my real parfum

The Sweet Smell of Celebrity

2007-10-19T19:40:00.001+07:00

NYTimes.com
June 30, 2005
By CATHY HORYN

WHAT does Alan Cumming smell like?

Hmm. A manly, tasty blend of black pepper and bergamot with just a hint of Scotch pine, whiskey and - could it be? - rubber. This is the bottled Alan Cumming, one of the latest and most improbable scents to hit the booming celebrity fragrance market, joining Britney Spears's Curious and Jennifer Lopez's Glow, Miami Glow and, soon, Live.

Even fans of the actor Alan Cumming may purse their lips at the idea of wearing cologne by a man whose roles include an odious haberdasher ("Circle of Friends") and a leering Weimar ringmaster ("Cabaret"). And as a genial figure in New York, Mr. Cumming is not exactly material for the supermarket weeklies, whose relentless coverage of celebrities is as good as free publicity for the makers of celebrity fragrances.

"No, I'm not Britney," he said by phone this month from Los Angeles, where he was attending movie meetings. Though maybe because he isn't Britney he could afford to treat his scent as a form of camp. "It's almost like a pop cultural joke," he said. "But the bottom line is I really like it." So does Sephora, which stunned Mr. Cumming and his perfumer, Christopher Brosius, when it asked to carry the fragrance. Soon they will bring out a line of shower products, like scrubbers (Cumming Off Buff) and soaps (Cumming in a Bar).

Mr. Brosius, who works out of Brooklyn, said he expects sales of the cologne to reach about $1 million this year.

"It's obviously crazy, and it's as much a surprise to us as it is to everybody who finds it," said Mr. Cumming, who has been making personal appearances at Sephora stores, including a new one at Union Square in Manhattan.

While Mr. Cumming's expected volume is just a dab behind the ears to Elizabeth Arden, whose Curious generated sales of $36 million in just four months last year, his response seems exactly right. "Crazy" might well describe a world where fragrance marketing executives refer to Ms. Spears's "aspirational qualities" as dependably as magazines like Star produce evidence of her bad taste; where a reality television show has a scented spinoff (Donald Trump, the Fragrance); and where the short attention span of young consumers works to the benefit of cosmetic companies, which view celebrity as an endlessly renewable resource.

And nothing these days is too far-fetched to consider. A Donald Rumsfeld scent to go mano a mano with the Donald? How about something presidential - W, the Scent, or the more discreet Oval?

"I'm surprised that Martha Stewart doesn't have her own perfume," said Rochelle Bloom, the president of the Fragrance Foundation, a trade group.

Celebrities have been good for the perfume industry just as they have become a huge source of revenue for department stores that sell celebrity clothing lines. Pop stars like Ms. Lopez have drawn young women and buzz to fragrance counters at department stores like Macy's, where their scents are sold next to classics like Chanel No. 5. And they're not inexpensive, either. Prices are in the $40 to $55 range.

After several dismal years perfume sales in the United States rose 2 percent last year, to $2.8 billion, said Maria Ianni, an account manager at NPD Beauty, a market information company. In 2000 celebrity brands represented 2 percent of the total fragrance market, she said. Today that share is 6 percent.

More significant, 31 percent of the top 100 perfumes, compared with 26 percent in 2003, are named for a celebrity or promoted by one, as Gwyneth Paltrow will do this fall for Estée Lauder's Pleasures.

"The trend has been accelerating over the past two years," said Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, the group president of Estée Lauder, which last fall brought out Mr. Trump's cologne and snagged Beyoncé Knowles to endorse its Tommy Hilfiger's True Star scent. Mr. Bousquet-Chavanne was recently in Moscow, and he said all he heard was, "When are you bringing Trump to Moscow?" A Russian trip is now in the works.

Despite Estée Lauder's classy reputation and Mr. Bousquet-Chavanne's belief that very few celebrities can turn themselves into global brands, he suggests it would be imprudent of Estée Lauder, a public company, not to claim at least a modest share of the celebrity universe.

"We're taking a very balanced approach to it," he said. "At the same time we've got to listen to the psyche of different segments of the market, and today they are indeed responding to celebrity. We had to take part in that."

This fall Coty will bring out Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker and a Kimora Lee Simmons perfume, as well as Live, its fourth Lopez fragrance in three years.

"We're in a good position to choose the right partners," said Bernd Beetz, the chief executive of Coty, who declined to comment on published reports that the company is in talks for a Madonna fragrance.

Ms. Lopez's fragrances, which have generated an estimated $250 million in sales, reflect Coty's strategy of picking stars who have a multifaceted persona - in Ms. Lopez's case, a pop singer, actress, glamour puss and budding fashion designer - and who are prepared to impart the secrets of their personality to fragrance and packaging designers.

"Because that's what the consumer wants to buy," Mr. Beetz said. He predicts Ms. Lopez will surpass in brand longevity the diva to end all divas, Elizabeth Taylor, whose White Diamonds has been an Elizabeth Arden top seller since it came out in 1991.

"We believe Jennifer can last even longer," he said.

Perhaps, but with most celebrity fragrances pitched toward consumers 16 to 28 years old, and with the window of fame now more like a portal than a bay, there is an inevitable moment when demand begins to cool. One way that companies like Coty have addressed this problem is to bring out spinoff products, like Miami Glow, a heavy coconut-and-orange-blossom scent that quickly followed Glow.

In the spring Elizabeth Arden offered Britney Spears fans a two-in-one product with a lipstick at one end and roller-ball scent at the other. "We can't keep it in stock," said Tamara Steele, the company's vice president for global marketing, of the dual stick, which sells for $25.

But makers of prestige fragrances say the many new products and upgrades rob the industry of its glamour. "The constant pounding of names - the Paris Hilton syndrome, I call it - just cheapens the image" of the industry, said Arie Kopelman, the vice chairman of Chanel, which uses actresses like Nicole Kidman in some of its advertisements. "I think it's harmful to future growth, which already isn't that great."

Last year some 300 new men's and women's fragrances came out, according to the Fragrance Foundation. That's more than double the number for 2000 and a good deal more than the 67 released in 1990. The blitz seems to have a diminishing effect on consumer expectations, as Mr. Brosius found out with Mr. Cumming's cologne.

"People are always shocked when they smell it," he said. "They're like, 'Oh, this is really good.' Well, that speaks a lot about perfume today. People are all too often prepared for something powerful and not immediately pleasant."

Fragrance companies like to take a long-term approach to a brand. "Once a fragrance becomes a classic, that's when the profitability comes in," Mr. Bousquet-Chavanne of Estée Lauder said. But this is becoming harder because of the time involved.

"When you build a fragrance from scratch, you have to create the whole persona and image from nowhere and over time build a following," said Kenneth Hirst, a designer of bottles and packaging, describing a practice that was standard 20 years ago. "With a celebrity, the image and fan base already exist. That reputation is built through the media with the bombardment of coverage. That's free advertising for the fragrance companies."

Mr. Hirst, who worked with Céline Dion on her scents for Coty, added, "I've stopped creating new fragrances and just focus on building celebrity ones."

That's precisely the problem in the industry, said Allan Mottus, a fragrance consultant. He said that since 1997 unit sales of fragrances in department stores have risen 18 percent, while dollar sales have remained constant. "By jacking up the number of new launches the fragrance companies are just replacing volume," he said. "They're not building anything."

Though Mr. Mottus admires the design and white-flower scent of Curious, saying that its atomizer bottle is a reason for its appeal among young women, he wonders why companies aren't producing products that jibe with the portable lifestyle of a generation that loves its BlackBerries and iPods. "Look, the kids are into scents," he said. "There's no doubt about that. But the packaging looks like older packaging."

Industry executives say that innovative designs and smells may be the next wave.

"Portability and good design are definitely part of our times, and it's not just young people who like these technical innovations," Mr. Bousquet-Chavanne said. Last year he showed his daughter new designs for Estée Lauder's Beyond Paradise scent, including a roller ball stick in rainbow colors. "She basically took the roller ball," he said, sounding pleased. Mr. Bousquet-Chavanne's daughter is 12.

Amitabh Bachchan

2007-10-11T10:31:00.000+07:00

Amitabh Bachchan ecstatic over winning National Award

All of sixty-four, and Amitabh Bachchan still sets hearts aflutter across the world. Men and women swoon when they see his larger-than-life portrayals on screen, making him one of the most sought after actors in Bollywood today.

Mumbai, Aug 11 : All of sixty-four, and Amitabh Bachchan still sets hearts aflutter across the world. Men and women swoon when they see his larger-than-life portrayals on screen, making him one of the most sought after actors in Bollywood today.

The latest feather in his cap, a National Award for his sensitive and charged interpretation of a deaf, mute and blind girl's teacher in the film "Black", has given him more cause to celebrate.

The pleasure is evident as he plays to the audiences once again, thanking them for appreciating his work.

"I am very grateful to National Award Committee for recognizing the film, because it was quite an exceptional film," said Bachchan.

He is full of praise for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director of the film.

"It was an exceptional role and an exceptional director to work with. Sanjay is by far one of our most talented directors, who has a vision, and has aesthetics. The way he constructed the film and provided us a wonderful platform to be able to perform and grow as an artist, is just remarkable," Bachchan said.A rage with Indian cine goers in the 1970s and 1980s, Bachchan is still among the most popular actors in the country.

"I think Indian Cinema and Indian audiences have matured over the years, and there is an exception to perhaps the ageing character, an exception to anything which is done differently. I guess it's all put together and works out into a wonderful product. I am fortunate to be around and to be able to be a part of the film," said Bachchan.

The son of noted Hindi poet, Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan quit his job as a Kolkata freight broker to join the Hindi film industry in 1969.

He made his name in the 1970s playing a "Dirty Harry"- style cop in the ground-breaking movie "Zanjeer".

His best-known film, "Sholay", ran in Bombay for seven years - turning him into an icon in India, much like Elvis Presley was in the West.

Millions of young men aped his distinctive hairstyle and people in remote villages rattled off lines from his films.

A fatal accident he survived on the sets of "Coolie" in 1982, left the country in a tizzy, forcing state television to telecast hourly medical updates, the first in Indian media history.

He was voted the millennium's greatest star of the stage and screen in a BBC online poll three years ago, ahead of Hollywood icons such as Lawrence Olivier, Humphrey Bogart and Charlie Chaplin.

Six years ago, he became the first Indian movie actor to have a wax exhibit of himself at the Madame Tussaud's Museum in London.

In recognition of his popularity, French perfume-maker Lomani has named a fragrance, "Amitabh B" after him.

While many of his contemporaries have retired from Bollywood -- known for its megawatt musicals and song-and-dance extravaganzas -- the silver-bearded actor still continues to draw audiences of all age groups.

He recently appeared in films like "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna" with his son Abhishek Bachchan and a musical called "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom".

Marilyn Manson

2007-09-03T15:32:00.000+07:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), better known by his stage name Marilyn Manson, is an American musician and artist known for his outrageous stage persona and image as the lead singer of the eponymous band. His stage name was formed from the names Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, showing what he considered the ultimate and most disturbing dualism of American culture.

Biography

Manson was born in Canton, Ohio to Barb Wyer and Hugh Warner. His father was a Catholic and his mother Episcopalian. Manson was raised in his mother's religion, attending Heritage Christian School, though he later transferred out, graduating from GlenOak High School in 1987 . In 1990, Warner was a college student attending Broward Community College working toward a journalism degree, and gaining experience in the field by writing music articles for a South Florida lifestyle magazine, 25th Parallel when he was able to meet several of the musicians to whom his own band would later be compared, including My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

Music
Before forming Marilyn Manson, he was involved with Twiggy Ramirez in two projects: Satan on Fire, a fake Christian death metal band where he played bass, and Mrs. Scabtree, where he played drums. He formed Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids in Florida in 1989 (the name was shortened to Marilyn Manson in 1992). In the summer of 1993, the band drew the attention of Trent Reznor. Reznor produced their 1994 debut album, Portrait of an American Family and released it on his Nothing label. The band began to develop a cult following, which grew larger with the release of Smells Like Children in 1995. That EP yielded the band's first big MTV hit with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", a cover of the 1983 Eurythmics hit. Antichrist Superstar (also produced by Reznor) was an even greater success. Three of the band's albums have been awarded platinum certification and three more have been awarded gold, and the band has seen three of its releases debut in the top ten, including two number-one albums. Manson's first work as a producer was with the band Jack Off Jill. Not only did he help name the band and produce most of the band's early recordings but also played guitar on the song "My Cat" and had the band open most of his South Florida shows. Manson later wrote the liner notes to the band's album Humid Teenage Mediocrity, a collection of early JOJ recordings.

Manson has appeared as a guest performer with several artists including rapper DMX's album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood and on Godhead's 2000 Years of Human Error album -- the only album released on Manson's vanity label Posthuman.

Film and television

Manson's first film role was in 1997, as a pornographic actor in David Lynch's Lost Highway. Since then he has appeared in a variety of minor roles and cameos, including Party Monster, based on the the murder of Angel Melendez by Michael Alig; former love interest Rose McGowan's 1998 film Jawbreaker; Asia Argento's, 2004 film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things; Rise; and The Hire: Beat The Devil, the sixth installment in the BMW Films series. He appeared as himself in Michael Moore's political documentary Bowling for Columbine discussing the motivations of the perpetrators and allegations that his music was somehow a factor. He has appeared in animated form in Clone High and Family Guy (the Family Guy episode depicts Manson, but is not actually voiced by him) and participated in several episodes of the MTV series Celebrity Deathmatch; he often performed the voice for his claymated puppet, and contributed the song "Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes" to the soundtrack album.

In July 2005, Manson told Rolling Stone magazine that he was shifting his focus from music to filmmaking - "I just don't think the world is worth putting music into right now. I no longer want to make art that other people--particularly record companies--are turning into a product. I just want to make art."

He is currently working on his directorial debut, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, In the film Manson plays the role of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice In Wonderland. Rather than a web-only release, Manson decided to give the $4.2 million budget film a conventional cinema release in late 2007. The film will have an original music soundtrack with previously unreleased songs. Production of the film has been postponed until after the Eat Me, Drink Me tour.

Manson claimed in a 2004 interview with i-D magazine to have begun his career as a watercolor painter. On September 13-14, 2002, his first show, The Golden Age of Grotesque, was held at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions Centre. Art in America's Max Henry likened them to the works of a ‘psychiatric patient given materials to use as therapy’ and said his work would never be taken seriously in a fine-art context, "the value was ‘in their celebrity, not the work’. On September 14-15, 2004, Manson held a second exhibition on the first night in Paris and the second in Berlin. The show was named ‘Trismegistus’ which was also the title of the center piece of the exhibit – a large three headed Christ painted onto an antique wood panel.

On October 31, 2006, Manson opened his own art gallery, The Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art in Los Angeles for which his third exhibition was the inaugural show. From April 2-17, 2007, Manson's recent works were on show at the Space 39 Modern & Contemporary in Florida. 40 pieces from this show travel to Germany's Gallery Brigitte Schenk in Cologne to be publicly exhibited from June 28 - July 28, 2007. Manson was refused the entrance to the Cologne Cathedral, better known under the German name Kölner Dom, when he was in the city to attend the opening night. This was, according to Manson, due to his makeup. Other sources gave different reasons, however.

