10-
Sarah Jessica Parker's
"Lovely" made its
debut this fall.
a frenzy over perfumes," according to the
poet Diane Ackerman wrote.
International Museum of Perfumery.
"One scent can be unexpected,
Today, the perfume center of the world is in
momentary and fleeting, yet
Grasse, France, just west of Nice. Many perfumes
conjure up a childhood sum-
are produced here, and the city is home to some of
mer beside a lake in the moun-
the world's greatest "noses," or fragrance designers.
tains."
These are the men and women able to sort out the
Fragrance not only conjures
LOVELY
SARAH JL4,,:CA PARKER
up to 500 different fragrances that can make a sin-
memories, it brings in big
gle perfume. They start with a single scent, often a
money. In 2005, sales nation-
ong before "Marilyn
popular flower such as jasmine or rose, to which
wide
are
expected
to
reach
Monroe: The Exhibit"
anything from more florals to herbs to fruits (lemon
more than $6 billion.
even opened, patrons
Longtime best sellers include and orange are popular) to synthetic creations are
lined up outside the
added. Tommy Hilfiger's True Star perfume is said
classics like Chanel No. 5, Joy
building that hosted the
to include a whiff of rice pudding, a favorite of
and
Shalimar.
Meanwhile,
at
event. The City of Hope fund-
singer
Beyonce, for whom the scent was designed.
Sephora, the most fun cosmet-
raiser, held last year in Indiana,
Beyonce is just one celebrity who has, in recent
ics store in the world, with
featured a huge collection of
months,
added her name to a scent. Britney Spears
local
branches
in
Twelve
Oaks
Monroe memorabilia, ranging from curlers (with
had
Curious,
then Fantasy. Sarah Jessica Parker
Mall in Novi and the Somerset Collection in Troy,
strands of the actress's famous white-blonde hair
designed Lovely.
popular fragrances are Dolce & Gabbana Light
still tangled within), wigs, dresses, photos and a
As lush as the fragrance itself is the marketing
Blue,
Pink
Sugar
and
Carolina
Herrera.
One
of
the
bottle of her favorite perfume, Joy.
campaign
behind it. These scents invariably are
store's most popular new scents is Calvin Klein
It's a popular, but understandable, misconcep-
described as "romantic" and "timeless," "unforget-
tion that Monroe's favorite scent was Chanel No. 5 Euphoria.
table" and "fresh" (or, in the case of
(she did, after all, tell reporters that's all she wore
Lovely, "hyper-feminine and tastefully
to bed). In fact, as Monroe experts will testify, she
Going Into A Frenzy
hip").
was most enamored with Jean Patou's Joy.
Though each year about 100 new
Created in 1930, Joy was promoted as the most
perfumes are introduced, often tout-
expensive perfume in the world, a scent "free from
ing "fresh" and "exotic" ingredients,
She Wrote The Book
all vulgarity," not to mention being "impudent,
the very first fragrances were made
crazy and extravagant beyond reason." Its devoted
Countess Jan Moran holds a degree
from simple items found in almost
fans included not only Marilyn Monroe but Gloria
from the Harvard Business School, but
every kitchen.
Swanson, Vivien Leigh, Mae West and Mary
it's fragrance that captured her heart.
In biblical times, women wore a
Pickford.
"For Me, perfume always represented
fragrant oil made of cinnamon from
Actress Katie Holmes, on the other hand, goes
the luxurious life, a life to be lived to the
China as well as jasmine and rose
for something a bit less floral. Her scent of choice
fullest, not hoarded away for special
from Israel. These were mixed with
is Jo Malone's Grapefruit, while singers Mariah
occasions and future days," she writes in
oils, then placed in bags and worn
Carey and Whitney Houston opt for Laila, said to
her book Fabulous Fragrances.
around the neck.
smell like the mountains of Norway. Johnny
According to Moran, there is a reason
The first cologne using alcohol,
Depp's longtime sweetheart, Vanessa Paradis, loves
that fragrance you adore costs so much:
an ingredient in many modern per-
Chanel's Coco, also a favorite with Catherine Zeta-
it's painstaking work to make.
fumes, was produced in 1370. By
Jones and Gwyneth Paltrow.
It takes 45 minutes for a single,
Jo Malone's
the 19th century, "society went into
new fragrance,
"Nothing is more memorable than a smell,"
skilled worker to pick one pound of flowers.
L
Pomegranate
Noir, was
inspired by a
vintage red-silk
dress a friend of
Malone's wore
to a party.
Scent Of A Woman on page
8
JN GIFT GUIDE I • NOVEMBER 2005 • 7