Forbidden Fruit - Frosty Couture

By Beth Have you ever had a lover, one who was so delicious in all the right ways, but that you’d never be seen in public with? I’ve had a few of those affairs , absolutely delightful in their inappropriateness. There’s nothing like a dalliance with absolutely the wrong man to make you giggle a bit! It seem that there are also certain fragrances created with that similar forbidden appeal and I am pleased to say that I’ve just found another one of them! I went into Saks to try a sniff of the new Diesel’s today, and was instead sidetracked by the saleswoman who usually feeds my Annick Goutal addictions. She showed me the “Holiday” version of Juicy Couture, a fragrance that I have never looked, at let alone sniffed. At first I was taken aback, I’ve always considered Juicy Couture in the untouchable perfume category for a “mature” woman like me, sort of like miniskirts and long hair after 40 (although I still sport both!) Mona is a lovely woman though and I have always trusted her suggestions. Besides, her eyes were twinkling and she was wearing an irresistible grin like a big Cheshire cat so I was completely intrigued, and as I soon discovered , rightfully so! This particular Juicy Couture is sold in a big beautiful crystal bottle, with a little sparkly crystal snowflake necklace attached. There’s the cutest little Scottie dog emblem (Oh my Gawd…) emblazoned on the bottle and the whole package is rather pink, yet utterly fascinating in the most frivolous and tawdry way. It also has molten yummy sparkles in it that you have to shake the bottle first to mix, sort of like liquid mother of pearl. Then you spray it on with much affectation focusing especially on the shoulders and if you dare lower still. Its official name is “Frosty Couture”. I find that Frosty Couture is actually surprisingly good after the initial shock of bubbly teenage fruitiness! It is a supposedly limited edition (the sparkly version) and that beautiful bottle holds more than a few evenings of fun! Described as a “ Playful and glamorous Eau de Couture” and supposedly inspired by the “Golden age of French perfumery, Marie Antoinette and pastel cookie boxes” , Frosty Couture has very fruity top notes of watermelon, passion fruit and mandarin and finishes like a fabulous crème brulee topped with caramel, vanilla and a bit of patchouli. I was surprised that it smelled really good on me, I thought that it would just disappear into a marshmallow mess on my skin. Instead it became a velvety vanilla custard with a just a taste of the incredible chocolate and passion fruit macaroons that my sister brings me home from Laduree’ in Paris every summer. Needless to say, being a bit of a silly witch I love anything with sparkles, so I sprayed some more of it on (especially around the cleavage) and took it home to my very gentlemanly husband who blushingly told me that it reminded him of a scent that a stripper would wear and he thought it was pretty “in your face” sexy. I love that man. So I immediately went back to Saks and bought it, sparkly pink box and all. To be honest with you, I love it…. there I’ve said it. I’m not ashamed! I probably won’t buy it again though unless they keep it around with the sparkles, the shimmer gives this fragrance its raison d’être. I can also attest to my husband’s continued health and well being even as he devoured a few of those sparkles! So far, what I’ve noticed is that men seem to love this perfume, at least all of my husband’s stuffy pinstriped friends who kept sticking their faces in my neck when we went out for drinks. I told them where they could buy it for their wives, but they said that their women would never wear it for them, too sexy, too silly. So sad , but works for me, I love playing the muse! God, I feel so cheap……but it feels so good! Fortunately for all of you who want to join me in my Moulin Rouge fantasy there’s plenty of this to go around, at least for now! Please don’t wait… like Anais Nin and Colette , Frosty Couture is definitely sexy fun that’s completely wasted on the young! Macaroon photograph courtesy of davidlebovitz.com. Photo of Frosty Couture courtesy of Saks Fifth Ave.