Video games

Manson made an appearance in the video game Area 51 as an ancient and powerful Grey Alien, named Edgar. His likeness is also featured on the Celebrity Deathmatch video game for which he recorded a song for the soundtrack (2003).

Personal life

Manson was given the title of "Reverend Manson" by Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey.

Manson and Dita Von Teese, a popular American burlesque artist, model and actress, started dating on Manson's 32nd birthday (January 5, 2001), and Manson proposed three years later on 22 March 2004. On 3 December 2005 (court documents say 28 November), the couple were married in a non-denominational ceremony at Gurteen Castle in Kilsheelan, County Tipperary, Ireland, the home of artist, Gottfried Helnwein. The wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky. They reportedly exchanged vows in front of approximately 60 guests, including Catherine D'lish, Lisa Marie Presley, Eric Szmanda, Jessicka of Jack Off Jill and Christian Hejnal of Scarling. Guests were invited to participate in skeet shooting, archery and falconry in the days following the wedding. The wedding pictures appeared in the March 2006 edition of Vogue under the heading "The Bride Wore Purple".

On December 30, 2006 Manson and Von Teese split after her filing for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences". ET.com and People claimed that Manson was having an extramarital affair with 19-year-old actress Evan Rachel Wood, who is to co-star in his upcoming horror film Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, and features in the video for his 2007 single, Heart-Shaped Glasses, as well as inspiring the record. The relationship was confirmed by Von Teese in an interview with Britain's Sunday Telegraph, "I get the impression he thinks I was unsupportive. But the truth is I wasn't supportive of his lifestyle, and someone else came along who was." Manson's alcohol abuse and distant behavior were also cited as cause for the split. Manson is reportedly fighting for custody of the couple's three cats. Manson is also linked to Michele Greenberg who is portrayed as "Rachelle" in his book "The Long Hard Road Out of Hell". Prior to his seven-year relationship to Von Teese, he was engaged to actress Rose McGowan.

Manson is currently dating actress Evan Rachel Wood.

Lawsuits

* In a civil battery suit, David Diaz, a security officer from a concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 27, 2000, sued for $75,000 in a Minneapolis federal court. The federal court jury found in Manson's favor.

* In a civil suit presented by Oakland County, Michigan, Manson was charged with sexual misconduct against another security officer, Joshua Keasler, during a concert in Clarkston, Michigan on July 30, 2001. Oakland County originally filed assault & battery and criminal sexual misconduct charges, but the judge reduced the latter charge to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Manson pleaded no contest to the reduced charges, paid a $4,000 fine, and later settled the lawsuit under undisclosed terms.

* On April 2, 2002 Maria St. John filed in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Manson of providing her adult daughter, Jennifer Syme, with cocaine and instructing her to drive while under the influence.

* On August 2, 2007, former band member Stephen "Pogo/Madonna Wayne Gacy" Bier filed a lawsuit against Manson citing unpaid "partnership proceeds" and seeking 20 million dollars in back pay . Several details from the lawsuit leaked to the press.

Major label discography

* Portrait of an American Family (1994)
* Smells Like Children (1995)
* Antichrist Superstar (1996)
* Remix and Repent (1997)
* Mechanical Animals (1998)
* The Last Tour on Earth (1999)
* Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000)
* The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)
* Lest We Forget (2004)
* Eat Me, Drink Me (2007)

Filmography

* Lost Highway (1997)
* Spawn (song) (1997)
* Jawbreaker (1999)
* House on Haunted Hill (song) 1999)
* Clone High (2000)
* From Hell (score, 2001)
* Not Another Teen Movie (song, 2001)
* Resident Evil (score, 2002)
* Bowling for Columbine (interview, 2002)
* Queen of the Damned (2002)
* The Hire: Beat The Devil (2003)
* Party Monster (2003)
* Doppelherz (director, 2003)
* The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004)
* Saw II (song, 2005)
* House of Wax, (2005)
* Living Neon Dreams (2006)
* The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D (song soundtrack only) (2006)
* Rise: Blood Hunter (2006)
* Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll (acting, directing, writing, score, 2007)

Books

* The Long Hard Road Out of Hell (1998)
* Holy Wood (book) Unreleased

Shah Rukh Khan

2007-09-03T11:22:00.001+07:00

Now have Shah Rukh Khan all over yourself

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan says his nose is too big, the hair all wrong and the skin is too brown. But the one thing, which is positive about his face, he says, is his eyes. So why not utilise them?

So when leading French perfume brand Jeanne Arthes wanted to name a new fragrance after the King Khan, they came up with the name Tiger Eyes.

Tiger Eyes was launched on Wednesday night in Mumbai by SRK and would be available across all lifestyle outlets and malls, Jeanne Arthes Board Director Thibaud Perrin said.

"We believe that our perfumes play a prominent place in people's daily lives and it is our philosophy to help consumers enhance the lifestyle they aspire. Tiger Eyes is Shah Rukh's invincible facets captured in a bottle", he said.

Available in two ranges, Tiger Eyes for men has a modern fern aroma with green, spicy, fruity, lemon and orange to form its fresh top note. A woody middle note of sandal, patchouli, cedar and vetiver has an amber and musk to harmonise its oriental base.

Tiger Eyes Pour Femme for women comes with top notes of orange, black current, apple and apricot; while its middle note is an alliance of lily of valley, rose, jasmine, yang yang and clove leaves to attain a spicy tinge with an inimitable combination to form an oriental base note of woody, cedarwood, balsamic, ozone amber and musk.

Jeanne Arthes is a 165-year-old company and they were earlier associated with Zeenat Aman . The former sex-symbol still endorses the perfume 'Zeenat' by Jeanne Arthes.

Apart from Zeenat, SRK joins Amitabh Bachchan (Pour Homme' and Pour Femme' by Lomani) and Lata Mangeshkar ('Lata Eau De Parfum' by Gandh Sugandh) to endorse perfumes.

So now when you want SRK, just sprinkle Tiger Eyes all over yourself.

Victoria Beckham appears more curvy for ad.

2007-07-31T17:00:00.000+07:00

Exclusive, by KATIE HAMPSON 18th August 2006

With the waist measurement of a seven-year-old child, it is little wonder Victoria Beckham has announced she wants to 'fatten up.' Until now her tiny frame seemed to be getting thinner by the day.

But in a recent photoshoot for a new fragrance, Mrs Beckham appears to have miraculously developed a derriere as shapely as the famous one sported by Jennifer Lopez.

And the reason? Digital trickery. Looking more womanly than ever, she shows off an accentuated bottom, giving her the curves her husband has longed for.

One airbrushing expert revealed: "It looks as if the pictures have almost certainly been enhanced in some way by digital manipulation.

"The left hand side looks to have been enhanced and resembles a J-Lo style curvy bottom and the left hand side seems lower with a highlight re-touch added.

"Judging from recent pictures, her thighs also look to have been manipulated so it looks in proportion with her enhanced bottom. "David's hand also looks to have been enhanced slightly to put it in proportion with Victoria's new behind.

"This photo clearly designed to show she has curves, although they are digitally manipulated." The former England captain has made no secret of his desire for his wife to put on more weight. And he appears to revel in having some extra flesh to grab on to.

But these newfound curves in the advertisement are a far cry from the mother of three who is so slim that she now has to have her clothes specially altered to stop them from swamping her tiny frame.

Incredibly, her tiny measurement gives her the same waist size as a seven-year-old - the age of her son Brooklyn. But after stern words from her husband and health experts, the former Spice is on a mission to 'fatten up'.

It is hoped that by putting on more weight and increasing her body fat percentage the singer turned fashion designer will be able to conceive the couple's fourth child more easily.

Wewangian, Dicinta Namun Bahaya

2007-07-12T06:06:00.000+07:00

Kompas Cybermedia, 19 Desember 2005

Di balik semerbak harum wewangian ternyata mengintip segudang ancaman terhadap kesehatan dan lingkungan. Bagaimana bisa terjadi?

Sejarah fragrans atau wewangian sebenarnya sudah dimulai sejak berabad-abad lalu. Cleopatra adalah salah satu pelaku sejarah penggemar wewangian. Sejak zaman sebelum Masehi pun sudah dikenal kemenyan yang kala itu diekstrak dari tetumbuhan.

Bangsa Mesir kuno memakai wewangian dalam acara ritual penguburan, selain sebagai simbol status sosial bagi si pemakai. Orang Yunani percaya, wewangian mampu jadi media kontak dengan dewa-dewi mereka. Orang Romawi memikat lawan jenisnya lewat wewangian. Namun menyusul runtuhnya Kekaisaran Romawi pada abad pertengahan, fragrans dipakai untuk menutupi bau busuk penyakit.

Eropa mengenal fragrans justru dari orang-orang Timur, misalnya Arab. Dari mereka orang Eropa belajar cara menyuling minyak-minyak esensial menjadi wewangian. Venesia adalah kota pertama di Eropa yang mengawali perdagangan wewangian hingga menyebar ke kota-kota lain di Eropa.

Selama abad XIV fragrans lebih untuk keperluan pengobatan. Yang menarik, sepanjang dua abad setelah itu sejarah mencatat peningkatan pemakaian wewangian. Pasalnya, banyak orang kala itu percaya, mandi atau berendam di air tidak sehat. Pori-pori yang terbuka akan memudahkan penyakit masuk dan menginfeksi tubuh! Maka, banyak orang lama tak mandi. Untuk menutupi bau badan, dipakailah minyak wangi.

Baru setelah abad XVI fragrans mengawali zaman keemasannya. Kala itu banyak orang belajar sekaligus mengagumi "khasiat" fragrans sebagai pengharum, terutama sebagai parfum. Namun, hanya kalangan bangsawan dan kaum jetset yang sanggup membelinya. Harganya memang mahal karena faktor sulitnya menemukan oplosan yang tepat serta pembuatannya yang makan waktu lama.

Bahannya waktu itu terbanyak didapat dari tumbuhan atau hewan. Cara pembuatannya dianggap seni dengan cita rasa tinggi. Hingga kini pun persepsi itu masih berlaku, terutama untuk parfum kelas atas yang dibikin dalam jumlah terbatas atau menurut pesanan.

Sudah sejak akhir abad XVIII Prancis dikenal sebagai pusat parfum dunia. Juga untuk pertama kalinya fragrans dari bahan sintetis diperkenalkan. Contohnya parfum bermerek Chanel No. 5 buatan Prancis tahun 1921.

Sementara itu reputasi fragrans semakin menanjak. Tidak hanya sebagai bahan utama pembuatan parfum, namun juga untuk kebutuhan hidup sehari-hari. Umpamanya, produk-produk perawatan tubuh seperti sabun dan sampo, industri perlengkapan rumah tangga macam pembersih lantai, industri makanan dan minuman seperti permen atau sirup, produk bahan bangunan seperti cat tembok, lilin, juga rokok, alat tulis macam bolpoin, kertas, karet penghapus, spidol, krayon, dan banyak lagi.

Yang alami dan sintetis

Fragrans itu "biang" segala wewangian. Semua yang berbau harum berasal dari fragrans. Menurut Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Amerika, fragrans berarti semua substansi baik alami maupun sintetis yang semata-mata digunakan untuk memberi bau pada produk-produk kosmetik. Jadi produk kosmetik tak terbatas parfum, tapi juga meliputi sabun, sampo, dll.

Karena pengertian itu banyak kelemahannya, terbukalah peluang bagi para produsen kosmetik khususnya serta produk-produk lain. Fragrans pun digunakan dalam bahan-bahan pembersih rumah tangga seperti deterjen atau larutan pembersih peralatan dapur dan makan, yang sayangnya, bakal membawa masalah kesehatan maupun lingkungan.

Bahan dasarnya amat banyak. Bisa dari alam atau bikinan manusia (sintetis). Sumber alam kebanyakan dari tumbuh-tumbuhan atau hewan. Setelah lewat proses cukup rumit seperti distilasi dan ekstraksi, baru dihasilkan fragrans dalam bentuk konsentrat pekat. Sedangkan yang sintetis bahannya dari berbagai macam zat kimia yang sudah jadi. Sesudah melewati reaksi-reaksi kimiawi di laboratorium, dihasilkan konsentrat seperti yang alami tadi, namun dengan rumus kimia baru.

Meski yang sintetis dan alami tak banyak bedanya, harga fragrans sintetis jauh lebih murah, lebih mudah didapat, dan daya tahan baunya lebih lama. Karena itu hampir 80% produsen fragrans menggunakan bahan sintetis. Namun, yang natural tidak ditinggalkan 100%, karena ada bau-bauan tertentu yang tidak bisa dihasilkan melulu secara sintetis.

Ada fragrans yang diperdagangkan hanya dalam bentuk bahan "mentah". Pengusaha lain lalu membelinya untuk membuat parfum, cologne, eau de toilette, after shave lotion, atau produk kosmetik lain. Ada juga yang menambahkannya dalam sabun, sampo, pengharum ruangan, deterjen, cairan pembersih lantai, dsb.

Agar mudah dihidu, biasanya produsen menambahkan solvent atau zat pelarut yang mudah menguap. Yang paling banyak dipakai dari golongan hidrokarbon. Contohnya pada parfum, hair spray, deodoran, penghapus cat kuku, cairan pembersih rumah tangga, juga bolpoin wangi yang memabukkan itu. Hanya pada kasus ini konsentrasi fragrans lebih rendah dibandingkan dengan pelarutnya.

Bisnis multimiliaran dolar

American Demographics pernah melaporkan begitu maraknya bisnis wewangian ini. Nilainya mencapai AS $ 5 miliar! Angka yang rasanya tidak masuk akal. Namun, bisa dipercaya bila dicermati.

Ini memang bisnis yang merakyat. Bayangkan, dari parfum hingga kertas sekalipun bau harum bisa hadir di situ. Jadi, ini memang bisnis menggiurkan siapa saja dan di mana saja, termasuk Indonesia dengan jumlah penduduk lebih dari 200 juta orang.

Pertumbuhan bisnis ini di Tanah Air masih akan berlipat ganda. Apalagi peraturan masih lemah dan kontrolnya amburadul. Mengkhawatirkan, karena jumlah konsumen makin berlipat karena hampir tiap orang memerlukan dan sanggup membelinya. Dengan begitu masalahnya pun jadi bertambah, terutama masalah kesehatan dan lingkungan hidup.

Celakanya, ada pebisnis nakal yang beorientasi pada keuntungan semata sehingga masalah yang ditanggung konsumen atau lingkungan bukanlah urusan mereka.

Lebih celaka lagi, dunia bisnis fragrans boleh dibilang hampir tak tersentuh kekuatan hukum, bahkan di negara maju sekalipun. Sebagai contoh Amerika. FDA tak punya wewenang sama sekali untuk mengatur bisnis ini. Alasannya, rahasia perusahaan.

