Add Katy Perry to the long roster of celebrities about whom I would know nothing if they had not launched a perfume. Apparently she is a pop singer, and apparently nearly everyone but me knows who she is. Her license is with Gigantic Parfums, which appears to be a new-ish company set up by people who came from Parlux — Parlux being the company that creates perfumes under the names Paris Hilton and Queen Latifah, among others.
When the fragrance deal was announced, Perry told Women's Wear Daily that Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers project was “my example of how I want to do things”, and as it turns out, that's just how she has done things: she came up with a way fun bottle, and then didn't lose undue sleep over the juice.1 The bottle in question, which I have not seen in person, is a purple cat, and I can already imagine a row of these in different sizes and colors, can't you?
The juice, while not exactly the "highly sophisticated" or "sexy and unique" concoction it purports to be, is just fine: it's an inoffensive youth-oriented fruity floral. It has an apple-peach (heavier on the peach) opening with a very FRESH green note that must be the "green bamboo" (the notes: peach, apple, green bamboo, jasmine, freesia, Bulgarian rose, vanilla orchid, white amber, sandalwood and musk). The floral heart is the usual celebrity fruity-floral blur (I doubt many Bulgarian roses were sacrificed to create Purr), and the dry down is a clean and pale musk with a dollop of vanilla cream. You could, of course, do better, even if what you were after was an inoffensive youth-oriented fruity floral, but that's hardly the point. The whole thing is probably perfect for the target audience.
Katy Perry Purr Eau de Parfum is currently exclusive to Nordstrom in the US, and they're only carrying the 50 ($45) and 100 ($65) ml at the moment. In the UK, Purr is more widely available, and the 30 ml bottle can be found online for £19.99. I am very surprised they didn't carry the Harajuku Lovers lesson over to the sizing: if they'd done a cheap 10 ml bottle — or a really great plastic solid — I might have had to buy it.
1. Women's Wear Daily, 7/22/2010.
2. Quotes via Katy Perry Beauty
Don’t really care for KP. She seems kind of cartoonish and copy-cat.
Is there any originality anymore?
Can’t comment … don’t know a thing about her.
cute cute bottle, but if someone came out with a black cat bottle I would buy just for bottle.
In 10 ml, I’d have had to buy it no matter what color it was! Opaque black would be great though.
Avon black cat perfume bottles, folks… Can be bought for a song at Goodwill.
How come my Goodwill never has ANYTHING? Seriously, nada.
I didn’t know that Avon had a black cat bottle! Thanks for letting us know!
://cgi.ebay.com/AVON-COLLECTIBLE-TABITHA-BLACK-CAT-BOTTLE-/220542746833?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item33595f40d1#ht_645wt_1033
Shoot! Sorry. Anyway, this is what the bottle I have looks like. Maybe it’ll come through this time.
http://cgi.ebay.com/AVON-COLLECTIBLE-TABITHA-BLACK-CAT-BOTTLE-/220542746833?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item33595f40d1#ht_645wt_1033
I find the thick coil of rubber coming out of her bum — aka her tail — disconcerting, but the giant ball of yarn is fabulous!
Yes! For some reason that tail is really ugly.
She doesn’t so much look like a cat as someone who’s being eaten alive by a python. That looks more snake-like than cat-like to me.
LOL…it’s true.
I’m amazed how ugly the entire rubbery costume is.
Totally agree.
Totally agree with you on this. My sister gave it to me for Christmas, knowing I would love the bottle, which I do. It is adorable. I can take or leave the juice, but it’s definitely nice enough — and I’ve noticed I put it on just because I want to use that cute bottle! So I’m wearing it today.
I really dislike the “green bamboo” note, which reminds me of Glade, but it isn’t long lasting and the rest is just fine — I am jealous of your bottle! Will be interesting to see if they do a series.
I don’t know anything about Kate Perry, other than that she recently married Russel Brand. He is a British comedian and actor and is considered quite controversial. I find him hilariously funny but I can see why he is not to everyone’s taste.
I have heard his name but don’t really know his work…
He was the whacked-out rock star in “Get Him to the Greek.”
Thanks — had not heard of that but now I know
The bottle reminds me of the black kitties holding Max Factor perfumes between their paws, sold in neighborhood drugstores when I was a kid. I just wanted the cat, didn’t care about the perfume.
Oh yes, forgot about those!
I had the Max Factor black cat when I was small–I “replaced” it last year courtesy of ebay. I had to show some restraint as there are several colors and I wanted them all
How fun!
Well, I’m sure it will also follow the Gwen Stefani path in that it will be available for a song at my local discounter within a year. My niece received the Harajuku collection this Christmas, she can get the Katy Perry cat next year!
Gosh, did the Harajuku Lovers end up at less than $25? I figured they were so cheap they probably sold out at Macys.
I saw a few at my Marshall’s for $14.99 – had the “G” in my hands to buy it, but decided I didn’t need it.
Huh. I hope they never had those darned solids I bought. PLEASE don’t tell me if they did. (although I’ve gotten massive enjoyment out of them so have no complaints)
I got 4 for 19.99 each, 2 of them came with a free solid.
I did say please, LOL…
Sorry, it just slipped out! LOL
Hard to resist reporting a bargain, I know!
I got a sample of this because I was so taken by the bottle. It really isn’t bad for this type of thing and I hope it makes it to the discounters soon~
Hopefully!
