Pinup No 2: Iris Poudre by Frederic Malle

The description on Frederic Malle site portrays Iris Poudre as a "raw classical beauty"; I respectfully disagree. Beauty- undoubtedly, classical- yes, perhaps more classical than modern, raw- not at all. For raw, rooty iris may I recommend you try Jean-Claude Ellena's Bois d'Iris. Iris Poudre is a pampered iris, grown in the most luxurious surroundings, a spoiled, coddled and cherished belle. Iris Poudre is a warm, sweet, dark-golden scent; aldehydes don't bother me here at all, I will go so far as to say that they are practically a no-show, to my nose’s delight. I love the musk note in the drydown, it brings a hint of “animalic” to the whole composition, adding a certain sensuality and a risqué feel to what otherwise could have been a rather tame albeit imposing perfume. I must add that, despite the name, the fragrance is not powdery at all, on my skin. Iris Poudre demands to be worn in cold weather, accessorized with cashmere (but of course!), or in any weather at all for a posh evening out. It may also deign to help you out and make you feel like you are comfortably sitting in the very lap of luxury, even if you are at the moment dressed in your old pajamas. Then again, it may not. In an interview, Pierre Bourdon revealed that his favorite artistic style is the period between impressionism and fauvism, characterized by a balance between figurative interpretation and transcendental reality. I apologize to M. Bourdon for not perceiving his wonderful Iris Poudre as one of the paintings of that period. To me, this scent is an idealized version of what a beautiful woman should look like, a stunning pinup. To illustrate my point, please take a closer look at these paintings by Elvgren, Vargas and Runci. Each of those stunners looks the way Iris Poudre smells. Iris Poudre is available from Editions de Parfum or Barneys, $160.00 for 100ml *Painting No 1 - Suzette by Gil Elvgren; Painting No 2 – Beauty by Alberto Vargas; Painting No 3 – Sheer Delight by Edward Runci

Pinup No 1: Lipstick Rose by Frederic Malle

A pinup is a woman whose physical attractiveness would entice one to place a picture of her on a wall. The pinup images could be cut out of magazines or newspapers, or be from postcard or chromo-lithographs. Such photos often appear on calendars or mass produced posters. Other pinups were artwork, often depicting idealized versions of what a beautiful woman should look like. The genre gave rise to several well-known artists specializing in the field, including Alberto Vargas and George Petty, and numerous lesser artists such as Art Frahm. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Lipstick Rose is so true to its name, smelling like an expensive, somewhat old-fashioned lipstick, it is almost a novelty scent, almost something a Demeter would produce...Almost, but not quite. To use Andy Warhol's words, this is "a deeply superficial" perfume. Lipstick Rose is a pinup vixen who knows exactly what she is doing and, even before the drydown comes, she drops all the pretence of simplicity and innocence and has us when she wants us, wrapped around her little manicured finger. The description on the Malle site proves my point about it being a pinup scent (idealized version of a beautiful woman) when it says that Lipstick Rose is the perfumer Ralf Schwieger's vision of glamorized femininity. Lipstick Rose is indeed oh so pretty, appealingly sweet and comfortably powdery, mostly violets on my skin, with a flirty hint of roses. Lasting power is very good on me, over 6 hours, and when the drydown comes, it is a sensual, slightly musky vanilla and amber mix. This perhaps is not a scent to wear everyday, she is a little bit of a high maintenance, with that sweetness and powderiness, but Lipstick Rose would be just the right accomplice when you want to go, see, conquer and wrap them around your little finger. Lipstick Rose is available from Editions de Parfum or Barneys, $140.00 for 100ml * The Paintings: first, name unknown, by Billy de Vorss, second, Real Cute by Al Buell