I haven't posted an Icon in awhile, so let's get in the mood for romance with the alluring aroma of Chanel No. 5.
Considering it was "all" Marilyn Monroe wore to bed, No. 5 could smell like a dog burning in a tub of kimchi and it would still be intoxicating.
Unfortunately, in these economic times, who can afford to spend $110 on a 3.4 oz. bottle? Not even the Monroe estate at this point. We are all in for a bloody Valentine, 3-D or otherwise.
That's why I heartily endorse the Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak as the "it" gift this February.
For starters, it's only $4.95.
Second, it's got enough angst, loneliness, bitter pills, gallows humor, whimsy and naughtiness to match whatever mood Valentine's Day puts you in.
Third, for the lovers in the house (pg. 103, ahem) if you include your own personal six-word memoir along with it, the book makes you seem arty and sexy.
In the words of Al Czervik, "Hey everybody, we're all gonna' get laid!"
Suck it, economy. We don't need your fancy baubles of expensive parfum, but we would like to learn how No. 5 smells like the Arctic Circle...
CHANEL NO. 5The Sweet Smell of Success: French courtier Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel ("Coco" to her friends) was after something novel, "a woman's fragrance that smells like a Woman." Her handpicked chemist, Ernest Beaux, was assigned the task of creating a synthetic perfume to lessen the pungent flowery aroma of Mother Earth to a delicate, alluring waft. Until that point, perfumes were made by literally wringing the juices from roses, lilacs, and dandelions, or something like that. Whatever the actual process, Beaux combined some 60 ingredients to make a perfume that was sensual and long-lasting with hints of ylang-ylang and neroli layered over sandalwood. Apparently, that's what the Arctic Circle smells like--the concoction germinated from his time spent in the military patrolling the Arctic Circle where the lakes and rivers give off a delightfully fresh emanation during the respite from the tundra known as the midnight sun.
We're #5!: The legend goes like this: Coco sampled five of Beaux's compositions around 1921 and selected the fifth one. As fate would have it, five happened to be Coco's lucky number. Packaged in a sleek, square-bottomed bottle, the perfume was an instant aromatic sensation. By 1924, Chanel No. 5 was the best-selling perfume in the world and probably what your grandma dabbed on her neck to cover up the stench of the Great Depression. These days, however, No. 5 may no longer be fitting. The erstwhile fragrance hasn't been in the United States' top five since 2002, though it still brings in a respectable $100 million a year.
Girls, girls, girls: Nicole Kidman is the latest in an awe-inspiring lineup of pouts that could make Mount Rushmore crumble. She stars in an epic ad campaign directed by Moulin Rouge maestro Baz Luhrman, which includes the Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing Debussy's Clair de Lune and Kidman wearing a Chanel No. 5 pendant with 687 diamonds. Other breathaking beauties who have been the face of No. 5 include: Carole Bouquet, whose romance with Gerard Depardieu proves that fortunate Gallic troll is hung like a French loaf; Catherine Deneuve, who wears No. 5 behind her knees; Estella Warren, who made synchronized swimming must-see-TV for a lot of 13-year-old boys; and, most famously, Marilyn Monroe, who told a reporter in Japan that all she wore to bed was a few drops of No. 5, which makes me feel funny just typing it.
(As always, 4-star illustration from Julia Rothman)
(City, March/April issue 2006)
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