Memang fragrans terdiri atas berbagai campuran substrat sehingga tiap fragrans menghasilkan bau khas dan individualistik. FDA hanya mewajibkan produsen mencantumkan kata "fragrans" pada produk berfragrans dan peringatan "Perhatian: keamanan kandungan produk ini belum dipastikan". Mirip peringatan pada bungkus rokok.

Bila masalah muncul setelah pemakaian produk di kemudian hari, konsumen bisa menuntut produsen ke meja hijau. Kasusnya perdata dan bersifat kasus per kasus. Bila pengadu menang, dia mendapat ganti rugi. Namun, bukan berarti nantinya seluruh produk itu harus ditarik dari peredaran. Prosesnya akan panjang dan perlu penelitian ilmiah lebih lanjut hingga benar-benar terbukti kandungan produk itu, terutama fragransnya, berbahaya bagi kesehatan atau lingkungan. Itulah aturan mainnya.

Untunglah, masalah ini disadari oleh para pebisnis fragrans. Khususnya perusahaan besar ternama dunia. Guna menjaga citra dan gengsi mereka, dibentuklah The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) pada 1966 dan International Fragrance Association (IFRA, Asosiasi Produsen Fragrans Internasional) tahun 1973.

RIFM adalah lembaga internasional independen yang tugas utamanya meriset bahan-bahan mentah fragrans sebelum dilempar ke pasaran. Parameter pengujian terutama adalah uji alergisitas dan fototoksisitas. Hasilnya dikirim ke IFRA, juga dipublikasikan dalam lembaran Food and Chemical Toxicology atau dapat diminta langsung pada RIFM.

Sedangkan tugas IFRA merekomendasi keamanan pemakaian material fragrans pada para anggotanya yang lebih dari 100 perusahaan mewakili 15 negara. Sayang, Indonesia belum tercatat di sana. Wakil dari Asia pun hanya Jepang dan Singapura. Daftar materi fragrans yang telah direkomendasi ada dalam terbitan Industry Guidelines to Restrict Ingredient Usage. Sejak Desember 1995 ada 35 bahan yang dilarang pemakaiannya dan 53 bahan dengan pemakaian terbatas pada produk-produk tertentu.

Gangguan kulit dan saraf

Sepintas, regulasi internal mereka berjalan efektif, meski hanya berdasarkan tanggung jawab moral dan tidak melibatkan kekuatan hukum. Sayang, kenyataannya tidak begitu!

Walaupun dalam tubuh RIFM ada tim terpadu yang melibatkan berbagai ahli independen, seleksi bahan yang diuji bukan mereka yang menentukan. Sementara bagian yang menentukan itu tidak punya sistem solid untuk menentukan bahan mana yang seharusnya diuji karena berpotensi menimbulkan masalah.

Kelemahan berikutnya adalah cara pengujian, yang sebagian besar difokuskan pada paparan dan akibat yang timbul pada kulit. Paparan lewat saluran pernapasan atau saluran cerna biasanya tidak dilakukan. Padahal masalah kesehatan juga bisa muncul lewat kedua jalur itu dan efeknya lebih sistemis dan kronis.

Kelemahan dalam tubuh IFRA pun ada. Asosiasi ini tak punya wewenang untuk "menghukum" anggotanya, dan tak berhak memantau mereka bila rekomendasinya dilanggar. Tak heran jika masalah masih tetap bermunculan. Terutama masalah kesehatan.

Salah satu laporan RIFM menyebut kerugian material akibat gangguan kesehatan gara-gara fragrans cukup besar. Padahal itu berkaitan dengan fragrans yang sudah lolos dari RIFM. Sekitar 35 juta orang AS menderita rhinitis alergik, dan penanganannya menelan biaya AS $ 8 miliar/tahun. Sekitar 1.000 pekerja harus absen kerja karena menderita migren, dan akibatnya AS $ 5 miliar melayang. Asma dan penyakit paru-paru kronis meningkat dua kali lipat dalam 20 tahun terakhir.

Banyak penelitian menunjukkan, fragrans memiliki dampak buruk terhadap kesehatan. Studi mendalam oleh U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pada 1991 menunjukkan, aseton yang biasa digunakan dalam deterjen, cologne, dan terutama zat penghilang cat kuku bisa menimbulkan gejala mual, pusing, dan mampu menekan fungsi susunan saraf pusat, termasuk otak dan saraf tulang belakang.

Parfum dianggap polutan

Yang paling dikhawatirkan para pakar lingkungan justru dampak polutan fragrans, di samping pencemaran lingkungan langsung akibat tidak memadainya pengolahan limbah industri.

Selain belum ada peraturannya, juga belum bisa didaur ulang dan terus-menerus bersirkulasi dalam air (polusi akuatik). Dalam kasus parfum, setelah menguap fragrans bereaksi dengan substansi lain di udara. Reaksi ini menghasilkan substansi baru yang dapat larut dalam air.

Di Amerika Serikat sekarang sedang marak isu kampanye antiparfum karena bau harum sudah dianggap "polutan". Tak semua orang tahan terhadap bau parfum tertentu, dan terkadang berakibat munculnya gangguan kesehatan. Celakanya, kita tidak bisa meminta orang untuk menghilangkan wewangian yang sudah telanjur teroles di tubuhnya seperti halnya meminta orang untuk mematikan rokok, misalnya.

Sadar akan risiko munculnya berbagai gangguan kesehatan, konsumen menjadi makin berhati-hati dalam memakai produk berfragrans. Produsen pun tak kurang akal. Telah banyak beredar di pasaran produk berlabel "hypoallergenic, "for sensitive skin", sampai "dermatologist tested", "dermatologist recommended", bahkan "fragrance free".

Itu sah-sah saja. Sebab, dalam rumusan FDA fragrans adalah materi yang dicampurkan semata-mata untuk menghasilkan bau-bauan. Padahal fragrans bisa berfungsi ganda. Selain sebagai penyebar bau harum, juga dapat sebagai bahan pengawet. Jadi, meskipun produsen mengklaim produknya "bebas fragrans", sesungguhnya masih terkandung fragrans dalam "topeng" lain.

Jangankan konsumen awam, dokter kulit atau ahli fragrans sekalipun tidak tahu apa saja yang tersembunyi dalam produk berfragrans kendati sudah dicantumkan seluruh kandungan pada labelnya, misalnya. Kecuali memakai alat canggih seperti gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis yang amat mahal itu.

Bisa dibayangkan rumitnya dunia bisnis fragrans ini. Di negara-negara maju dengan peraturan-peraturan dan hukum yang sudah kukuh, bisnis fragrans belum dapat benar-benar dijamah. Bagaimana pula di negara-negara dunia ketiga, termasuk Indonesia?

Gangguan kesehatan akibat fragrans

Berbagai penyakit kulit seperti dermatitis, bisa dalam bentuk alergi atau kontak toksik dermatitis (penyakit kulit yang hingga kini makin meningkat trennya di dunia dan sulit disembuhkan).
Gangguan saluran pernapasan, termasuk asma, rhinitis (peradangan hidung), bronkitis, dan sinusitis.
Gangguan sistem saraf, mulai dari yang ringan seperti sakit kepala dan migren sampai kelumpuhan fungsi saraf tertentu.
Tak berhenti di situ, asap dan bau harum produk lilin wangi bisa berbahaya bagi anak-anak dan ibu hamil. Masalahnya asap tersebut mengandung bahan beracun seperti VOC, PAH, plasticizer, dan phthalat. *

Enchanting by Celine Dion

2007-07-10T15:59:00.000+07:00

Source: Cosmetic News

The stable of celebrity fragrances managed by Coty, the leader in this area, will soon include a newcomer. A new perfume by Céline Dion called Enchanting will be introduced in September 2006 in Europe and in March 2007 in North America.

"Enchanting Celine Dion was developed with perfumer James Krivda of Givaudan and contains notes of osmanthus, cyclamen red berries, orchid, gardenia and freesia. The golden juice comes in a tall six-faceted glass bottle, created in-house."

The perfume will be mass-marketed and accompanied by a promotional CD as a gift-with-purchase. The 30 ml edp will come with an amethyst-colored crystal ring by Swarowski. In Europe, the 30 ml eau de toilette will retail for 16.95 Euros and the 30 ml eau de parfum for 19.95 Euros.

Celine Dion

2007-07-04T12:00:00.000+07:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Céline Marie Claudette Dion Angélil, OC, OQ, (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian pop singer and occasional songwriter. Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion became a young star in francophone Canada after her manager and would-be husband, René Angélil, mortgaged his home to finance her first record. She later gained recognition in parts of Europe and Asia after she won both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.

In 1990 Dion made her English language debut with the anglophone album Unison, published by Epic Records. During the 1990s, under the guidance of her husband, she achieved worldwide fame and success with several English and French records, and ended the decade as one of the most successful artists in pop music. After releasing over twenty-five albums during the 1980s and 1990s, Dion announced in 1999 that she was taking a break from entertainment in order to start a family and to focus on her husband/manager, who had been diagnosed with throat cancer. She returned to the music scene in 2002 with a more mature, exclusively adult contemporary, sound, but her album sales suffered a decline, and she signed a lucrative four-year contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

Dion's music has been influenced by various genres, which range from pop and rock to gospel and classical, and while her releases have often been given mixed critical reception, she is renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals. In 2004, after accumulating record sales in excess of 175 million, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards show for becoming the Best-selling Female Artist in the World.

Life and music career

Childhood and early beginnings

The youngest of fourteen children born to Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay, Celine Dion was raised a Roman Catholic in a poverty-stricken— but happy— home in Charlemagne, a small town about 30 miles northeast of Montreal. Music had always been a part of the family, as she grew up singing with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar called 'Le Vieux Baril.' From an early age, Dion had dreamed of being a performer. In a 1994 interview with People magazine, she recalled, "I missed my family and my home, but I don't regret having lost my adolescence. I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer."

At age twelve Dion collaborated with her mother and her brother Jacques to compose her first song, "Ce N'Était Qu'un Rêve" ("It Was Only a Dream"). Her brother Michel sent the recording to music manager René Angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a Ginette Reno album. Angélil was brought to tears by Dion's voice and decided to make her a star. He mortgaged his home to fund her first record, "La Voix du Bon Dieu" (a play on words "The Voice of God/The Road to God," 1981), which became a local number-one record and made Dion an instant star in Quebec. Her popularity spread to other parts of the world when she competed in the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan, and won the musician's award for "Top Performer" as well as the gold medal for "Best Song" with "Tellement J'Ai d'Amour Pour Toi" ("I Have So Much Love for You"). By 1983 in addition to becoming the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in France for the single "D'Amour Ou d'Amitié" ("Of Love or of Friendship"), Dion had also won several Félix awards, including "Best Female performer" and "Discovery of the year." Further success in Europe, Asia, and Australia came when Dion represented Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi" ("Don't Go Without Me") and won the contest in Dublin, Ireland. However, American success was yet to come, partly because she was exclusively a Francophone artist.

At eighteen, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil that she wanted to be a star like Jackson. Though confident in her talent, Angelil realized that her image needed to be changed in order for her to be marketed worldwide. Dion withdrew from the spotlight for a number of months, during which she underwent a physical makeover. Finally, Dion was sent to the École Berlitz School in 1989 to polish her English and interviewing skills. This marked the start of her Anglophone career.

1990–1992: Career breakthrough

Dion's earlier work consisted of strong rock music influences.
Dion's earlier work consisted of strong rock music influences.

A year after she had learned English, Dion made her debut into the Anglophone market with Unison (1990). She incorporated the help of many established musicians, including Vito Luprano and Canadian producer David Foster. The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music that was suited for the adult contemporary radio format. Unison hit the right notes with critics: Jim Faber of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Dion's vocals were "tastefully unadorned," and that she never attempted to "bring off styles that are beyond her."Stephen Erlewine of All Music Guide declared it as "a fine, sophisticated American debut." Singles from the album included "(If There Was) Any Other Way," "The Last to Know," "Unison," and "Where Does My Heart Beat Now," a mid-tempo soft-rock ballad which featured an electric guitar. The latter became her first single to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number four. The album established Dion as a rising singer in the United States, and across Continental Europe and Asia. In 1991, Dion was also a soloist in "Voices That Care," a tribute to American troops fighting in Operation Desert Storm.

Dion's real international breakthrough came when she paired with Peabo Bryson to record the title track to Disney's animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991). The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classically influenced ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial hit, the song became her second U.S. top ten single, and won the Academy Award for Best Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. "Beauty and the Beast" was featured on Dion's 1992 eponymous album, which, like her debut, had a strong rock influence combined with elements of soul and classical music. Owing to the success of the lead-off single and her collaboration with Foster and Diane Warren, the album was as well received as Unison. Other singles that achieved moderate success included "If You Asked Me To" (a cover of Patti LaBelle's song from the 1989 movie Licence to Kill) which peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the gospel-tinged "Love Can Move Mountains," and "Nothing Broken but My Heart." As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love.

By 1992 Unison, Céline Dion and media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the Anglophone market and achieving fame. However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U.S., her French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them. She tried to reconnect with her French fans at the Felix Awards show, where, after winning "English Artist of the Year," she openly refused to accept the award. She asserted that she was — and would always be— a French, not an English, artist. Apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as Angélil, who was twenty-six years her senior, transited from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared that the public would find their relations inappropriate.

1993–1995: Popularity established

In 1993, Dion publicly indicated her feelings for her manager by declaring him "The colour of [her] love" in the dedication section of her third Anglophone album The Colour of My Love. However, instead of criticizing their relationship as Dion had feared, fans embraced the couple. Eventually, Angélil and Dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony in December 1994.

As it was dedicated to her manager, the album's motif focused on love and romance. It became her most successful record up to that point, selling over six million copies in the U.S., two million in Canada, and peaking at number-one in many countries. The album also spawned Dion's first U.S., Canadian and Australian number-one single "The Power of Love" (a remake of Jennifer Rush's 1985 hit), which would become her signature hit until she reached new career heights in the late 1990s. Subsequent singles, such as "When I Fall in Love," a duet with Clive Griffin, and "Misled" failed to reach the upper tier of the pop charts in the U.S., but were moderately successful in Canada. The Colour of My Love also became Dion's first bona fide hit in Europe, and in particular the United Kingdom. Both the album and the single "Think Twice" simultaneously occupied the top of the British charts for five consecutive weeks. "Think Twice," which remained at number one for seven weeks, went on to become the fourth single by a female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the U.K., while the album was eventually certified five-times platinum for two-million copies sold.

Dion kept to her French roots and continued to release many Francophone recordings between each English record: Dion Chante Plamondon (1991); À l'Olympia (1994), a live album that was recorded during one of Dion's concerts at the Olympia Theatre in Paris; and D'eux (1995 — also known as The French Album in the United States), which would go on to become the best-selling French album of all time. As these albums were in French, the worldwide commercial success was limited. However, Dion's Francophone fans embraced each release, and generally, they achieved more credibility than her Anglophone works.

