Jungle Jezebel was Divine's first album, and the flamboyant actor and singer inspired Jungle Jezebel, the perfume. Usually, "inspirations" need much elaboration in fragrance ad copy — adjectives for miles, jumbled/fumbled cultural references, mangled prose. But: DIVINE inspiration? Just that one word brought a torrent of images and sounds.
London-based Sarah Baker Perfumes (and perfumer Miguel Matos) chose what sounds like an uncouth mix of fragrance notes for Jungle Jezebel: orange, banana, grape, peach, bubble gum, rose, tuberose, ylang-ylang, amber, sandalwood, civet, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean. Though Divine was often described as "trashy," I always noted the attention to detail in his clothes, hair styles and make-up. If I had to bet, I'd say Divine would have bought and worn a big-time French perfume, something like Poison, Opium or Chanel No. 5 — and poured it on.
Jungle Jezebel? It goes on smelling of cheap dime store candies flavored with imitation everything: grape for sure, peach, some orange. And, yes, there's the non-stop (at first) chomping of pink bubble gum with its distinctive 'perfume.' Civet, or an animalic/indolic musk, pulsates in the center, and that may remind Divine fans of the notorious scene in Pink Flamingos when Divine grabbed some dog turds...and swallowed. Next up is the scent of hairspray (ylang-ylang) and someone getting a permanent wave (Divine was a hair stylist early in his life). The civet/hair salon combo produces an aroma that is truly toilet worthy: Chanel No. 2 if you will. The base of Jungle Jezebel is co-op perfume; the type of scent one always encounters at 'natural fragrance' stalls: you have the overwhelming scent of imitation vanilla/tonka beans with some "flower" and "wood" thrown in for good measure to produce a chintzy amber accord.
I believe Divine would have smelled Jungle Jezebel and turned up his nose...and when he saw the tab he may have let out a scream as well (unless he was getting royalties, that is!)
Sarah Baker Jungle Jezebel is available in Eau de Parfum ($165/50 ml) and a limited edition Extrait de Parfum (eyelash/wig bottle) $195 (50 ml). In the U.K., a 9 ml spray is £28.
Note: top image of Divine by Graziano Origa, [cropped/altered] via Wikimedia Commons.
Ouch! I met him about a week before he died, he was charming, and polite, I only remember the smell of cigarettes and makeup.
d5750: tobacco smoke and makeup would make a good fragrance!
Thanks for the review Kevin. This perfume has been hyped all over YouTube. I love that I can come to NST and get an unbiased review.
lillyjo: you’re welcome!
Terrifying! Thanks for the review, Kevin.
PL67. I should have reviewed it for Halloween (and should say this is the only Sarah Baker fragrance I’ve tried).
I just received a slew of Sarah Baker samples from Twisted Lily with a recent order, curious to sniff them. Hopefully they are nothing like this one.
cazaubon: try a few and report back!
Sounds revolting. Thanks for saving me from another unfortunate sample purchase (eg. Bogue Douleur).
Cazaubon: those sample packs have been 90 percent waste for me in 2019. Next decade? MANY LESS sample purchases.
Yes, my failure rate has been similar. I’m going to stop buying them.
I came back to say that I don’t like the bottle. I am probably in the minority though.
Lj: I like the special bottle better than the regular bottle…which looks a bit like do-it-yourself…especially for the price point.
I’m with you! I love Anna Sui and Harajuku Lovers’ packaging, so I’m not exactly immune to kitschy bottles, but this actually made me let out a little wail of horror.
You’ve really outdone yourself with this one, Kevin. “Chanel No. 2 if you will.” Priceless.
Holly: couldn’t help myself on that one I admit.
Definitely one of your acerbic best Kevin! Wowzer!
J: for almost $200 (for 50 ml) I expect a LOT.
I read this expecting the punch line that despite all of this, the fragrance is SPECTACULAR and worth every penny. But it isn’t and it isn’t, I gather. ☺️
I was thinking that all those artificial notes and accords match Divine’s hyper-real persona. If that was the aim, it sounds like it failed.
annemarie: it certainly failed for ME…was hoping someone who loved it would write in….
I imagine Divine in an ultra elegant rich classic, like Fracas
Dilana: agree…Bandit, too!
This review was a delightful read. I grew up in Baltimore, and am about a decade too young (and acres too square) to have really understood the John Waters/Divine scene at the time. Then suddenly, the Hairspray movie (the first one) came out, and Divine was…mainstream?
skalolazka: yes, and that was a much tamer Divine for sure.