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II
Perfume & Cinema,
True Love Glamorous Heritage So why are perfume-makers so obsessed with movie stars? First of all, it’s nothing new. Back in 1957, Hubert de Givenchy created the perfume L’Interdit as an homage to actress Audrey Hepburn. Catapulted into stardom thanks to her role as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), she never lost that status, thanks to her legendary doe eyes. You might even say that actress Liv Tyler (*), the endearingly mischievous new face of Givenchy perfumes, looks just a bit like Hepburn… Another delicate connection: actress Chiara Mastroianni, poses sweetly for the perfume Enjoy (Jean Patou). The photo highlights her features’ resemblance to those of her mother, Catherine Deneuve, 25 years earlier. Charming ambassador for Chanel N°5 in the 70s, Catherine Deneuve is as stunning as ever. Recent roles in 8 Femmes and Palais Royal showed yet more new aspects of this surprisingly up-to-date star. As did her collaboration this year with trendy make-up brand MAC, with whom the actress worked on a complete range of products. Another timeless grand dame: Elizabeth Taylor. While the career of this woman who once fascinated both Hollywood studios and artists like Andy Warhol is lower profile now, the star from the 50s image is still impressively strong. Proof, sales of her perfume White Diamonds, a voluptuous alliance of white flowers, have never wavered in the US. In fact, some actors’ images are so powerful that luxury brands still ‘solicit’ them, even after they’re gone. Steve McQueen was used to sing the praises of Ford cars, and, more recently, Tag Heuer watches. And this year, the ultra-prestigious writing-tools and accessories brand Mont Blanc created a collection in homage to Greta Garbo, who passed away in 1990! A trend that would seem to suggest that, like certain stars, luxury is immortal.
(*) seen most notably in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Armageddon
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A dream world Hollywood and fragrance share a faculty for encouraging dreams. And in a destabilized world, full of incertitude, Dreams are an excellent investment. So what better ambassador could brands like Dior, Prada or Donna Karan wish for than to dress the woman upon whom all eyes – and lenses – will be trained as she brandishes the coveted golden statuette on Oscar night? As for perfume, the association with the world of movies is a strong, creative way to attract new consumers. So Scarlett Johansson – whose recent roles in Match Point, The Island and Lost in Translation granted her instant star status – brings a truly glamorous renewal to the image of Calvin Klein’s Eternity Moment, a love fragrance. What’s more, in a world in which movies are ever more international productions, some actresses are creating a newly multi-cultural image of seduction. Especially women like Salma Hayek (the face of Avon perfumes) and Aishwarya Rai (L’Oréal Paris, make-up). From Hollywood to Bollywood, glamour inspires dreams.
When Movies Inspire Perfumes The 7 th Art is even invoked in the names of certain fragrances. Christian Dior’s Dolce Vita was a reference to Fellini’s famous, award-winning 1960 film of the same name. As for Yves St Laurent, well, he went so far as to christen his latest fragrance ‘Cinéma’! The cinematic theme is a constant in the fragrance’s communication. Hollywood atmosphere, a woman inspiring fans’ adoration and desire, like a movie star, Cinéma unleashes every woman’s inner Star! The film-world theme reaches its acme in the bottle itself, an alliance of gold and embossed letters that can’t help but remind you of a film award. Sometimes a particular actress will inspire perfume designers. At Chanel, for instance, Jacques Polge started with actress Anna Mouglalis’s rich, warm voice for inspiration for the scent of Allure Sensuelle, a more carnal, intimate version of Allure, which the actress was once the face of. Performer-Perfumers In addition to the long list of actors and actresses who are the faces of various perfumes, there are also those players who took the step of trying their hand at the creation of their very own brand or fragrance. In the USA in particular, this trend is particularly popular with consumers (see our Special USA issue). We could mention Isabella Rossellini (former face of Trésor by Lancôme and actress in films like Sailor & Lula) as well as younger stars like Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Jessica Parker. Male performer-perfumers are less common. Still, both Jean Reno (Léon, Pink Panther) and Alain Delon (Borsalino and many more) have had a certain success in Asia, as well as Antonio Banderas (Zorro, Desperado and the Bollywood cult star Shah Rukh Khan (see our special India Now issue). |
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Star Turns The ties between movies, fashion and beauty are sometimes expressed subtly or with a pinch of humor. In Robert Altman’s Prêt-à-Porter, the spectacular hat and plunging neckline Sophia Loren wears in the front row of a Dior fashion show are 100% … Christian Dior. On the other hand, the stars of the ultra-popular TV series Sex and the City have seduced fashion and cosmetics brands with their charm. Sarah Jessica Parker, the frivolous fashion victim Carrie, is now… a brand in her own right! Her perfume, Lovely, is a stunning creation with of white amber, narcissus and musky wood notes. Her co-star, actress Kim Cattrall, the pulpy Samantha, is the face of the Liz Claiborne fragrance Spark Seduction. And Kristin Davis, their goody-goody friend Charlotte, is the charming ambassador for a famous brand of hair-care products. Nowadays, actresses’ competition to appear in the ad pages of fashion magazines is as fierce as it the one for on-screen roles!
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Cinéma Festival d’Eté (Yves Saint Laurent) For its first summer eau, Cinéma, the most glamorous of Yves St Laurent perfumes, is garbed in sunlight. The fragrance unveils notes of Tahitian flower, vanilla, almond blossom and tangerine. An ideal collectible… and perfect for keeping one’s cool while dealing with the paparazzi. |
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Eternity Moment (Calvin Klein) Beautiful, young and already the hottest thing in Hollywood, Scarlett Johansson is the face of Eternity Moment. A romantic creation with notes of pink peony and water lily tinged with the fresh, fruity notes of litchi and guava. |
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Brit for Men (Burberry) Carried by the laid-back charm of British actor Hugh Dancy, Brit for Men blends waves of frosted spices and oriental woods with a wild rose note. |
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Boss Selection (Hugo Boss) Alliance of elegance, strength and softness, actor Thomas Kretschmann (The Pianist, King Kong and more) is the face of this new scent from Hugo Boss. The fragrance blends geranium, pink pepper, heliotrope and cedar. |
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