The mid-1990s was a transitional period for Dion's musical style, as she slowly moved away from strong rock influences and transitioned into a more pop and soul style (though the electric guitar remained a central part of her music). Her songs began with more delicate melodies that used softer instrumentations, and built up to strong climaxes, over which her vocals could be displayed. This new sound received mixed reviews from critics, with Arion Berger of Entertainment Weekly accusing her of preferring vocal acrobatics over dynamics and embarking on a trend of uninspiring, "crowd-pleasing ballads." Resultantly, she earned frequent comparisons to artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. There were also signs that her work was becoming more clichéd: critically, The Colour of My Love was not consistent with earlier works. However, while critical praise declined, Dion's releases performed increasingly well on the international charts, and in 1996 she won the World Music Award for "World’s Best-selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year" — a title she had earned twice before. By the mid-1990s, she had established herself as one of the best-selling artists in the world, among female performers such as Carey and Houston.

1996–1999: Worldwide commercial success

Falling into You (1996), Dion's fourth Anglophone album, presented the singer at the height of her popularity, and showed a further progression of her music. In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements, such as ornate orchestral frills, African chanting, and outlandish musical effects. Additionally, instruments like the violin, Spanish guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho, and saxophone created a new sound. The singles encompassed a variety of musical styles. The title track and "River Deep, Mountain High" (a Tina Turner cover) made prominent use of percussion instruments; "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (a remake of Jim Steinman's song) and a remake of Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" kept their soft-rock atmosphere, but were combined with the classical sound of the piano; and the number-one single "Because You Loved Me," which was written by Diane Warren, was a maudlin ballad that served as the theme to the 1996 film Up Close & Personal. Falling into You garnered career-best reviews for Dion. While Dan Leroy wrote that it was not very different from her previous work, and Stephen Holden of The New York Times and Natalie Nichols of Los Angeles Times wrote that the album was formulaic, other critics such as Chuck Eddy, Erlewine and Daniel Durchholz lavished the album as "compelling," "passionate," "stylish," "elegant," and "remarkably well-crafted." Falling Into You became Dion's most critically and commercially successful album: it topped the charts in many countries and became one of the best-selling albums of all time. It also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album, and the academy's highest honor Album of the Year. Dion's status on the world stage was further solidified when she was asked to perform "The Power of the Dream" at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. In March 1996 Dion launched the Falling into You Tour in support of her new album, giving concerts around the world for over a year.

Dion followed Falling into You with Let's Talk About Love (1997), which was publicized as its sequel. The recording process took place in London, New York City, and Los Angeles, and featured a host of special guests, such as Barbra Streisand on "Tell Him"; the Bee Gees on "Immortality"; and world-renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti on "I Hate You Then I Love You." Other musicians included Carole King, Sir George Martin, and Jamaican singer Diana King, who added a reggae tinge to "Treat Her Like a Lady." As the name suggests, the album had the same theme as Dion's preceding albums—"love." However, emphasis was also placed on "brotherly love" with "Where Is the Love" and "Let's Talk About Love." The most successful single from the album became the classically influenced ballad "My Heart Will Go On," which was composed by James Horner, and produced by Horner and Walter Afanasieff. Serving as the love theme for the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, the song topped the charts in many countries across the world, and has become Dion's signature song. In support of her album, Dion embarked on the Let's Talk About Love Tour between 1998 and 1999, which received mixed reviews.

Dion ended the 1990s with two more successful albums— the Christmas album, These Are Special Times (1998), and the compilation album All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999). On These Are Special Times, Dion had a hand in writing some of the material. The album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every track. "I'm Your Angel," a duet with R. Kelly, became Dion's fourth and final U.S. number one single, and another hit single across the world. All the Way... A Decade of Song drew together her most successful hits coupled with seven new songs, including the leadoff single "That's the Way It Is," a cover of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and "All the Way," a duet with Frank Sinatra.

By the end of the 1990s Celine Dion had sold over 100 million albums worldwide, and had won a slew of industry awards. Her status as one of the biggest divas of contemporary music was further solidified when she was asked to perform on VH1's Divas Live special in 1998, with superstars Aretha Franklin, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain, and Mariah Carey. That year she also received two of the highest honors from her home country: "Officer of the Order of Canada for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Contemporary Music" and "Officer of the National Order of Quebec." A year later she was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, and was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. She also won the Grammy awards for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" and the most coveted "Record of the Year" for "My Heart Will Go On" (the song won four awards, but two were presented to the songwriters).

Compared to her debut, both the quality and sound of Dion's music had also changed significantly. The soft-rock influences on her earlier releases were no longer prominent; they were replaced by more soul/adult contemporary styles. However, the theme of "love" remained in all her releases, and this led to many critics dismissing her work as banal. In a scathing review of Let's Talk About Love, Rob O'Connor wrote:

“ What never ceases to amaze me is how the trite-est, most cliché-ridden music often takes an assembly-line of lauded music industry professionals to perfect... Sinking ships are what I imagine as this tune ["My Heart Will Go On"] plows onward of four-plus minutes, and this album feels as if were never to end. Is it no wonder why I have such fears of going to the dentist?”

Dion was also criticized for some of her remakes and duets. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "All the Way" were described as disastrous and "creepy" by Allison Stewart of The Chicago Tribune and Erlwine of All Music Guide. Even though she was still praised for her vocal abilities (Elysa Gardner of L.A Times called her voice a "technical marvel,") the much favored vocal restraint heard on her early releases had also waned, and Steve Dollar, in reviewing These Are Special Times wrote that Dion was a "vocal Olympian for whom there ain't no mountain—or scale—high enough."

2000–2002: Career break

After releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, Dion felt that she needed to settle down, and announced on her final album, All the Way... A Decade of Song, that she had experienced many things and needed to take a step back and enjoy life. Angélil's diagnosis with throat cancer also prompted her retire temporarily. While on break, Dion was unable to escape the spotlight. In 2000, the National Enquirer published a false story about the singer. Brandishing a picture of Dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted Dion, printing the headline, "Céline — 'I'm Pregnant With Twins!'" Dion later sued the magazine for over twenty million dollars. The editors of the Enquirer printed an apology and a full retraction to Dion in the next issue, and donated money to the American Cancer Society in honor of Dion and her husband. A year after the incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, Dion gave birth to a son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, on January 25, 2001.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Dion returned to the music scene and in a televised performance sang "God Bless America" at the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes. Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote that "the performance... brings to mind what has made her one of the celebrated vocalists of our time: the ability to render emotion that shakes the soul. Affecting, meaningful, and filled with grace, this is a musical reflection to share with all of us still searching for ways to cope."

2002–2003: Return to music

Dion's aptly titled A New Day Has Come, released in March 2002, ended her two-year break from the music industry. The theme of the album was "new beginnings," and even though it did not incorporate many genres, a few dance-pop tunes ("I'm Alive" and "Sorry for Love") could be found among a throng of adult contemporary tracks. Shania Twain and Chantal Kreviazuk also appeared on the album and sang backing vocals. The album established a more mature side of Dion with the songs "A New Day Has Come," "Nature Boy" and "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)." This change was as a result of her new-found maternal responsibilities, because, in her own words, "becoming a mother makes you a grown-up." A New Day Has Come restarted her commercial success as it topped the charts in most countries. The album featured the title track, "A New Day Has Come," and a cover of Etta James's "At Last." A CBS television concert helped to promote the album, during which Dion performed with Destiny's Child and Brian McKnight. While the album achieved success, critical comments suggested that it was "forgettable" and the lyrics were "lifeless." Both Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine, and Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly, stated that Dion's music had not matured during her break, and classed her music as trite and mediocre. Sal Cinquemani of Slant magazine called the album "a lengthy collection of drippy, gooey pop fluffer-nutter."

Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, Dion released One Heart (2003), an album that encapsulated her appreciation for the joys of life. The album largely consisted of dance music — a deviation from the soaring, melodramatic ballads, for which she had once been given mixed reception. Although it achieved moderate success, One Heart hinted at Dions' inability to overcome the creative wall that she had hit, and words such as "predictable" and "banal" appeared even in the most lenient reviews. A cover of Roy Orbison's "I Drove All Night," released to launch her new advertising campaign with Chrysler, incorporated dance-pop and rock and roll and was called reminiscent of Cher's 1980s work. However, it was dismissed as Dion trying to please her sponsors.

By the mid 2000s Dion's music had changed to the point where her releases possessed maternal overtones. Miracle (2004), a multimedia project conceived by Dion and photographer Anne Geddes, had a theme centering on babies and motherhood. The album was saturated with lullabies and other songs of maternal love and inspiration, the two most popular being covers of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy." The reviews for Miracle were generally weak: while Charles Taylor of Billboard magazine wrote that the single "Beautiful Boy" was "an unexpected gem" and called Dion "a timeless, enormously versatile artist," Chuck Arnold of People Magazine labeled the album as excessively sentimental, while Nancy Miller of Entertainment Weekly opined that "the whole earth-mama act is just opportunism."

The Francophone album 1 Fille & 4 Types (1 Girl & 4 Guys, 2003), fared better than her first two comebacks, and showed Dion trying to distance herself from the "diva" image. She recruited Jean-Jacques Goldman, Gildas Arzel, Eric Benzi, and Jacques Veneruso, with whom she had previously worked on two of her best selling French albums S'il Suffisait d'Aimer and D'eux. Labeled "the album of pleasure" by Dion herself, the cover showed Dion in a simple and relaxed manner, contrary to the choreographed poses usually found on her album covers. The album achieved relative critical success: reviewer Stephen Erlwine of "All Music Guide" wrote that Dion was "getting back to pop basics and performing at a level unheard in a while."

Though her albums were relatively successful, signs of a decline began to appear in the poorer critical reception of The Collector's Series Volume One (2000), A New Day Has Come (2002), and One Heart (2003). The mass appeal of Dion's later works had declined due to the nature of the themes. Her songs received less airplay as radio became less embracing of balladeers like Dion, Carey and Houston, and now focused on more up-tempo, R&B/Hip-hop songs. However, by 2005 Dion had accumulated sales of over 175 million records, and received the Chopard Diamond World Music award for becoming the best-selling female artist in the world.

2003–present: A New Day... Live in Las Vegas

In early 2002 Dion had announced a three-year, 600-show contract to appear five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, A New Day..., at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. This move was seen as "one of the smartest business decisions in years by any major recording artist" given the relatively poor performance of her current releases. She conceived the idea for the show after seeing O by Dragone early in her break from recording, and began on March 25, 2003, in a 4000-seat arena designed for her show. The show, put together by Franco Dragone, is a combination of dance, music, and visual effects. It includes Dion performing her biggest hits against an array of dancers and special effects.

Reviewer Mike Weatherford felt that, at first, Dion was not as relaxed as she should be, and at times, it was hard to find the singer among the excessive stage ornamentations and dancers. However, he noted that the show has become more enjoyable, due to Dion's improved stage-presence and simpler costumes. The show has also been well-received by audiences, despite the complaints of expensive tickets; the show has sold out almost every night since its 2003 opening. According to Pollstar, Dion had sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US$43.9 million in the first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows. By the end of 2005, Dion grossed over US$76 million, placing sixth on Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005. A New Day... was the 6th biggest selling tour in America in 2006. Because of the show's success, Dion's contract was extended into 2007 for an undisclosed sum. On January 5, 2007 it was announced that the show would be ending on December 15, 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 going on sale from March 1. The A New Day... DVD will be released in December 2007.

In 2005, Dion released her first comprehensive greatest hits album in French, On Ne Change Pas, which features three new songs, including a duet with Il Divo called "I Believe in You". In February 2007, Dion made her latest contribution to a tribute album, the song "I Knew I Loved You" (based on a theme from Once Upon a Time in America), the centerpiece track on the CD We All Love Ennio Morricone. She went on to perform this song at the 2007 Academy Awards to honor Ennio Morricone.

Dion's next French language album D'Elles, released on May 21, 2007, shot to the top of the Canadian album charts, selling 72,200 copies in its first week, making it the biggest debut of the year, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. It marked her tenth No. 1 album in the SoundScan era, and her eighth to debut at the top position. In Canada, the album has been certified 2x platinum and within first week has already shipped half a million units worldwide. D'Elles reached also No. 1 in France and Belgium. The first single "Et S'il N'en Restait Qu'une (Je Serais Celle-là)" debuted at the top of the French singles chart a month earlier.

Dion is also working on a new English album to be released in October 2007 and is preparing for her 2008 world tour. On April 16, 2007, Sony BMG announced that Céline Dion has sold over 200 million albums worldwide.

Band

Élise Duguay - backing vocals
Julie LeBlanc - backing vocals
Barnev Valsaint - backing vocals
Terry Bradford - backing vocals
Claude "Mégo" Lemay - piano, music director
André Coutu - guitar
Paul Picard - percussion
Yves Frulla - keyboards
Dominique Messier - drums
Marc Langis - bass

Image

Dion is one of pop music's most respected singers, and her vocal talents and expansive, coloratura soprano vocal range has influenced the singing styles of others such as Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera. In MTV's "22 Greatest Voices in Music" countdown, she placed ninth (sixth for a female), and she was also placed fourth in Cove Magazine's list of "The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists."In MuchMoreMusic's "Top 20 Divine Divas" program Dion ranked at number three, behind Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. They also described her voice as "one of the most powerful vocal workouts ever to be recorded."

While industry officials note her for her vocal talents, Dion was often the subject of media ridicule, and was frequently impersonated on shows like MADtv, Saturday Night Live and South Park for her Quebecois accent, as well as her conservative nature and on-stage movements. She is also heavily mocked in her home country of Canada on popular shows Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. However, Dion seems unabashed by media ridicule: "I'm flattered when they take the time to impersonate you," she says. "I think it's a good sign." She even invited Ana Gasteyer, who parodied her on SNL, to appear on stage during one of her performances.

Dion is rarely the center of media controversies. However, in 2005, following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, she appeared on Larry King Live and tearfully criticized U.S. President George W. Bush regarding the Iraq War and his slow response in aiding the victims of Hurricane Katrina: "How come it's so easy to send planes in another country, to kill everyone in a second, to destroy lives? We need to be there right now to rescue the rest of the people." She later claimed, "When I do interviews with Larry King or the big TV shows like that, they put you on the spot, which is very difficult. I do have an opinion, but I'm a singer. I'm not a politician."

Other activities

Dion became an entrepreneur with the establishment of her franchise restaurant "Nickels" in 1990. She has since divested her interests in the chain and was no longer affiliated with Nickels as of 1997. She also has a range of eyewear and a line of perfume, manufactured by Coty, Inc.. In October 2004, Canada's national air carrier Air Canada hired Dion as part of the new promotional campaign as the airline unveiled new in-flight service products and new aircraft livery. "You and I," the theme song sung by Dion, was written by an advertising executive working for Air Canada.

