Blurring the sexes with sexy scents

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.