Fumes in the News: Kate and Wills' Polynesian Perfume Choice

"That had better not clash with my Geranium pour Monsieur, lady!"

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge brought their toothy grins, careful grooming and game-for-anything graciousness to the recent revelries in the tiny South Pacific nation of Tuvalu. But did they pack the right perfume? As one of the perks of being long-distance members of the Tuvalu royal family, William and Kate were invited to partake in the tradition of spraying fragrance on the grass-skirted hula dancers gathered at the celebration.

It seems they were caught on the hop by this "spritz 'em if you love 'em" custom, but thanks to a last-minute scramble by one of their aides, Kate and Wills averted diplomatic disaster with a sudden bottle of Paul Smith London for Men. Well, at least it was British...ish (as much as a coconut scent can be). But with a little planning, they could have done better. Read my full article in the Guardian for my best-of-British alternate recommendations, including the spray paint blue of Wode Paint by Boudicca.

Wode Paint caused an international incident, but at least everyone smelled good.


Fumies, any suggestions for what fragrance Kate might have showered on the dancers?

13 comments:

  1. For a moment I thought you were talking about Boadicea the victorious and wode being their leather, Complex - a sure way of knocking out the poor dancers. But no, apparently it's another brand.

    Not a fan of Floris and Penhaligon here. I would have gone with the wonderful Ormonde Jayne Tiare, as Polynesian as a high tea. Like saying: here's "our" Tiare flower, and it smells good too.

    cacio

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    1. Like bringing snow to the Eskimos, eh? But yes, I like the idea of using a British interpretation of the signature flower of the South Seas.

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    1. I think they were caught by surprise with the ol' perfume ceremony. Thank goodness it wasn't Wills's spray deodorant!

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  3. I second the wonderful Ormonde Jayne, either Tiare or Champaca. A fragrant cross-cultural interpretation. Though the Duchess seems like a darling, she has shown less-than-royal taste in fragrances. What was that horrible wedding perfume, Plastic Gardenia Petals or something? Probably the worst white floral I've ever smelled. Made Truth or Dare seem profound by comparison....

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  4. I knew the minute I read what your article was about that there would be at least one commenter at The Guardian who would start off with, "I can't imagine anything less newsworthy . . . " -- and sure enough, it's the very first comment!

    It's as if some people have never heard of light, casual reading.

    But I always enjoy your Guardian articles, both for the content and the wildly schizophrenic comment sections. :)

    And I agree with Marla -- Kate exhibits very questionable fragrance taste. Though this Paul Smith London for Men thing sounds like it was scrounged from some harried assistant's suitcase at the last minute.

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    1. Nathan, I'm tickled that you noticed that comment, because it cracked me up, too. Here it is again:
      "I cannot think of a subject less worthy of attention than the perfume the royal couple used. Combined with my complete apathy is my complete ignorance of all the nuances, or smells, involved. So why am I commenting? Because I cannot think of another subject that so unites indifference and ignorance. How could I keep from commenting?"

      A fine example of circular logic that backfires on itself. He's doing a fine job with his self-proclaimed "complete ignorance" - it's just his "complete apathy" that needs a little work, as he was the very first person who commented as soon as the article was live.

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  5. Diane Von Furstenberg for a typhoon of heady frangipani.
    Michael Kor Very Bali for a breeze of red frangipani.
    DVP sex on the beach. Very Bali, making love sur la plage.
    Yes Bali is not Polynesia but the frangipani abounds and ablooms. The scent most associated with the South Pacific is coconut oil which is used for hair conditioning and skin grooming. Katie, see you on the zephyr in the sky at night.

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    1. The coconut connection indicates that London for Men was a pretty good option, all things considered.

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  6. I think TABOO by Dana would have been a nice touch.

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  7. Heeley Spirit of the Tiger would have been cool! ~~nozknoz

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