Dion has actively supported many charity organizations worldwide. She has promoted the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982 and became the foundation's National Celebrity Patron in 1993. She has an emotional attachment to the foundation; her niece Karine succumbed to the disease at the age of sixteen. In 2003, Dion joined a number of other celebrities, athletes and politicians including Josh Groban and Yolanda Adams to support "World Children's Day", a global fundraising effort sponsored by McDonald's. The effort raised money from over 100 countries and benefited many orphanages and children's health organizations. Dion has also been a major supporter of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Diana Princess Of Wales Memorial Fund, and many health and education campaigns.

Dion has donated proceeds from selected performances of her Las Vegas show to various charitable causes.

Cher Perfume

2007-07-04T07:13:00.000+07:00

CHER UNINHIBITED PERFUME VIALS

Each Vial comes with Original Card Insert.

Uninhibited Perfume is a fragrance of passion and drama.

Uninhibited had a short, intense and wild introduction under the Cher name in the late 1980's, lasting on the market for only two years before vanishing in a spate of non-related corporate mergers.

Uninhibited Perfume has top notes of bergamot, orange oil and aldehydic accords. Middle notes of heliotrope, ylang-ylang, geranium, jasmin, rose, tabac. Dry down notes of cedarwood, musk, sandalwood, vanilla and vetiver.

Perfumery comments "Uninhibited has a unique and creative approach to classical woody-powdery tones, blending into the perfect accord the drama of uplifting aldehydic notes and the warm, deep sensual base. Very linear in direction, sensuous and easily identifiable from start to finish. The perfect dress-up, dating and clubbing scent." I have 12 of these in stock.

Cher Uninhibited 1/8 oz Perfume

Very rare, 1/8 oz size bottle of Uninhibited by Cher. This is real parfum and not toilette wate.The bottle and box are in great, new and unused condition.

Cher Uninhibited Eau de Toilette

Cher Uninhibited Eau de Toilette 1/3 oz splash with Collector's Box. Bottle in gorgeous condition and box in good condition for an item its age (1989). Smells exquisite. Box measures 4 in x 4 in. and is lined in black velvet.

Sensasi Pembangkit Birahi

2007-06-28T07:26:00.000+07:00

Kompas, 17 April 2004

Dalam bercinta, sensasi rasa yang diterima tubuh memiliki dua fungsi, membantu kita menentukan apa yang kita sentuh serta merasakannya.

Anda merasakan genital pasangan jika Anda menyentuhnya dengan lidah. Mencium adalah cara untuk mengeksplorasi rasa dan perasaan melalui bibir dan lidah.

Sensasi penciuman menurut terapis seksual Anne Hooper dalam Good Guide to Sex adalah bagian tak terpisahkan dari seksualitas karena alasan sekresi sperma dan vagina memiliki bau yang khas. Banyak laki-laki dan perempuan menggunakan parfum untuk membangkitkan rangsangan. Parfum, bunga, dan bahkan aroma tertentu mampu menentukan mood untuk bercinta.

Di Amerika Serikat, tulis Prakash Kothari dalam Common Sexual Problems and Solutions, mandi seringkali menjadi persiapan untuk seks. Namun, di negara lain, bau alami tubuh dianggap lebih erotis. Apakah Anda menikmati bau tubuh atau lebih menyukai wangi sabun atau sabun adalah masalah individu, meskipun umumnya perempuan lebih menyukai parfum dibandingkan dengan laki-laki.

Hooper menunjukkan bahwa setiap orang sebenarnya memiliki indera keenam, organ kecil di rongga hidung yang berespon terhadap pheromones, suatu zat kimia yang berperan dalam emosi manusia seperti cinta. Penglihatan, sentuhan, dan suara tampaknya lebih jelas berhubungan dengan seks dibandingkan dengan pengecapan dan penciuman.

Karena alasan itu, sensasi tersebut menjadi tumpul. Merasakan kulit kekasih dan mendengar suaranya di tempat tidur mungkin sudah sangat dikenali sehingga tak merangsang lagi. Namun, situasi itu dapat dihidupkan kembali. Bagaimana caranya?

Hooper menyarankan Anda perlu membuat kejutan sensoris. Jika pasangan menyukai bunga, Anda dapat menyemprot air bunga mawar di tempat tidur atau meletakkan setangkai mawar di sudut ranjang.

Pusatkan sentuhan. Tutup semua indera dan konsentrasikan pada apa yang Anda sentuh. Rasakan kulit kekasih Anda saat meraba tubuhnya. Perhatikan bagaimana perubahan tekstur kulit dari satu tempat ke tempat lain, bagaimana membuat variasi tekanan untuk membuat sentuhan menjadi pengalaman berbeda.

Hidupkan musik di tempat tidur dan temukan sensasi berbeda ketika musik mengiringi desahan napas Anda berdua. @ doa

Butuh Parfum Mobil?

2007-06-28T07:18:00.000+07:00

Jangan pilih aroma melati, membuat pengemudi mudah mengantuk
Kompas, 09 Juni 2005

Jangan pernah menganggap remeh indera penciuman Anda. Berbagai penelitian telah membuktikan bahwa penciuman aroma sangat mempengaruhi emosi kejiwaan seseorang.

Setiap bau aroma memiliki kekhasan tersendiri, seperti aroma karbol yang menyengat di rumah sakit, aroma dupa kemenyan atau bunga sedap malam yang mampu membuat bulu kuduk berdiri, atau aroma pinus/cemara yang bernuansa pegunungan. Aroma terbukti mampu membuat kita menjadi riang gembira, takut, sedih, atau sekadar bernostalgia.

Nah, penelitian terbaru seputar aroma dan emosi kejiwaan membuktikan bahwa aroma ternyata berpengaruh juga terhadap kemampuan seseorang mengemudikan mobilnya.

Jadi, mulai sekarang sebaiknya jangan sembarangan memilih parfum mobil, akibatnya bisa fatal. Aroma tertentu bisa mendorong Anda untuk menngebut, cepat marah-marah di jalanan, melamun nggak karuan, dan kalau ini terjadi tentu bisa menimbulkan kecelakan fatal.

Tentu saja tak semua aroma berpengaruh buruk. Bau-bauan tertentu di mobil --menurut penelitian yang dilakukan RAC Foundation-- malah membuat pengemudi tetap fokus dan bereaksi cepat ketika ada bahaya.

"Tak disangka, bau-bauan di dalam mobil ternyata berpengaruh begitu besar terhadap pengemudi," kata Sue Nicholson, peneliti dari RAC Foundation.

Studi sebelumnya, yang dilakukan West Virginia Wheeling Jesuit University menyebutkan aroma kayumanis membantu seseorang tetap fokus dan konsentrasi. Sementara aroma peppermint mampu menyegarkan emosional pengemudi sehingga terhindar dari perasaan marah, jengkel, stres, dan kelelahan.

Bersikap santai dan rileks selama mengemudi memang dianjurkan, tetapi kalau Anda terlalu rileks bisa bahaya.

Aroma melati, dan lavender jangan sekali-kali ditaruh dalam mobil, karena membuat pengemudi terlalu rileks dan mengantuk. Aroma jenis ini biasanya dipergunakan sebagai terapi aroma bagi penderita insomnia agar mereka gampang tidur.

Aroma rumput segar dan bunga-bungaan liar yang biasa tumbuh di tepi jalan juga tidak disarankan, karena membuat pikiran melayang ke jalan-jalan kecil di pedesaan dengan kesejukan alamnya. Akibatnya, pengemudi yang terstimulasi suasana pedesaan lalai mempertahankan kecepatan mobilnya dan bila terjadi di jalan tol tentu bisa mengakibatkan kecelakaan serius.

Bagaimana dengan aroma parfum dan aftershaves? Wah, yang inipun jangan sekali-kali tercium dalam mobil Anda, sebab membuat pikiran pengemudi beralih dari jalan raya ke hal-hal yang sifatnya seksual.

Begitu juga aroma makanan fast food bisa membahayakan. Bau menggiurkan ayam goreng, burger atau pizza yang masih hangat, membuat Anda lekas gusar karena merasa lapar. Yang terjadi kemudian Anda mengemudikan mobil dengan kecepatan tinggi agar segera mencapai kedai makanan terdekat dan memuaskan rasa lapar Anda.

Jadi, bau apa yang sebaiknya memenuhi ruangan mobil?

Aroma kopi dan lemon sangat dianjurkan, sebab akan membuat Anda tetap konsentrasi dan berpikir jernih.

Aroma udara laut juga menghadirkan suasana segar dalam mobil, mendorong kita untuk menghirup napas dalam-dalam dan membuat otot-otot menjadi lebih rileks.

Ada lagi aroma yang disarankan tetapi mahal harganya, karena untuk mendapatkannya Anda harus membeli mobil baru. Aroma mobil baru --yang merupakan kombinasi aroma larutan organik, dan produk-produk pembersih-- menciptakan aroma khusus yang membuat pengemudi lebih berhati-hati dan waspada di belakang setirnya. Ya, seperti jamaknya kita mengemudikan mobil gres yang baru keluar dari show room, kita pasti sangat berhati-hati, karena tergores sedikit saja rasanya pasti mengecewakan.

Sebagai kesimpulan, RAC Foundation menyatakan: kebanyakan pemilik mobil tidak peduli dan menganggap remeh bau-bauan dalam mobilnya. Padahal, tanpa disadari aroma tersebut sangat mempengaruhi emosi kejiwaan mereka ketika mengemudikan kendaraannya.

Satu hal yang tak dapat dimungkiri, terapi aroma akan sangat bermanfaat bagi kesehatan seseorang dalam menjalani rutinitas kehidupan yang rentan stres dan depresi, seperti warga Kota Jakarta yang selalu didera macet dan kondisi lalu lintas yang semrawut.

Bagaimana, Anda ingin mencoba? Kira-kira apa pilihan aroma mobil Anda sekarang? (zrp/BBC)

Aromatherapy

2007-06-28T07:03:00.000+07:00

Relaxing Your Mind, Body & Soul with Aromatherapy

Apa yang terlintas di benak Anda saat mendengar kata aromaterapi? Bisa jadi santai, nyaman, kesembuhan dan termanjakan. Tidak salah kok. Aromaterapi selalu dihubungkan dengan hal-hal menyenangkan agar membuat jiwa,tubuh dan pikiran merasa relaks dan 'bebas'.

Aromaterapi adalah istilah modern untuk praktik yang sudah dilakukan ribuan tahun lalu. Seperti yang dilakukan orang Mesir kuno saat mandi, pijat, dan mengurapi orang mati, secara tidak sadar kita juga melakukan aromaterapi ketika menghadiri pemakaman atau menjalani upacara adat pernikahan.

Ketika itu tentu belum ada antiseptik untuk membasmi kuman. Hippocrates, yang sekarang dikenal sebagai Bapak Kedokteran Modern, menggunakan mandi aromaterapi dan penyemprotan wewangian untuk membebaskan Athena dari wabah penyakit. Sama dengan di Yunani kuno, ahli fisika Mesir kuno menggunakan minyak dengan keharuman tertentu untuk pengobatan, wangi-wangian, mengurapi jenazah, dan meningkatkan gairah.

Nenek moyang kita juga sudah mengenal praktik aromaterapi. Ini bisa dirasakan pada waktu melayat orang meninggal. Ruangan di sekitar rumah duka akan dipenuhi keharuman mawar. Sifat wangi mawar yang antidepresan akan membuat orang-orang di sekitarnya menjadi lebih tenang. Keharuman mawar ini selain menenangkan juga membangkitkan gairah.

Mawar selalu ada dalam pesta pernikahan jelas punya tujuan, yaitu agar gairah pengantin baru meningkat. Ahai.

Namun, kebiasaan menggunakan wewangian aromaterapi ini mulai ditinggalkan ketika ditemukan zat antiseptik yang membunuh kuman dengan cepat dan murah. Baru pada tahun 1928 penggunaan istilah aromaterapi dipopulerkan oleh Rene Maurice Gattefosse di Perancis.
Aromaterapi digunakan untuk rileksasi dan pengobatan. Bahkan pada Perang Dunia II minyak esensial untuk aromaterapi ini digunakan untuk pengobatan karena pada zaman itu sulit memperoleh antibiotika. "Minyak esensial ketika itu digunakan secara internal, yaitu diminum atau dimasukkan ke organ tubuh," kata Dr. Rachmi Primadiati, seorang dokter ahli kecantikan dan aromatologi yang berpraktik di Klinik Nirmala, Jakarta Selatan.

Istilah aromaterapi yang sekarang digemari karena kesadaran efek samping pemakaian obat kimia ini didefinisikan oleh Dr. Rachmi sebagai suatu cara penyembuhan kesehatan dengan menggunakan bahan alamiah berupa minyak esensial dari tetumbuhan. Penyembuhan dengan aromaterapi ini merupakan tindakan holistik internal dan eksternal atau tidak hanya mengobati gejala penyakit yang tampak.

Dengan pendekatan holistik, pengobatan terhadap individu satu tidak akan sama dengan yang lain. "Karena setiap individu itu berbeda karakternya, maka setiap karakter membutuhkan minyak esensial yang berbeda pula. Misalnya untuk orang yang pemarah tentu akan diberikan minyak yang bersifat menenangkan," ujarnya.

Dr. Rachmi mengatakan bahwa aromaterapi ini adalah bagian dari kedokteran naturopati sebagai kesadaran kembali ke alam karena timbulnya efek samping penggunaan obat sintetis. Ia menyebutkan empat sifat yang tercakup dalam pengobatan naturopati.

Pertama, bersifat noninvasif alias tidak mencederai tubuh manusia seperti ketika dioperasi. Kedua, menggunakan bahan alami. Ketiga, cinta lingkungan dalam tubuh sendiri dengan memelihara jasad renik berguna yang ada di badan. Keempat, sangat individual.

Aromaterapi merupakan pengobatan dengan menggunakan kekuatan dari tumbuhan (life force of plant). Maksudnya, aromaterapi ini menggunakan minyak esensial yang mengandung zat yang digunakan tumbuhan untuk mempertahankan diri terhadap serangan dari luar, misalnya hama atau serangga. Zat tersebut tidak lain adalah hormon nabati.

Minyak esensial ini diperoleh dari penyulingan sedemikian rupa, sehingga diperoleh sari dari tumbuhan tersebut. Untuk memperoleh sekitar satu sendok makan minyak esensial mawar diperlukan 100 kg bunga mawar! Tak mengherankan jika minyak aromaterapi menjadi mahal. Meski mahal, kekuatan penyembuhan minyak ini adalah sebesar 100 kali tumbuhan aslinya.
Minyak tersebut mengandung bahan kimia asli dari tumbuhan tersebut berupa zat antiseptik seperti fenol dan alkohol dan molekul-molekul lain. Khasiatnya menyembuhkan berbagai penyakit serta menyebarkan bau harum.

"Molekul-molekul yang menyebarkan wangi ini bisa ditiru di laboratorium menggunakan bahan sintetis berasal dari minyak bumi menjadi parfum. Wewangian dari parfum ini tidak bersifat menimbulkan fungsi tubuh seperti wewangian dari minyak esensial. Berbeda dengan minyak esensial karena minyak tersebut di samping mengandung molekul wangi juga mengandung molekul yang menyembuhkan," lanjut Dr. Rachmi.

