Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Who's That Girl? Review of Thierry Mugler's "Womanity"

*Currently Listening: "I Feel Like Funkin' It Up" by Rebirth Brass Band
*Current Fragrance: Well..."Womanity" by Thierry Mugler

Admittedly this is going to be a distracting post to write as I am in the middle of making my first pot of chicken and sausage gumbo. It's the food of my people...and I'm currently letting it simmer & meld, waiting to see if I need to make another batch roux to darken and thicken it up.

Ok, this is not working! I can't focus on perfume at this moment. I fear that I'll end up telling you that "Womanity" has notes of ground sassafras leaves in it....

So until the gumbo's done, enjoy the video of Madonna's "Who's That Girl" - EVERY SINGLE TIME, I spritz on "Womanity", this song plays my head, which is turn normally means it gets played on my iPhone....


Back, and focused...for the record...the gumbo was excellent, y'all!



So, "Womanity." It was actually the second Thierry Mugler fragrance I've tried. I feel that if we're going to talk about any Mugler, we should say talk a little about "Angel." I initally bought a bottle of "Angel" probably around 9 years ago. I was in love with it's heady gourmand scent as we as its' striking star bottle. For quite some time it was my "I'm going out" scent. Somewhere along the way I developed a not so healthy relationship with "Angel." It'd like to think of it as a "patchouli and chocolate pound cake" - heavy, dense, on the verge of being COMPLETELY gluttonous. It was, I think, "the scent that launched a thousand gourmands". I feel the same way about "Angel" the same way I feel like mayonnaise, honestly. I say I don't like it, then I crave it, then I overdose on it (mental image of myself laying sprawled across the floor with empty mayonnaise jars and "Angel" bottles surrounding me...pretty damned funny!), and end up swearing it off again until I crave it.

Angel bottle - courtesy of sephora.com


Interesting life lesson going on in my brain that's both timely and topical...there's lots of "Angels" and mayonnaise in my life actually....hmmm....addictive personality much? Just a little bit? Maybe....? (Sorry for the stream of consciousness writing and musical aspergers tonight...)


Given my lather, binge, repeat habits with "Angel", you can see my reticence in wanting to try another Mugler fragrance; but "Womanity" was peaking my interest. It's the fig...I'm a sucker for fig. "Womanity" was released in 2010, and honestly been mindfully avoiding it since it came out...until about two weeks ago, when I went into Sephora and got samples of both her (can I call a fragrance "her"?) and Mugler's "Alien". Sadly - or maybe not so sadly - the "Alien" won't spray. The "Womanity" - as of about 20 minutes ago - is gone. I have a very strong both intellectual (as in taking the perfume apart in my brain) and emotional response to the fragrance. It's not a nostalgic emotional response, it's a very current one. It's a very "ooh, this is who I want to be right now" sort of reaction. It makes me stand up a little straighter, it makes me feel very "Who's That Girl".

Now, the video kinda mucks with the whole picture I'm trying to draw for y'all, so just scroll into about 2:30 into it, that's what I'm trying to get to..... It all makes sense to me somehow...but before I muse more Madonna...I should muse more "Womanity".

The Mugler commerce sight has the following to say about the fragrance: "Thierry Mugler Womanity is the first sweet and savory fragrance. Mysterious and unique, the perfume revolves around the fig - a symbol of femininity. The refillable bottle is a work of art. Notes: fresh fig, oceanic accord, fig wood and leaves."

Womanity bottle - courtesy of sephora.com

I can definitely say that "Womanity" would not be what I would first spritz on to "snag me a man", but I don't know if I really smell the "we are women, hear us roar" sentiment that Mugler seams to be peddling. I smell individuality. Which HAS to be why I feel all Madonna-y when I wear this! Particularly "Who's That Girl"! So in the lyrics of the song she's slaying the 'fellas with her "Senorita, mas fina"-ness. These lines: "Light up my life, so blind I can't see / Light up my life, no one can help me now". Translation (In Kathleen-Madonna-Womanity-ease): Burn so bright as yourself, you're blind to anyone's objections. Burn bright, sail your own fingerless glove ship through life." (I also can sell you on the fact that Fleetwood Mac's "You Can Go Your Own Way" ISN'T about a break-up if you want to listen...)

THAT dear readers is my point! That's how "Womanity" smells to me. Ok, it smells like figs, milk and salty things, yes and apricot too - and the "salty things" smell like if you had drift wood on the beach & captured it in a bubble along with a little sea air surrounding it.

Perhaps this quote about the fragrance captures the best what it does to/for me: "This is a musical fragrance that plays its notes on the emotions of the woman wearing it." - Thierry Mugler

You got that right, Mr. Mugler! I REALLY hope "Womanity" doesn't turn into mayonnaise for me though!

**This fragrance had me thinking a lot today about "personal style". So I did a little inventory of what I had on today - I'm kinda all over the place...I likes what I likes (and choose to spend the bulk of my $$$ on accessories). Read on, it's certainly good for a chuckle or two:

Boots - Lands End
Socks - Old Navy (I think)
Leggings - Macy's
Dress - Old Navy
Sweater - Wal Mart
Earrings - Christmas gift from my husband's grandmother
Bracelet - Consignment store on Newbury St. that has since closed :-(
Watch - Target
Scarf - Filene's Basement
Coat - Nordstrom
Sunglasses - Versace
Bag - Burberry

*Currently Listening: "369" by Cupid



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