Katy Perry Purr

Sappy fruity floral, instead of saucy fruity furry.

The debut perfume from cheesecake pop tart Katy Perry, insinuatingly entitled “Purr”, both does -- and doesn't -- smell the way it should. It doesn't smell the way I think it should, anyway. When I hear “Purr”, I think furry kitten contentment, along with a smidge of Puss-in-Dominatrix-Boots vampiness. After all, Katy P's done a marvelous job of channeling a Saturday morning cartoon version of pin-up icon Bettie Page, and I'd expect a little of the minxy mischief of Katy's persona to color her perfume.
But I'm wishing for the stars, here, instead of merely wishing for the top of the satellite dish on a suburban tract home, because Purr smells the way it “should”: a state-approved fruity floral with a side of vanilla. Of course it does. What a fool I am to expect otherwise. (Any bets that Lady Gaga's promised/threatened “blood and semen” signature scent will also turn out to be a generic fruity floral?) After getting out my forensics kit to scrape the microscopic silver flakes clinging to the inside of this particular cloud, I can report that while Purr may be boring, it isn't bad. Unless by “bad”, you mean “boring”. In which case, it is bad. But Purr's montage of teen hit parade notes -- apple/shampoo/popcorn/vanilla -- is effectively composed and hangs together satisfyingly from first spray to drydown. I can't reasonably ask for any more than that. But unreasonably, I yearn for a kooky surprise, a naughty wink from Purr to conjure Ms. Perry's brand of teasy-weasy titillation.
Katy reconsiders her cone size.
If I ruled the world, and Katy Perry had asked me to creative direct her perfume (just one of my many important duties as ruler of the world), I'd line up bottles of Parfumerie Generale L'Ombre Fauve, Givenchy Organza Indecence and L'Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore for inspiration. Instead of fruity floral, I'd give her “fruity furry”.
A robot kitty bottle for a robot kitty perfume.
Purr is available from Nordstrom starting at $45 for 50 ml.

9 comments:

  1. Oh blow! "Fruity furry" would have been good, I agree. Yes, more Russell in the Brand is what is needed, making for a "wooky kooky" surprise.

    ; - )

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  2. Vanessa,

    I have a feeling that Katy Perry's core tweenagers in the US have no idea who Mr. Brand is. But a little of his licentiousness wouldn't have gone amiss in Purr, you're right.

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  3. "Fruity furry." Hmmm...imagines going down a path whose first brick is L'Ombre Fauve...yes, I could do that. Further imagines path taking a bad turn, sees a feral cat with a Jolly Rancher stuck in its fur...I *might* be able to do that. ;)

    Russell Brand. Ha! Having just hosted SNL last night, he is now introduced to a bigger segment of the American audience. And I am having trouble getting thoughts of his, erm, potential Brand *mark* out of my head.

    But the purrr-fume. Katy's. Yes, an inoffensive functional something. In the past, discussions have called that "wallpaper perfume." Dresses up the joint but doesn't call attention to itself, fades into the background, functions as a pleasant smell but not, as you say, a "statement with a spritz." There should be a place in the world for them. One would think it wasn't Katy Perry's world, but yes, the accountants win.

    Funny when "it isn't bad" isn't faint praise. Nor loud praise. Just...wallpaper praise.

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  4. After seeing the packaging, I can clearly say that the schtick of the perfume, is not the juice, but the cutesy bottle, done.

    bdea bdea bdea bdea -

    THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!!

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  5. Paul,

    My YouTube kids are already commenting that they don't really care what the perfume smells like, they want it for the bottle. So, score there!

    ScentScelf,

    Yes! "A feral cat with a Jolly Rancher stuck in its fur"...perfect! *Now* we're getting somewhere!

    Just as you say, Purr is a fine "wallpaper smell". And that's just about what newbie noses can handle for school days perfume, so Purr and teens are a good match.

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  6. Totally agree with you Katie, something along the lines of Felanilla would have been great. She does call herself her a businesswoman rather than an artist, but that just makes it more depressing to me.

    I still have faith in Gaga's scent, though doubt it will be quite the blood/semen combo as promised. Probably a good thing though after Secretions Magnifique - I must have watched your vid of that one 5 times or more, I just love it! Sorry your eye-watering ordeal is so entertaining to me :)

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  7. tara,

    Haha - my pain is your gain.

    Ooh yeah, Felanilla as Purr role model would've been cool!

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  8. Oh, I think the tweens and teens are more aware of Mr. Brand than you might think. Thanks to MTV and VH1 and all the other movies he has been in. Maybe he will be tamed by Ms. Perry?

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  9. SoS,

    Duh, I forgot about Russell B in "Get Him to the Greek" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

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