Kandungan zat-zat kimia alami dari tumbuhan ini bersifat antioksidan, sehingga mampu membantu proses pembusukan. Tidak heran orang Mesir kuno menggunakan minyak esensial untuk mengawetkan jenazah. Di samping khasiat antioksidan, molekul-molekul itu juga meningkatkan kekebalan tubuh alami.

Minyak esensial juga punya efek antiinflamasi yang mempercepat penyembuhan. Khasiat minyak esensial sebagai antiseptik minyak esensial ini menurut Dr. Rachmi pernah diteliti oleh Chamberlain pada tahun 1887. Hasilnya membuktikan minyak tersebut memang punya manfaat antiseptik yang meyakinkan.

Para peneliti dalam dunia kedokteran naturopati pernah pula meneliti akumulasi kandungan kimia minyak esensial di dalam tubuh. "Hasil penelitian ini pernah diterbitkan dalam sebuah jurnal kedokteran naturopati," katanya.

Dalam penelitian tersebut terbukti bahwa minyak esensial tidak terakumulasi di dalam tubuh. Terungkap di situ bahwa minyak lavender yang dioleskan ke kulit akan terbuang empat jam kemudian lewat air seni. Ada pula yang dikeluarkan lewat keringat, anus, dan mulut.

Semakin banyak orang di negara maju yang sadar kembali ke alam membuat aromaterapi menjadi pilihan yang menarik. Penelitian-penelitian ilmiah yang mendukung manfaat aromaterapi membuat semakin banyak orang berpaling memilih pengobatan cara alami ini.

Di Inggris, aromaterapi dengan menggunakan minyak esensial ini sudah digunakan di sebuah rumah bersalin, mulai dari untuk sterilisasi sampai membantu proses kelahiran. Efek minyak esensial yang mampu menembus kulit paling dalam membawa orang menyadari manfaat aromaterapi untuk memelihara kecantikan. Minyak esensial itu mampu meningkatkan pergantian, kekencangan, menambah kelembaban, mengurangi timbunan cairan atau selulit yang cukup mengganggu kecantikan kulit, serta melancarkan sirkulasi darah. Dr. Rachmi menyarankan pemakaian minyak esensial cengkeh, jahe, sereh, dan adas untuk melancarkan sirkulasi darah.

Praktik aromaterapi untuk kecantikan ini sekarang lazim dijumpai di salon-salon kecantikan dan spa. Bentuknya bisa berupa minyak esensial yang dibakar bersama air di atas tungku kecil. Bisa juga berupa pijat aromaterapi.

Dengan pijat ini ada dua manfaat yang diperoleh tubuh. Pertama, minyak esensial yang dioleskan di kulit menstimulasi tubuh menjadi lebih rileks. Kedua, hidung akan menghirup wangi minyak esensial yang telah terbukti mampu mempengaruhi emosi.

Minyak yang dihirup akan membuat vibrasi di hidung. Dari sini minyak yang mempunyai manfaat tertentu itu akan mempengaruhi sistem limbik, tempat pusat memori, suasana hati, dan intelektualitas berada. Wah, jadi tak sabar ingin ke spa kan?

Cerminkan kepribadian dengan wewangian

2007-06-27T14:47:00.001+07:00

BIDI, No. 6, Tahun XXVIII, Juni 2006, hal 30
Written by Irfan Arief

Wewangian atau parfum memang memberikan kesan mendalam bagi setiap orang. Aroma dari parfum yang merebak akan selalu diingat oleh orang yang menciumnya. Itu sebabnya banyak yang menganggap bahwa wewangian menjadi sesuatu yang sangat penting, baik bagi pemakai maupun bagi orang lain. Bahkan sebagian ada yang berusaha untuk menyesuaikan wewangian yang digunakan dengan sifat kepribadiannya.

Memilih wewangian yang cocok dengan kepribadian memang tidak terlalu rumit namun tetap harus diperhatikan untuk tidak sembarangan memilih wewangian karena wewangian yang tidak serasi dengan karakter dapat merusak suasana hati. Jaman sekarang wewangian mengandung lebih dari berbagai macam aroma, dan salah satunya pasti terkandung satu jenis aroma yang paling menonjol, inilah yang bisa menjadi panduan untuk anda dalam memilih parfum yang cocok pada diri anda.

Bagi kalangan kreator parfum, mengolah aroma wewangian bagaikan penulis menyusun kisah seputar tema sentral pilihannya. Ada banyak komposisi utama wewangian yang menjadi faktor penentu produk parfum, yakni floral, chypre, oriental, woody, wromatic dan hesperide (maskulin/feminim). Namun tentu ada perbedaan basis formula wewangian bagi parfum perempuan dan lelaki. Komposisi wewangian buat kalangan wanita biasanya lebih menyebarkan keharuman yang kaya dan tahan lama.

Bagi anda yang suka dengan kesegaran apalagi jika setelah selesai mandi, maka wewangian dengan aroma segar sangatlah sesuai untuk anda. Wewangian jenis ini biasanya bahan utamanya terdiri dari buah-buahan seperti lemon, jeruk, anggur ataupun jenis tanaman hijau seperti rerumputan pinus, cemara. Aroma tumbuh-tumbuhan, terutama aroma segar dari buah dan air ternyata terbukti mampu untuk memberikan kesegaran pada tubuh dan pikiran untuk melakukan aktivitas.

Itu sebabnya tidak heran jika wewangian segar seperti L’Eau d’Issey dari Issy Miyake, Cyberlink dar Avon digemari oleh mereka yang memiliki jiwa sportif. Bahkan wewangian jenis ini biasanya juga dapat menemani aktivitas harian anda, tubuh akan tetap terasa segar dan fresh. Sehingga meski telah banyak peluh/keringat yang keluar dari tubuh anda tetap saja akan merasa ragu untuk berdekatan dengan orang lain.

Bagi anda yang gemar dengan suasana kehangatan namun tetap masih bernuansa menggairahkan, wewangian dengan keharuman oriental yang eksotis ini bisa menjadi pilihan. Aroma yang terkandung dalam wewangian ini umumnya menggunakan ekstrak aroma rempah-rempah misalnya seperti Bvlgari Blu atau jika ingin lebih tajam lagi bisa mencari aroma yang dicampur dengan ekstrak hormon hewan seperti musk, vetiver. Selain aromanya tajam menusuk, kesan dari wewangian oriental seperti Poison dari Christian Dior, All About Eve dari Joop, akan memberikan efek yang sensual dan seksi tentunya.

Jika anda yang memiliki sifat lembut dan bersahaja, wewangian jenis floral rasanya sangat pantas digunakan karena umumnya wewangian ini memiliki aroma berkesan lembut karena panduannya terdiri dari beragam jenis bunga. Dari semua jenis bunga tersebut, biasanya ada satu yang aromanya menonjol semisal mawar, melati, maupun bunga lavender, selain aroma bedak sehingga sangat cocok bagi wanita atau pria yang memiliki jiwa lembut.

Selain memberi rasa menyenangkan, menurut penelitian yang diadakan oleh smell and taste treatment and research foundation di AS manfaat lain dari aroma wewangian jenis floral ini adalah dapat mempercepat kerja otak dalam menyerap informasi, sekaligus melancarkan proses komunikasi. Sehingga alangkah baiknya jika wangi-wangian jenis ini digunakan pada saat hendak menghadiri pertemuan penting atau pembicaraan bisnis.

Daya tarik lain dari keberadaan wewangian, jelas bukan hanya berada di seputar pesta dan kencan bercinta. Sebab dalam sebuah penelitian yang dilakukan oleh seorang aromakologi Dr. Shizuo Torii, seorang profesor dari Universitas Toho, Jepang, ia memulai riset itu pada tahun 1988 dan meneliti tentang bagaimana pengaruh aroma pada jiwa manusia. Hasilnya Tori menemukan ada hubungan antara reaksi otak manusia pada berbagai sensasi komposisi wewangian. Aroma ternyata bisa memberikan dampak rasa senang dan kegembiraan yang begitu besar, bahkan dalam beberapa kasus wewangian juga bisa berpengaruh sampai kepada suasana hati manusia.

Kiat Memilih Parfum

2007-06-27T14:40:00.000+07:00

Sejak kecil kita sudah mengenal berbagai parfum mulai dari wewangian sabun hingga aroma alamiah yang dikeluarkan tubuh. Kehidupan rutin pun diawali, shampoo serta handuk yang serba harum, menekankan arti wewangian bagi tubuh dan orang di sekitar kita. Pilihan wewangian yang berbeda pada setiap orang, membantu orang lain mengindentifikasikan kawan atau pasangannya.

Tak mengherankan kalau pandangan terhadap wewangian sangat sensitif, karena aroma pilihan mencerminkan kepribadian pemakaiannya. Kini saatnya mengetahui lebih banyak hal wewangian untuk menentukan parfum yang sesuai citarasa dan kepribadian.

Parfum digolongkan berdasarkan kadar sari wewangian dan kadar alkohol sebagai campurannya. Kadar tertinggi terdapat pada parfum, karena essensnya mencapai 20 %, asli tanpa campuran alkohol.

..... Eau de Perfume ..... Setingkat di bawah parfum yang mempunyai kadar essens 15 % dan sedikit dicampur alkohol. Keistimewaannya, aroma wewangiannya tahan lama dan kuat lebih sesuai digunakan pada malam hari.

..... Eau de Toilette ..... Jenis wewangian lain yang kadar essensnya hanya berkisar 12 % dan sebaliknya kadar alkoholnya lebih tinggi. Wewangian ini merupakan pilihan yang paling ideal, karena aromanya ringan, tidak terlalu tajam serta awet, cocok untuk setiap kesempatan.

..... Eau de Cologne ..... Jenis wewangian paling standar dan ringan meliputi aneka toilet waters termasuk tisu penyegar dan sebagainya, yang menonjolkan kesegaran alami. Hampir seluruhnya mengandung alkohol dan diberi sedikit essens. Jenis ringan ini digunakan pada saat selesai mandi, untuk melembutkan kulit serta menyegarkan tubuh.

Aroma wewangian diciptakan sangat beragam, dari yang berkesan lembut hingga yang sportif atau kuat. Dimulai dari aroma bunga asli, seperti bunga melati atau bunga mawar yang sengaja dibuat sesuai kualitas aslinya.

Wewangian dari rangkuman bunga ditujukan untuk mereka yang menyenangi berbagai jenis bunga. Tipe wewangian ini sangat sesuai bagi wanita yang feminim dan anggun. Wewangian alami yang beraroma campuran daun dan buah-buahan, terkesan lembut dan segar, sangat sesuai bagi kaum wanita yang aktif.

Ada juga wewangian dari campuran rempah-rempah, seperti vanilli, cengkeh, kayu manis dan sebagainya. Aromanya khas karena zat yang dihasilkan sangat kuat. Biasanya ditujukan untuk kaum pria, walau kini kaum wanita pun mulai menggemari, terutama yang ingin tampil sportif.

Jenis wewagian oriental dibuat dari lemak hewan, seperti kelenjar rusa jantan atau musang. Sifatnya tergolong berat karena kualitas zat yang dihasilkan bau yang sangat kuat dan tahan lama. Biasanya digunakan wanita yang menginginkan kesan misterius.

Kiat Memilih Parfum

Aroma parfum wanita biasanya tidak sekuat parfum lelaki, karena produksi keringat pada lelaki lebih banyak. Menggunakan parfum tergantung dari pilihan (yang cocok untuk dibaurkan dengan bau badan) tetapi terutama yang sesuai dengan kepribadian pemakainya, serta dari dosis pemakaiannya.

Parfum yang sama baunya tidak sama jika dipakai oleh dua wanita. Memakai parfum berlebihan akan memberikan efek kurang nyaman bagi orang lain (pemakainya sendiri tidak mencium efek tersebut).

Dibawah ini terdapat jenis parfum yang dicocokkan dengan kepribadian pemakainya:

..... Wanita Sportif. Wanita aktif, jujur, berpendirian teguh, sering kurang sabar. Jenis ini meliputi wanita segala umur. Karena gemar di alam bebas, pewangi yang cocok adalah yang berbau tumbuh-tumbuhan liar dan terbuat dari tanaman-tanaman pewangi ringan.

..... Wanita Periang / Gesit. Suka berada di mana-mana, jenis yang menarik, mudah menaruh minat pada sesuatu tetapi mudah pula mengubah pendiriannya, mudah menangkap sesuatu, tidak anti rayuan, lelaki mudah memanfaatkan, kurang setia. Perkiraan tabiat ini seperti dimaksud umumnya berlaku untuk usia antara 20 - 45 tahun.

Mereka mempunyai gagasan-gagasan modern dan kreatif, progresif, cepat bertindak. Mereka suka pewangi yang tidak biasa dan tidak kolot, tetapi tidak berat.

..... Wanita Romantis. Pemikirannya sederhana dan tak berbelit-belit. Kesederhanaan merupakan daya tariknya. Ia termasuk wanita yang polos. Mereka senang pewangi yang jelas berbau bunga yang mempunyai arti romantis, seperti: mawar, melati, lily.

..... Wanita Pintar. Berpendirian praktis, ingin segala sesuatu harus tepat, bersifat agak pendiam, setia, dapat memegang teguh rahasia, bersedia memberikan nasehat. Dalam jenis ini termasuk wanita yang cukup dewasa dalam pemikiran. Mereka menggunakan pewangi sederhana yang memberi kesan dingin dan mempesona, tetapi berkesan agak sportif.

..... Wanita Dewasa. Wanita jenis ini biasanya berusia sekitar 30 tahun ke atas. Dalam pergaulan sangat menjaga penampilan. Mereka cocok dengan parfum yang exotis dengan keharuman wangi-wangian dari negara tropis atau berhawa panas.

Minyak Cinta: Menggugah Gairah..!

2007-06-27T14:33:00.000+07:00

Kompas, Februari 2003,

Malam temaram, hanya cahaya lilin yang berpendar di sudut ruangan. Sayup-sayup tercium aroma wangi menyegarkan membangkitkan gairah. Penghuni ruangan itu seakan dibawa melayang mengarungi lautan bunga. Romantis. Suasana seperti yang sering tergambar dalam film roman itu, bukan mimpi. Anda pun dapat menciptakannya. Di rumah…

Kalau sudah bicara soal romantis sebagai orang dewasa pasti ujung-ujungnya tidak jauh dengan cinta, khususnya hubungan suami-istri. Hubungan intim itu pun erat kaitannya dengan hasrat seksual. Sementara, gairah seksual itu sendiri berhubungan erat dengan kondisi kesehatan. Dalam keadaan sehat secara fisiologis, tubuh mengalami tingkat keseimbangan sempurna. Semua sistem bekerja secara sadar dan energi beredar dengan bebas.