Today would be the best day ever if the juice inside that bottle was Eau de Kitteh Bref. I would buy a thousand bottles and just sit in my Administrative Work Station and sniff them all day long.
It could be renamed “Savor!” and the advertising would be my fatcat yawning widely with the slogan “Mai bref – savor it!”.
LOL!! But don’t think that is going to be happening.
“My cat’s breath smells like cat food” – Ralph Wiggum.
I love the bottle, it is really cute. Will have to get it in the future, maybe empty??? The juice is fine for what it was supposed to be, but an ad seems very kitschy to me. Have no idea who Kate Perry is, have to look her up, just out of curiosity..
I do wish they’d done a TV ad.
Just trying to imagine…LOL
I don’t think their budget would have been big enough for a tv ad
I tried this is Debenhams one time not soon after it’s launch and bottle was nearly empty and all sticky, like Womanity when that first launched because of all the people triying it :/
the bottle is ok, the juice made me think of the Nina Ricci apple perfume I don’t know it’s called, “Nina”? anyway purr is very very sweet it’s just like a candy apple with sherbet sprinkled on. it’s strong at first but dies down too soon and also doesn’t last very long, like less than 2hours.
I meant to say toffee apple, unless that and candy mean the same thing in US? anyway I forgot to add there’s a cupcake overpiled with icing and glitter plonked ontop of that toffee apple and a slice of pear.
but I didnt get the slightest hint of any of the other notes.
You’re probably right about the budget!
Katy had a reverse photoshop moment a few days ago when her husband (!) sent out a picture of her sans make-up and photo-shop free. Katy Perry doesn’t look anything like Katy Perry. At first I wondered, “Who is that?” There was a lot of speculation that hubby had a death wish and was too cowardly to use firearms or drugs to call it a day. It made for an interesting moment. I just bought some freshly ground coffee and the bag is sitting here on my desk…the smell is driving me loco.
Aha.
http://everyjoe.com/girls/picture-katy-perry-without-makeup/
Still, that is just not a flattering picture…bad angle & she’s making a weird face. I bet there are way better pictures of her with no makeup…she’s a pretty woman.
She is pretty, but she’s not THAT pretty. Carole Lombard was asked what being married to Clark Gable was like. Her classic response, “At home Gable is no Gable.”
I heart Carole Lombard. They don’t make em like that anymore.
“White amber” is a pretty good Zen koan. Concentrate on it for a while, and your mind becomes a complete blank.
LOL — excellent!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/48233408/black-cat-vintage-avon-perfume-bottle
I always forget you can buy vintage stuff on Etsy, thanks!
Eh, she’s awright… A bit downscale for Nordstrom, surely?
You would think!
My daughter loves Katy Perry thanks to the driver playing mainstream pop on the bus to and from school or else she’d have never heard it at home. lol If she sees this, it’s all over. Between the cat and KP, I’d be getting “random” hints all over the place since Things 1 & 2 (nope, we don’t read lots of Dr. Seuss around here) have a birthday coming up in about a month. At least it isn’t a cutsie horse bottle or else she’d probably want ten of them.
Of course Mr. Ab. Scent doesn’t find Katy Perry visually objectionable when he looked up a couple of her videos “… to see what the kids are hearing.” Yeah right. Thanks to the videos, I have determined that I don’t care for her music, but I don’t think that’s the main reason why she’s so popular…
I’m a total sucker for the Harajuku Lovers line and just picked up the Wicked Style set. I’m embarrassed with how much I enjoy it and need to get the Sunshine Cuties to please my inner completist. I also liked the first of Gwen’s frags as I wore VS’s pear scent in my teens back in the day, too, so don’t mind frags aimed at the youth market if they’re fun and decently priced. At least they’re something to break up all the Guerlain/Chanel/AG/Indult/Kilian/other more pricy bottles in my collection and make them last a little longer.
Make the niche stuff last longer = excellent justification!!
Hi Robin,
I’ve tried to join Gigantic Parfums, for a press release… But it lokks to be impossible. Have you a contact with them ?
Thanks !
No I don’t, sorry. In the press release they list B|W|R as their PR, maybe you can find somebody there.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/katy-perry-to-debut-her-own-fragrance-purr-by-katy-perry-now-available-exclusively-at-nordstrom-108066314.html
Thank you Robin, I will try this way.
Has anyone had a chance to sniff this stuff yet? Perry seems to be a bit of a multi-tasker (in it for the cha-ching while it lasts. . . Proativ anyone?), so I’m curious to see how this one plays out. I’ve yet to forgive her for marrying my boyfriend Russell Brand, and if this stuff just smells like raunchy candy she and I are certain never to be pals! LOL
the bottle very attracted…. wanna buy it someday..
This reminds me of Ralph Lauren Glamorous!
Here’s a set with a solid! It’s cute. I MIGHT have to give in. Ha! : ) http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod3950179
I will have to find a better picture of that solid! Wish it was cat shaped though. Cute!
This perfume to me, is a bit strange. Usually the base notes are the best but with this one the top notes are the best part. Great smell, just not good enough lasting power, and AMAZING bottle, kinda grateful that the cats head is plastic though because I dropped the lid few days ago and nearly had a heart attack but to my relief, it started bouncing on the floor instead of shattering into pieces.