My Passion - Hommage à Marlene Dietrich (2008)
by Grès

I bought this one on the strength of the house Gres. According to the marketing literature, My Passion was composed to awake and accentuate the 'vamp' in each woman. OK, the drumroll....

TOP NOTES: Apple, Cinnamon, Lily of the Valley
MIDDLE NOTES: Orange Blossom
BASE NOTES: Amber, Vanilla, Musk

On me, this smells like dirty fruit, burnt brown sugar, and tobacco. It settles down after an hour and the amber and musk come through. Overall, this fails to deliver. Great idea, but bad execution.

My Passion, My Life, and My Dream are three perfumes from a collection launched in 2007 by the house of Gres in honour of Marlene Dietrich, one of the women that Madame Gres used to design for.

Interestingly, Marlene's favourite perfumes Bandit (woody-mossy, 1944) and Fracas (tuberose, 1948) both by Robert Piguet) and Joy (Jean Patou, 1930), according to perfume.com--three scents NOT for the faint of heart. They take no prisoners! That's the Marlene I remember, because this sure is NOT it.

14th July, 2010.