Sayang bin celaka, tubuh sulit dijamin selalu tetap sip dan prima. Selain gangguan fisik, terkadang ada saja problem psikis yang mnejadi biang kerok anjloknya kondisi kesehatan tubuh.

Omong-omong soal esek-esek, umumnya pria memandang aktivitas seksual lebih dari sisi pendekatan ragawi, sehingga hasrat seksualnya relatif lebih mudah bergelora. Sebaliknya, wanita memandangnya dari sisi lebih unik, karena melibatkan berbagai pendekatan perasaan, faktor psikologis, latar belakang intelektual, dan situasi lingkungan yang mendukung. Dengan kata lain, rata-rata perempuan lebih lambat "greng" ketimbang lelaki.

Untuk mempertahankan kehidupan seksual yang harmonis, tingkat libido wanita rupanya lebih menentukan. Artinya, kehidupan seksual yang harmonis lebih mudah dicapai apabila tingkat libido wanita lebih tinggi, atau setidaknya sama dengan suami. Namun, yang sering terjadi, kondisi libido wanita jauh lebih rendah. Buntutnya, tidak jarang suami terpaksa harus selalu menahan diri dari dorongan hasrat seksualnya demi menjaga perasaan istri.

Supaya derajat libido setidaknya sama kuat, ada jalur alternatif bagi wanita atau istri untuk mengobarkan "semangat ’45-nya" sehingga "pertempuran suci" itu berlangsung dengan sukses. Jalur alternatif itu ialah aromaterapi. Dalam kancah terapi alternatif menggunakan aroma diketahui, sejumlah tanaman mengandung minyak atsiri (essential oil) yang berguna sebagai bahan untuk terapi meningkatkan hasrat seksual. Tambahan lagi, tumbuhan tertentu diyakini memberikan ketenangan pikiran lewat minyak atsiri yang dihasilkan.

Sejak zaman nenek moyang

Kalau melanglang kembali ke masa lampau, sebenarnya nenek moyang kita sudah memanfaatkan aroma dari berbagai jenis tumbuhan. Tanaman rempah, misalnya digunakan untuk sesaji atau sembahyang.

Sampai kini pun sebagian dari kita –meski tak menyebutnya sebagai aromaterapi- kerap menggunakan minyak, semisal minyak kayu putih, gandapura, serai, pala dan cengkih untuk berbagai keperluan. Sudah lama pula berlangsung tradisi menaburkan kembang mawar dan melati di kamar tidur pengantin untuk menciptakan sensasi tertentu di malam pertama.

Aromaterapi yang kita kenal sekarang ini pun sebenarnya tidak jauh berbeda dengan kebiasaan nenek moyang kita dulu. Misalnya, bunga-bunga tertentu ditaruh dalam wadah di atas meja atau sudut-sudut ruangan untuk menciptakan suasana santai. Dupa atau lilin yang dibakar mengepulkan asap membawa aroma tertentu untuk menciptakan ketenangan pikiran dan perasaan nyaman. Melalui aroma minyak atsiri tertentu suasana romantis dan sensual pun bisa dihadirkan.

Dalam aromaterapi dikenal sejumlah minyak atsiri dari bunga atau tanaman yang bersifat afrodisiak, pembangkit hasrat seksual. Yang lazim digunakan antara lain: minyak cendana, kenanga, nilam, mawar, yasmin, dan jeruk.

Cara pemakaiannya pun bermacam-macam. Dioleskan pada bagian tubuh tertentu, diteteskan pada kertas tisu, dibalurkan di tubuh, dibakar, atau diminum (air serai, kapulaga, kayumanis, jahe). Minyak yang digunakan bisa dalam bentuk tunggal atau ramuan, dan dapat dibeli di toko essence atau rumah spa modern. Kalau tidak mau repot, tindakan aromaterapi dapat dilakukan di rumah spa yang menawarkan jasa aromaterapi.

Resep-resep alternatif

Banyak jenis ramuan yang ditawarkan. "Misalnya, Aromatic Love Oil," kata Hj. Woro Harry S, konsultan aromatik pada Martha Tilaar Center, di Jakata.

"Tapi, minyak macam ini, jangan dipakai di mobil, tahu sendiri akibanya," canda wanita yang sudah 15 tahun menekuni bidang perawatan kecantikan tradisional itu.

Kalau mau meramu sendiri, Anda bisa mengikuti resep ramuan yang ditawarkan Andria Agusta melalui bukunya "Aromaterapi, Cara Sehat dengan Wewangian Alami"

Resep pertama:

3 tetes minyak yasmin (melati), 9 tetes minyak jeruk purut, 1 tetes minyak biji wortel

Resep Kedua:

3 tetes minyak mawar, 4 tetes sandalwood (minyak cendana), 6 tetes minyak jeruk mandarin.

Kedua formula itu diencerkan masing-masing dengan sekitar 20 ml air, lalu diaduk, kemudian dibalurkan ke tubuh. Kalau cara ini merepotkan, bisa dicoba resep berikut yang yang lebih pekat.

Resep Ketiga:

12 tetes minyak cendana, 6 tetes minyak kenanga, 4 tetes minyak clary sage, 2 tetes minyak mawar. Campurkan formula ini dengan 4 sendok makan minyak safflower, minyak sweet almond, atu minyak wijen hangat kemudian diaduk rata. Oleskan sedikit saja ke tubuh. Tapi, jangan pada bagian wajah atau alat vital karena akan menimbulkan rasa panas yang dapat mengakibatkan iritasi.

Resep Keempat:

Resep ini mungkin lebih praktis dan sederhana: 4 tetes minyak nilam, dicampur dengan 4 tetes minyak kenanga. Teteskan ramuan itu langsung ke tisu. "Biarkan aromanya memenuhi ruangan selama sekitar satu jam. Hal ini dapat dilakukan sambil mendengarkan musik romantis, dan Anda maupun pasangan akan merasakan efek memuaskan," tulis Andria Agusta.

Hj. Woro Harry S. menyarankan agar minyak atsiri digunakan pada saat yang tepat. Artinya, jangan menggunakannya ketika tubuh sedang kotor dan lelah. "Oleskan sesudah mandi, sehingga akan meresap dengan baik. Sebelum tidur, saat badan sudah bersih, oleskan minyak atsiri untuk menambah kesegaran tubuh," tambahnya.

Ada beberapa hal lain yang juga perlu diperhatikan dalam penggunaan minyak esensial. Mengingat konsentrasi-nya yang sangat tinggi, perhatikan kemungkinan adanya kontra-indikasi terhadap diri Anda. Karena itu pula, minyak ini harus selalu dilarutkan dengan cairan pembawa (biasanya minyak nabati), sebelum digunakan atau dioleskan pada kulit, kecuali kaki. Pengenceran ini, tulis Andria Agusta, sangat dianjurkan bagi para pemula dan ibu hamil, terhadap kulit halus dan sensitif dan daerah sensitif lain seperti wajah atau leher. Juga terhadap minyak atsiri yang belum pernah dicoba sebelumnya.

Mirip hormon cinta

Berbau khas, minyak atsiri mudah menguap pada suhu kamar, tanpa mengalami penguraian. Makanya, ia sering disebut minyak menguap atau volatile oil. Ada juga yang menyebutnya etherial oil atau essential oil.

Dalam "Farmakope Indonesia", buku rujukan di bidang farmasi, minyak ini dikenal sebagai olea volatilia.

Umumnya, minyak atsiri tidak berwarna atau berwarna pucat ketika dalam keadaan segar. Jika dibiarkan, warnanya akan berubah menjadi lebih gelap dan berbau sesuai dengan bau tanaman penghasilnya. Ia dapat larut dalam pelarut organik. Tetapi sukar larut dalam air.

Menurut sifat fisik dan kimianya, minyak atsiri dapat dibuat dengan cara penyulingan, ekstraksi dengan pelarut mudah menguap, atau dengan lemak padat, dan ekspresi. Proses pembuatannya pun bervariasi, tergantung pada jenis tumbuhan yang hendak diambil minyak atsirinya.

Untuk mendapatkan minyak ini, digunakan simplisia (bagian tumbuhan yang diambil manfaatnya) yang memenuhi syarat seperti tertera dalam buku "Farmakope Indonesia" atau "Materia Medika Indonesia". Simplisia dikecilkan volumenya dengan cara dipotong-potong, digiling kasar, atau digerus halus, tergantung jenis simplisia yang digunakan. Ini untuk mempermudah uap air menembus ke dalam sel tubuh.

Daun, bunga dan simplisia tipis biasanya dibiarkan utuh. Biji digiling kasar, sedangkan kayu, akar, dan bagian tanaman yang keras digerus halus, tergantung jenis simplisia yang digunakan. Ini untuk mempermudah uap air menembus ke dalam sel tubuh.

Daun, bunga, dan simplisia tipis biasanya dibiarkan utuh. Biji digiling kasar, sedangkan kayu, akar dan bagian tanaman yang keras digerus halus lebih dulu. Tanaman tertentu, seprti nilam, sebelum diproses perlu difermentasikan untuk mmecahkan sel-sel minyak.

Memang pada tumbuhan asalnya, minyak atsiri terkandung dalam sel-sel kelenjar minyak khusus. Kelenjar itu berupa sel-sel minyak atau rambut kelenjar yang hanya dapat dilihat di bawah mikroskop. Namun, baunya cukup bisa dikenali lewat indera penciuman tanpa bantuan alat khusus.

Sifat dan peran minyak atsiri pada tumbuhan mirip hormon pada manusia yang disebut feromon. Hormon "cinta" ini bersifat memberikan aroma spesifik pada tubuh da berfungsi sebagai daya tarik seksual.

Menembus otak

Lantas bagaimana ceriteranya aroma minyak atsiri dapat membangkitkan gairah seksual?

Aroma khasnya diterima dan ditafsirkan simpul-simpul saraf penghidu (pada indera penciuman) dalam berbagai tingkat dan kondisi. Kesan bau itu diolah di pusat penciuman, dipilah-pilah jenisnya, lalu dikirim ke tempat-tempat yang spesifik. Rangsangan aroma itu akan dikirim ke pusat pengendali hormon pada hipotalamus di otak.

Melalui mekanisme kompleks yang berlangsung secepat kilat, rangsangan itu akan bergabung dengan sejumlah rangsangan lain –dari pusat emosi, pusat psikis, pusat interpretasi, dsb, - yang datang secara bersamaan. Gabungan semua rangsangan itu akan menghasilkan rangsangan baru berupa perintah agar hormon tertentu diproduksi lebih banyak daripada kondisi normal. Pertambahan jumlah atau kadar hormon tertentu dalam tubuh akan mempengaruhi intensitas semangat, libido, dan mood.

Tentu saja, proses itu saling berkaitan dengan jenis wewangian yang tercium, selera seseorang terhadap wewangian, mood dan situasi psikologis seseorang saat itu.

Minyak atsiri, kata Hj. Worro Harry S., berbeda dengan parfum yang hanya berupa fragrant. Manfaatnya sebagai pewangi bukan sarana pengobatan. Sifatnya pun sintetis, dan biang pada minyak wangi umumnya masih dicampur dengan alkohol.

Sedangkan minyak atsiri murni hasil ekstraksi yang benar-benar alami. Diambil dari bunga, batang, daun-daunan atau bagian tumbuhan lain.

Kebanyakan minyak wangi yang menggunakan bahan kimia sintetis berharga lebih murah ketimbang minyak atsiri. Karena itu, berhati-hatilah bila hendak membeli, sebab minyak atsiri yang biasa dijual di toko essence ada juga yang terbuat dari bahan sintetis, hasil reaksi kimia. Memang, hanya perusahaan tertentu yang memproduksi bibit minyak atsiri alami. Selamat mencoba!

(Herti Maryani, Puslitbang Pelayanan dan Teknologi Kesehatan, di Surabaya/Beatricia Iswari S/Intisari No 475/Februari 2003)

Karakter Zodiak = Pilihan Parfum Anda

2007-06-27T14:26:00.000+07:00

Pernahkah Anda suatu hari mencium aroma parfum yang bisa membuat Anda seakan terbuai oleh keharumannya? Atau mungkin juga Anda pernah mencium parfum seseorang yang membuat Anda setengah mati mualnya karena wanginya yang menyerbu hidung Anda dengan ganas?

Well.., yang namanya mencari parfum sesuai untuk Anda memang susah, layaknya mencari seorang pacar, yah cocok-cocokkan. Sama saja toh dengan keadaan saat si tampan dengan senyumnya yang menawan menyatakan cinta tapi Anda tolak dengan berat hati karena merasa tidak klik. Parfum yang wangi seperti apa pun bila Anda tidak suka aromanya, tidak akan menjadi wewangian favorit Anda.

Bisa saja Anda bukan tipe yang percaya dengan ramalan zodiak mingguan atau nasib yang ditentukan dari pergerakan bulan bintang. Tapi zodiak juga bisa mempengaruhi pemilihan wewangian favorit Anda lho. Belum tentu Anda yang lahir di bawah birth sign Leo menyukai keharuman yang sama dengan Anda yang berbintang Capricorn. Dari pada penasaran cocokkan saja dengan bocoran di bawah, dan Anda juga tidak perlu bingung lagi bila ingin menghadiahi pasangan dengan wewangian favoritnya..

AQUARIUS (20 Jan - 17 Feb)
Anda adalah orang yang pandai beradaptasi. Jiwa sosial Anda pun tinggi ditambah lagi dengan kecerdasan yang mendukung, Anda berbakat menjadi seorang inovator. Wewangian dengan paduan aroma tumbuhan ditambah dengan segarnya Citrus serta Musk dan Amber sebagai dasar, yang akan membuat anda lebih stabil.

PISCES (18 Feb - 20 Mar)
Sifat Anda yang agak pemalu dan peka, diimbangi dengan sisi positif sifat yang mudah bergaul, dan penuh daya tarik. Imajinasi Anda yang luas mendukung daya kreatif yang tinggi. Paduan aroma hijau dari tumbuhan seperti Geranium, dikombinasikan dengan rempah-rempah dan diikuti oleh Ambery dan Woody sebagai dasar akan membuat anda semakin percaya diri dan tidak malu-malu lagi.

ARIES (21 Mar - 19 Apr)
Suka berpetualang, energik, berani dan penuh ambisi membuat Anda selalu tampil menjadi yang pertama dengan tingkat antusiasme dan rasa percaya diri yang tinggi. Anda akan semakin segar dengan paduan aroma kayu dan rempah ditambah segarnya Citrus dengan Musk dan Amber sebagai dasar.

TAURUS (20 Apr - 19 Mei)
Sifat Anda yang simpatik, penyabar dan percaya diri serta terbuka dan sportif menjadikan Anda seorang sahabat dalam segala keadaan. Selain itu Anda juga selalu siap dengan berbagai pemecahan masalah. Daya pikat Anda akan semakin jelas dengan semprotan parfum dengan aroma Frutty, wangi mawar dan berdasar wewangian Woody.

