Tuesday 4 January 2011

Reviewing Katy Perry's first perfume: Purr EDP, by Katy Perry...



Advantages: Easy to wear, reasonable price, suitable all year round, pretty bottle.
Disadvantages: Unoriginal
Summary: A wallet-friendly all rounder...


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The fragrance
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I've been waiting for PURR to be released for months, even though I personally think that Katy Perry is not someone I'd like to be be stuck in a lift with. She has become a modern-day beauty icon and is a self-confessed perfume addict who appears in all the glossies on a regular basis, so releasing her own fragrance (with Gigantic parfum/Jigsaw [UK]) was an obvious next step.

Added to that is the fact that I like to collect pretty bottles, so PURR was already up against my high preconceived expectations... Luckily for me when I found it I really liked it - in fact I enjoy it enough to have bought the travel size as a early Christmas present for myself, rather then wait for a normal bottle.


PURR is pure fruit on first application - both the peach and the apple are mouth wateringly sweet and very life-like. On me the peach is the strongest, but the fresher apple tones down the sweetness. I don't know what makes a apple forbidden - because it was what Adam and Eve ate? Anyway the apple here is fresh but still quite sweet. The bamboo note quickly develops and adds a creamy layer to the fruit: It is watery but sweet [similar to coconut water]. I can also pick up a hint of something similar to musk, but I actually think this is the bamboo too.

The bamboo note is quite strong and carries all the through the perfume, so the floral notes remain mild, creamy and a bit watery, yet still easy to pick out. On me the jasmine and freesia are the strongest notes, whilst the soft rose adds a slightly powdery effect. In addition to the florals the coconut milk mixes with the bamboo, lending the soft florals even more creaminess. I'd also swear that there is rhubarb present too; Maybe it's just that the fruity bamboo and the strong creamy notes remind me of those boiled rhubarb custard sweets you used to get at the corner shop.

As the florals burn down the coconut milk accord fully develops and becomes richer, sweeter and creamier thanks to the amber, sandalwood and ever-present bamboo. I can detect the lightest hint of musk but it's quickly lost underneath the creaminess, but I can't separate the vanilla [orchid], but everything else is sweet and creamy so I wasn't really expecting to.


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Scent notes
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Peach, 'forbidden' apple, gardenia, green bamboo, jasmine, pink freesia, Bulgarian rose, vanilla orchid, creamy sandalwood, white amber, coconut and musk.




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Other buying considerations
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PURR is richer with the fruits then it is with the florals, so the lasting power is good but not great: I can still detect creamy coconut and sandalwood three to four hours after first applying it, but it's only a hint and is close to the skin.

As this is mild and sweet it seems like a playful fragrance, so the name and advertising really do suit it. I think that this is nice for daywear - both casual wear and for work. Some people may think that it's too sweet for work, but as it's quiet it won't bother your colleagues. As it's mild and not very long lasting people may class it as too 'gentle' for evening wear, but if you don't wear perfume whilst out for a statement and to be noticed then I think PURR is perfectly adaptable. Again; The 15ml spray is great for even tiny handbags.

When I first heard about this perfume I was doubtful that something containing peach, apple and coconut would appeal to me in the current minus six climate. But the fruits are so edible and quite sweet and the base is warm, soft and creamy, so I think that the overall 'rhubarb custard' effect makes a lovely autumn/winter fragrance. Off cause - since this has just been released - I don't yet know how it will wear during spring/summer; But I'm going to guess that as the fruits are rich and the florals light it will still be very wearable.


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My thoughts
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True; PURR is never going to become a classic fragrance and the scent notes have all appeared in countless other perfumes over the years, but it is an wearable all year round, suits all occasions, largely ageless, reasonably priced EDP that comes in a cute and unique bottle. To me that beats out the expensive, statement perfumes that make up the best-sellers list, as I wear perfume to make myself feel good - I don't care about showing off with expensive, "everybody look at me" type fragrances.


Ralph Lauren' Ralph, Paris Hilton for Women, several J.Lo Glow flankers, the Ed Hardy perfume range and Sarah Jessica Parker SJP NYC all use similar scent notes in the fruity/floral family, so if you enjoy any of them them then you should definitely try this.


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Price
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15ml - £15 [Superdrug]
50ml - £30 [Boots]
100ml - £45 [Boots]

It seems strange that the size jumps straight from 15ml to 50ml, but the official fragrance site [www.katyperrybeauty.co.uk] confirms that there isn't a 30ml bottle available.

I went into several stores because I'm desperate for a cute cat shaped bottle, but all of the stores I went to [Debenhams, Boots, Superdrug and The Fragrance Store] had sold out of PURR [except for a few 15ml bottles], so we're in for a bit of a wait for a fix I'm afraid.

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