenters have pointed out that the story sounds fantastical, but the Kennedy family has never confirmed or denied the story.