Colognes refreshing and revolutionary

HAVANA, CUBA — Call it Eau de Revolution.

Cuba’s biggest producer of natural products has come up with a pair of colognes for the discerning supporter of international socialism who wants something more than just the iconic Che T- shirt.

A woodsy and refreshing citric scent with notes of talcum powder called Ernesto honours guerrilla leader Ernesto Che Guevara. For those seeking something softer and fruitier, there’s a blend with hints of mango and papaya called Hugo, for the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

“They will be very attractive colognes, but the names also mean a lot to us,” said Isbel Gonzalez, vice- president for research and development for Labiofam, which produces homeopathic medicines, cleaning products and dietary supplements.

Formulated by a French company and produced in Cuba, the colognes are being presented this week at a Labiofam convention in Havana. The two scents so far have generic bottles and simple printed labels bearing only their names. But Labiofam is developing more attractive bottles and labels with hopes of putting the colognes on sale in Cuba and internationally, Gonzalez said. She declined to provide a timeline.

Labiofam officials said they and French firm Robertet worked for more than 1 ½ years to produce the colognes. The Cuban company polled 122 visitors to other pharmaceutical conventions to determine what names people preferred from a pre- selected list of options.

“It was a great challenge,” said Cuban biochemist Mario Valdes, who led the scent design team.

The French company did not respond to a request for comment.

Labiofam is also producing a pair of women’s perfumes called Amalia and Alba. While ALBA is the Spanish acronym for the leftist Latin America regional alliance founded by Chavez, Gonzalez did not provide details about whether the perfumes’ names also had political connotations. Celebrity endorsements are a vital part of the perfume and cologne business, but scents inspired by political figures are rare.