Perfume Review: Lady Vengeance by Juliette Has A Gun
Lady Vengeance is hardly an appropriate epithet for Shakespeare’s Juliet, yet that’s exactly the name of a perfume by the new French line Juliette Has A Gun, a creative project of Romano Ricci, the great-grandson of Nina Ricci. It seems to be trendy these days to deviate from the conventional and come up with new visions of perfumery. The examples range from the regal Parfums MDCI to the downright scandalous Etat Libre d’Orange. Juliette Has A Gun falls somewhere in between, I suppose. It makes no hefty claims, has a decent dose of originality, and some Gothic mischief. There’re currently two scents in the line, and I’ve only had a chance to smell Lady Vengeance (a sensual rose) which instantly fascinated me. Miss Charming (a playful rose) sounds quite promising as well. How can they not, ladies and gentlemen, when both are created by none other than Monsieur Francis Kurkdjian!
The main idea behind Juliette Has A Gun is pretty much self-explanatory: a particular femininity, far from stereotypes. She has a gun and is not afraid to use it. Lady Vengeance, however, is more benign than you might initially assume. It’s primarily a rose scent, done just the way I like it - complex and intense. The only three notes given (rose, patchouli, vanilla) are clearly not all that went into it. However, rose is what you smell - luscious, somewhat dark, and fervent. It’s a sibling to the rose in A*Maze, minus all the spices. The patchouli and vanilla are but accentuating notes, and the drydown is marked by a warm, creamy undertone. Lady Vengeance is mostly amicable, with a slight devilish streak that only adds to its appeal. I’d very much like to own a bottle.
Juliette Has A Gun scents are available at Colette and other department stores in Paris. Pretty please, make them available for sale in the U.S.!
Image source: uliettehasagun.ovh.org
19 comments March 19th, 2007