Marilyn Monroe and the Unknown Perfume She Favored (Not the Chanel!)

Is there a single soul who hasn't heard the famous quip of Marilyn about wearing a few drops of Chanel No.5 in bed? I happen to know from reading biographies that she also kept a bottle of Joy perfume by Jean Patou, which is just as well. A recent Salvatore Ferragamo exhibition in Florence (Marilyn was an avid fan of the Italian shoemaker) alongside the 50th anniversary of Marilyn's tragic death in August 1962 revealed however an altogether unknown love for another perfume; quite different to the previous two, one which we wouldn't quite have pegged to Marilyn! Goes to show you how much we have made up our minds on how we view the iconic blonde...

Floris on Jermyn Street receipt ~click to enlarge

The evidence is rather conclusive (?)  A receipt from Floris on Jermyn Street in London during a dipping into the archives of the British brand -founded by Juan Famenias Floris of Spanish extraction in the early 19th century (1830 to be exact)- came up stating a purchase of six bottles of Floris Rose Geranium eau de toilette in 1959 under the alias of Miss Dorothy Blass, Monroe's personal secretary. Much as the name might mean nothing however, the bottles were to be sent to the Beverly Hills Hotel in Hollywood, California, where Marilyn Monroe stayed during the filming of one of her most celebrated films, Some Like it Hot. The hand-written "correction" striking out the Dorothy Blass name from the printed form to replace it with Marilyn Monroe Miller is telling. I don't know whether Floris is intent on resurrecting this fragrance based on this "leaked" info; if they did it might hint at other machinations behind it, but that remains to be seen.

Although quite different from the intimately sexy character of the Chanel (lots of sensuous musk and civet under the sweet jasmine and ylang ylang), Floris Rose Geranium does have some common thread with her other proclaimed love, Joy: the celebration of rose takes a quieter, more retro interplay with geranium (which is rosy in itself but somewhat more masculine than rose), sharp lemony citronella and the milkiness of sandalwood.

Perhaps it's just as well: Chanel got its most famous unsolicited endorsement through Marilyn (to the point that even rival brands today, such as Dior, try to gnaw on some of this Marilyn perfume legend) but the woman kept a secret as to her more private choice of fragrance, a tiny reflection of her inner maze. Or so it seems, at least for now.

Pic of Floris receipt via dailymail, pic of Marilyn putting on makeup via aranthasgourmetbeauty.com

Floris Sirena and Mahon Leather: new fragrances

Floris, the British firm with the nostalgic appeal, is issuing two new fragrances paying homage to the roots of the founder of the company Juan Famenias Floris in Minorca in 1730: Sirena and Mahon Leather, both in Eau de Parfum concentration. 

Sirena, a feminine woody floral musk, is a tribute to Minorca, the island in the western Mediterranean basking in the sun. The freshness of the sea permeats the heart of regional floral notes (such as oleander), while the base is woody and lightly musky.

Notes for Floris Sirena:
Top: Bergamot, jasmine, sea accord, pink pepper
Heart: Oleander, peony, rose, fruity accents
Base: Musk, Sandalwood

Mahon Leather takes its name from the capital of Minorca, Mahon. This masculine woody-spicy-leather fragrance is based around a heart of leather notes, infused with the liquor note of Calent (a preparation made of pine), the rooty-grassy feel of vetiver and the warmth of amber.

Notes for Floris Mahon Leather:
Top: Hesperides, jasmine
Heart: Iris, leather, saffron, vetiver
Base: Amber, labdanum, musk, patchouli, sandalwood, tonka bean.

Floris Amaryllis: new fragrance

Floris, after Madonna of the Almonds, proposes a new fragrance, based on a romantic concept: Amaryllis. The name, common for girls in both Greek and Latin-derived languages, comes from the Greek word ἀμαρύσσω which means "to shine, to sparkle" and is referenced in Theophrastus' Idylls tied to a beautiful shepherdess and later in Virgil's pastoral 1st Eclogue/Bucolic, as a singing wanderer of the woods. The fragrance itself, a spicy ambery floral, is inspired according to Floris by the romantically rural theme and focuses on the botanic connotation, which is beladonna lily (which interestingly enough means "beautiful lady" in Italian). But the devolution of the botanical name of the flower into "pink ladies" and "naked ladies" has surely something to do with the pastoral themes of youths teaching the forest to resound the name Amaryllis ("Sit careless in the shade, and, at your call, 'Fair Amaryllis' bid the woods resound") and of rolling merrily on the grass...




And how should the upcoming Floris Amaryllis smell like?

Notes for Amaryllis by Floris
Top notes: Bergamot, carnation, marine accord
Heart notes: frankincense, amaryllis, myrh, tuberose, ylang ylang
Base notes: Caramel, heliotrope, patchouli, musk, tonka bean, vanilla

pic via Calè and vernabob.com