Tableau de Parfums Miriam... and a draw.

Miriam is a departure for Andy Tauer.  He's known for scents that while they can be quite lush are scrupulously modern.  Miriam is almost a throwback.

Almost.

Miriam was created for the film "Woman's Picture", an anthology film by Brian Pera which was inspired by classic films of the forties and fifties.  It's a three-part story that follows three women at a critical point in their lives.  I was lucky enough to see the complete film at OUTFEST and was really impressed; all three stories are extremely compelling.  Brian is working with Andy on perfumes that will tie into each of the stories.  Miriam is the first.

Miriam (Ann Magnuson) hosts a program on a home-shopping network that borders on therapy for her callers.  She sells bath salts and jewelry while dispensing relationship advice to the mothers and daughters who call in.  She honestly feels a bond with these women and knows that she's a comfort to them.  Her own mother, with whom she had a difficult relationship is in an expensive nursing home, ravaged with Alzheimers.  Her partner is unemployed and seemingly not interested in getting his butt off the sofa and getting a job and the powers-that-be at the office are wanting to change her show to sell more product.  Practically her only comfort is a bottle of her mothers (un-named) perfume that she will turn to and occasionally smell, aware that the amount in the bottle is as finite as her mothers time left on Earth.

Woman's Picture: Snapshot 1 - Miriam Masterson from brian pera on Vimeo.

I'm not going to tell you any more, since you really should try to see the movie (which is screening at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood on October 11th).  But this review is really about the perfume.

At one point in the segment, Miriam is selling a scent as being "old-time Hollywood Glamour" and Miriam the scent certainly is that.  It's actually a very daring scent.  It's not pulling back from the glam femininity thing, while still being a scent that's recognizably Tauer.  It opens with powdery Aldehydes and roses and a touch of ambergris (the notes from the evelyn avenue website: bergamot, sweet orange, geranium, violet blossom, rose, jasmine, ylang, violet leaf, lavender, vanilla, orris root, sandalwood.).  The scent becomes richer as it develops and lays close to the skin and is really lovely in a retro-modern sort of way.  It's a red-lipstick kind of scent that you sadly don't see much of anymore and I wish there were more of.

5 lucky readers will be able to experience Miriam thanks to the generosity of Andy and Brian.  I have samples of the perfume packaged with a DVD of the segment "Miriam" from "Woman's Picture".  If you would like to be considered in the draw (and live in the US- sorry, I can't ship elsewhere) please leave a comment.  The draw will be closed Midnight Pacific Time on Sunday the 25th.

The following blogs will also be writing about Miriam in the coming weeks:

Sept 28th: The Non-Blonde

Oct 2nd: Perfume Posse

The filmmakers are also interviewing women about their memories of scent at their site and on Vimeo.  The shared stories are fascinating; here's one of the latest

"Big Personality": Wendy from brian pera on Vimeo.

You can also get more information at their website for the film.  I have no information on pricing, my samples were provided by the perfumer and the filmmaker.