Blurring the sexes with sexy scents
By Agni Amorita
JAKARTA (JP): What would Al Pacino say in his Oscar winning movie Scent of a Woman if the leading lady, Gabrielle Anwar, followed Indonesian actress' tendency in using perfume?
Many local actresses say that branded perfumes for women are too sweet and "hard" for Indonesia's tropical climate, which makes them tend toward lighter and fresher fragrances, such as eau de toilette instead of perfume, or just pick pour homme perfumery. Television actress and popular dangdut singer Shinta Bella chooses Hugo Boss for men because "The scent is very soft and fresh," she said. Freshness is also the choice of Lula Kamal, medical doctor and TV presenter, in choosing Acqua di Gio from Giorgio Armani, while singer Puput Novel wears Gouldier from Bvlgari. "It smells so fresh and not so sweet," said Puput, whose full name is Putri Zizi Novianti Novel.
Internationally there is a new tendency of using unisex fragrances, which challenge the rules of fragrance marketing for the choice of one scent to be shared by both men and women. The top five unisex fragrances according to La Perfumerie.com are CK Be and CK One, both by Calvin Klein, Cold and Hot, both by Benneton, and Paco Unisex by Paco Rabanne. "It smells so good," explained comedian Dono Warkop about his CK perfumes. Another celebrity has a different reason. "The bottle is so cute, I like it so much," said Daan Aria of comedy group Project P.
Nowadays, perfume and eau de toilette are considered a must in modern life. People's dependence on fragrances can be traced back to the late Marilyn Monroe, who once said Chanel No. 5 perfume was the only thing she wore in bed. This sexy statement is thought to be one reason why Chanel No. 5, introduced by Coco Chanel in 1920, became the best selling parfum in the world, according to Susan Bell in her 1997 report published in The Times of London News Service. This fragrance was created by Ernest Beaux and was the first perfume which contained formaldehyde, the reason for its mysterious quality.
To this day, Chanel No. 5 is still considered the most French of French perfumes and its legendary magic has charmed those in Indonesia, including anchorwoman Dewi Yudho Miranti and dangdut singer Misye Arsita. "I wear Chanel because people hardly use it here," explained Misye who is also known as a television actress in the local situational comedy Jin dan Jun. The floral notes in Chanel No. 5 derive from an essential oil extracted from Pourosa or Aniba Duckei, usually planted in the heart of the Amazon rain forest in North Brazil. Nowadays, Chanel No. 5 is sold as perfume and EDT spray. The 25 ounce perfume sells for US$99.95, with the 1.7 ounce eau de toilette (EDT) going for $50.00. The popularity of Chanel No. 5 lately is parodied by Lou Bega, a newcomer whose song Mambo No. 5 became a summer hit in Europe last year.
Perfumery in Indonesian history can be traced to the country's first president, Sukarno, who was fond of Shalimar perfume. Like father like son, Sukarno's first son, Guntur Soekarnoputra also used the same fragrance. And the result was unexpected. In his autobiography, Bung Karno; Ayahku, Kawanku, Guruku (Bung Karno, My Father, My Friend, My Teacher), Guntur Soekarnoputra wrote how some middle-aged women came to him and told him how close he reminded them of his flamboyant president father.