GEMINI (20 Mei - 20 Jun)
Gemini memang terkenal dengan daya pikat yang luar biasa dan jenaka. Rasa ingin tahu yang besar menuntun Anda untuk mengeksplorasi hal-hal baru. Wewangian dengan aroma tumbuhan dipadu dengan sedikit Bergamot serta Musk dan Amber sebagai latar belakang akan meningkatkan konsentrasi dan optimisme Anda.

CANCER (21 Jun - 21 Jul)
Cancer yang kental dengan sifat sentimentil sering memberi pengaruh kuat pada mood. Anda orang yang sensitif dan agak pemalu tapi jangan khawatir, wewangian dengan aroma Fresh Frutty dipadu dengan sentuhan Citrus serta Musk dan Amber sebagai dasar akan menumbuhkan rasa damai dan meningkatkan semangat.

LEO (22 Jul - 22 Agt)
Dibalik penampilan yang tangguh, Anda sebenarnya penuh kasih sayang dan pemaaf, tapi Anda juga berjiwa pemimpin dan pribadi yang terbuka. Kadang idealisme yang tinggi kadang membuat Anda kurang percaya diri, paduan Fresh Spicy Fourgere dengan sentuhan Ozonic, Musk dan Woody sebagai dasar akan meningkatkan rasa percaya diri Anda.

VIRGO (23 Agt - 21 Sep)
Pikiran bebas dan praktis tersimpan dibalik ketenangan dan sifat dingin Anda. Orang juga terbiasa melihat Anda selalu tampil sebagai seorang pekerja yang sangat keras. Sentuhan aroma Citrus dengan wewangian oriental dari Cendana dipadu dengan Ozonic dan Amber sebagai dasar akan meningkatkan semangat dan menjernihkan pikiran.

LIBRA (22 Sep - 22 Okt)
Anda selalu siap mengendalikan segala situasi karena ciri utama Anda adalah keseimbangan pribadi dan selalu berusaha menjaga keharmonisan suasana . Paduan aroma Citrus dan rempah dan Lime dengan Amber dan Musk sebagai dasar akan membuat anda semakin stabil dan mengurangi sifat pemurung.

SCORPIO (23 Okt - 21 Nov)
Anda penuh pengertian dan berkeinginan keras. Dengan kecerdasan dan intuisi tinggi, anda mampu menganalisa pribadi seseorang dalam sekejab. Kombinasi Fresh Floral dari Ylang-ylang dengan sentuhan Ozonic Amber dan Musk sebagai latar belakang akan menjernihkan pikiran dan mengatasi bad mood.

SAGITARIUS (22 Nov - 20 Des)
Anda orang yang berhati keras dan suka berspekulasi. Positifnya Anda orang yang terbuka, jujur, dan humoris. Selalu merasa tertantang untuk mencoba petualangan baru. Parfum dengan aroma Citrus, Bergamot dan aroma hijau tumbuhan serta Woody dan Amber sebagai dasar, akan membuat Anda semakin optimis.

CAPRICORN (21 Des - 19 Jan)
Ketenangan adalah jiwa Anda, hal ini juga tercermin dari sifat Anda yang penyabar. Dengan tekad kuat, efisiensi tinggi, Anda akan segera mencapai sukses. Aroma lembut Jasmine dan Ylang-ylang dengan sentuhan menyegarkan dari Chypre dan rempah-rempah sebagai latar belakang, akan memberi ketenangan dan meningkatkan gairah Anda.

Nah, sudah tidak bingung memilih wewangian favorit Anda kan? (hanyawanita.com)

Parfum Itu Ternyata Berawal dari Mesir

2007-06-27T14:16:00.000+07:00

Kompas, 28 Februari 2003

WEWANGIAN sudah melekat pada kehidupan manusia, aroma sedap ini bahkan bukan lagi monopoli kaum pria dan perempuan dewasa saja. Gaya hidup modern yang padat dengan aktivitas semakin menjadikan wewangian sebagai salah satu cara menyiasati agar tetap tampil segar dan tidak menyebarkan bau kecut keringat. Bahkan, ruangan pun membutuhkan wewangian dan kemudian berkembang sebagai aroma terapi yang dapat menimbulkan rasa nyaman, bersemangat, dan menghilangkan stres.

Tengoklah beberapa mal di Surabaya, tidak akan sulit mencari toko yang menyediakan wewangian. Mulai wewangian "ala kadarnya" seharga Rp 1.500, atau bahkan produk palsu dari merek-merek terkenal, sampai barang impor seharga ratusan ribu, bahkan jutaan rupiah.

Kebanyakan orang mengagumi produk-produk Perancis yang memang sangat terkenal di pasaran dunia. Kata Paris sering dijual agar pembeli percaya produknya bermutu, sekalipun mereknya asing. Tetapi, bagaimana sebenarnya bisa menjadi demikian.

Perancis menjadi sangat terkenal meskipun sejarah asal muasal wewangian tidak dari Negeri Mode itu. Saudagar-saudagar Arab yang menguasai perdagangan rempah-rempah dan serbuk wewangian mengajarkan kepada orang-orang Yunani rahasia ilmu kimia. Berkat tabung penyulingan, mereka ikut berperan dalam penyebaran parfum di Eropa.

SEKELUMIT keterangan tentang perjalanan parfum mulai dari Mesir hingga tempat-tempat lain di seluruh belahan dunia merupakan bagian dari pameran "Jalan Parfum" yang digelar di Galeri Pusat Kebudayaan Perancis Surabaya (Centre Culturel et de Cooperation Linguistique/CCCL), Jalan Darmokali, Surabaya.

Tak kurang dari 11 papan berukuran tinggi 175 cm dan lebar 60 cm terpasang di galeri, yang diselang-seling dengan meja berisi aneka rupa benda yang berkaitan dengan parfum dan wewangian. Papan-papan dengan rangkaian penjelasan salah satu bagian dari perjalanan parfum dihiasi gambar yang menjadi bukti perjalanan parfum.

Misalnya prasasti bergambar Putri Nefertiabet di depan hidangan dan daftar bahan-bahan yang harus terus-menerus diperbarui. Dupa, minyak, perona hijau, dan perona hitam. Prasasti tersebut dari zaman kerajaan awal masa pemerintahan Kheops, yang dilukis di atas batu kapur dan menjadi bagian dari koleksi Museum Louvre.

Rangkaian kalimat itu terpampang jelas dalam sebuah papan berukuran tinggi sekitar 175 cm dan lebar 60 cm. Dengan tambahan judul "jalur parfum", gambaran cara penyebaran parfum di seluruh dunia dituliskan secara singkat.

Bahkan, terpampang pula gambar tanaman penghasil dupa yang diangkut dalam pot-pot, yang menunjukkan cara menyebarkan wewangian dari satu wilayah ke wilayah lain. Gambar itu terdapat dalam Kuil Hatchepsout dan dibuat pada masa Dinasti XVIII.

Wewangian yang kini tersebar di seluruh dunia pada awalnya digunakan di Mesir untuk berbagai keperluan, mulai dari saat kelahiran hingga kematian. Bukan hanya menjadi bagian dari sisi kecantikan, namun juga tak terpisahkan dari upacara ritual. Beragam bahan dari alam dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan dasar wewangian yang diolah dengan bermacam cara.

Bahan dasar seperti kayu manis dan dupa, diolah dengan cara digiling, diparut, atau diremukkan. Hasilnya adalah bahan halus yang ditaburkan. Ada pula bagian tumbuhan yang dibuat ekstraknya, seperti kelopak bunga, buah, akar, kulit kayu, bahkan batang kayu itu sendiri.

Upaya untuk menghasilkan bahan-bahan beraroma wangi dan digunakan dalam setiap kegiatan ritual tidak lepas dari adanya kepercayaan tentang wewangian sebagai penanda kehidupan di Bumi dan keabadian di dunia setelah kematian. Wangi dan asap yang keluar dari dupa yang dibakar menjadi perantara untuk yang masih hidup dan ada di dunia untuk memperoleh perlindungan dari penguasa seluruh alam semesta.

RIWAYAT kegunaan wewangian dalam kehidupan semakin berkembang. Pengaruh ritual, budaya, kepercayaan, dan lingkungan menjadi pemicu perkembangan dan penggunaan wewangian atau parfum. Memarut, menggiling, dan meremukkan bahan-bahan padat juga ditambah dengan destilasi, yaitu mengambil sari wewangian melalui uap air di dalam tabung penyulingan.

Pada pameran yang terangkai dalam kegiatan Festival Perancis bulan Februari 2003, sebuah tabung penyulingan kuno terbuat dari tembaga dipajang di atas salah satu meja. Tabung dengan sebuah pipa berlekuk berwarna terakota itu menjadi saksi perkembangan sejarah wewangian.

Dalam perkembangannya, wangi asli parfum identik dengan daerah asalnya. Misalnya, rose atau mawar yang menjadi keharuman asli di Persia dan berkembang hingga ke seluruh Timur Tengah serta jasmine atau melati terbaik yang ditemukan di Mesir dan India. Jika mencari dupa, sebagai sari wewangian tertua, maka datanglah ke sabana di Somalia, Etiopia, dan Sudan.

Kini, parfum tidak hanya digunakan sebagai satu keperluan kecantikan atau segala hal yang berkaitan dengan ritual. Kesenangan dan penyembuhan menjadi salah satu kegunaan parfum. Perkembangan itu tidak lepas dari kontribusi Yunani yang menawarkan aroma baru dalam dunia keharuman tersebut. Misalnya, aroma mawar yang disajikan untuk kesenangan dan kayu manis untuk sehari-hari.

PENGETAHUAN tentang parfum yang ingin diketahui oleh pecinta wewangian dapat ditemukan dalam ajang pamer yang berlangsung hingga 28 Februari mendatang. Bukan hanya sajian pemikat mata dan rasa ingin tahu, namun juga sajian yang butuh interaksi dari pengunjung pameran.

Tak ketinggalan, delapan buah gayung yang terbuat dari batok kelapa, berisi beragam bahan dasar wewangian yang mudah ditemui di Indonesia. Bahan tradisional itu, misalnya, kapulaga, kemukus, dan pulosari, menyebarkan aroma wangi tersendiri, kental dengan suasana tradisional yang penuh kesederhanaan.

Ternyata, wewangian bukan hanya sebuah aroma yang muncul seketika. Namun, diperoleh melalui proses dan upaya, mulai dari yang sederhana hingga wewangian yang kaya akan cita rasa mewah.

Sepotong kalimat menegaskan, "Parfum adalah sebuah karya seni yang lahir dari imajinasi, kepekaan, dan keterampilan para pencipta parfum." Tentu diawali dengan kesederhanaan dan niat menyajikan suatu karya yang indah dan menyenangkan. (IDR)

Maria Sharapova Parfum

2007-06-21T12:42:00.000+07:00

This much-anticipated set opens with sweet Mandarin and Bergamot freshenss. the exitement continues when Pmegranate Leaf, Cassis Berries and Lemongrass advance to courtside with garndes florals Gardenia, Jasmine and Magnolia. Dewy Englis rose petals and Wimbledon Grass bring an unrivaled passion to this game. And in Cashmere Muchk, White Amber Crystals and a stroke of Vanilla for an unforgettable match point for Maria Sharapova.

Maria Sharapova

2007-06-21T12:17:00.000+07:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова listen (help·info)) (born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. At the end of 2006, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.

Sharapova has won two Grand Slam singles titles. She is the reigning U.S. Open champion, having defeated Justine Henin in the final of the 2006 U.S. Open. Two years earlier, she defeated Serena Williams in the final at Wimbledon.

Personal life

Sharapova's parents moved from Homel, Belarus, to Siberia, Russia, in 1986, after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She was born the following year in Nyagan, Russia.

Sharapova's father, Yuri Sharapov, brought Maria to the United States to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida when she was 7 years old. Her mother, Yelena, who could not come with them because of visa restrictions, followed a few years later. Sharapova has lived in the United States since then but retains her Russian citizenship.

In 2002, Sharapova bought a beach home in Manhattan Beach, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, but lives most of the year near the IMG training facility in Bradenton.

Sharapova is good friends with fellow Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko.

Career

2004 and 2005

In 2004, a year after reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon as a wild card, Sharapova became the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis) and second-youngest in the open era by defeating Ai Sugiyama (5-7, 7-5, 6-1) in a quarterfinal, Lindsay Davenport (2-6, 7-6, 6-1) in a semifinal, and two-time defending champion Serena Williams (6-1, 6-4) in the final. She also became the first Russian to win that tournament. At the U.S. Open a few months later, she lost to French player and two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce. Sharapova ended 2004 with a victory at the season-ending WTA Championships, defeating an injured Serena Williams (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) after coming back from 0-4 in the final set. After losing to Sharapova in a semifinal of this event, Anastasia Myskina said: "He [Sharapova's father] was just yelling and screaming instructions to her and I thought he just might jump right on the court at one point in the match." During her match against Mary Pierce in the 2004 U.S. Open, Sharapova and several other Russian women tennis players wore a black ribbon in observance of the tragedy after the Beslan school hostage crisis which took place only a few days before.

From June 2004 until her Wimbledon semifinal appearance in 2005, Sharapova won 22 straight matches on grass, including consecutive Birmingham titles and the Wimbledon title. She reached the semifinals of the 2005 Australian Open, where she held three match points against Serena Williams before losing 2-6, 7-5, 8-6. Off court, she was paid for numerous commercial endorsements.

Defending her Wimbledon title in 2005, Sharapova reached the semifinals without losing a set but then fell to a rejuvenated Venus Williams (7-6, 6-1). Sharapova's streak on grass was ended, as was her quest to dethrone top-ranked Davenport.

However, Davenport injured her back in the Wimbledon final, preventing her from defending the ranking points she obtained during the U.S. hard-court season of 2004. Sharapova had fewer points to defend and therefore rose to the No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005. Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport re-ascended to the top ranking after winning the title in New Haven. Sharapova rose to the No. 1 ranking again on September 12, 2005, despite losing in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Sharapova kept the No. 1 ranking for six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the 2005 Zurich Open.

Sharapova's loss in a semifinal of the 2005 U.S. Open against Kim Clijsters marked the fourth time that year she had lost at a Grand Slam tournament to the eventual champion: Australian Open-SF-Serena Williams, French Open-QF-Justine Henin, Wimbledon-SF-Venus Williams, U.S. Open-SF-Clijsters.

2006

At the 2006 Australian Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals to Justine Henin 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, the only match of the year that she lost after winning the first set.

Sharapova claimed her first title of 2006 and eleventh of her career at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, a Tier 1 event at which she was the third seed. Sharapova and No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva became the first Russians to reach the event's final, with Sharapova triumphing 6-1, 6-2. Soon after, Sharapova lost in the final of the Nasdaq-100 Open to Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3.

Sharapova participated at the 2006 French Open without having played any of the clay-court tune-ups. After saving three match points in the first round against Mashona Washington, Sharapova was eliminated in the fourth round by Dinara Safina 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, after Sharapova led 5-1 in the third set. Sharapova lost 18 of the match's last 21 points.

Sharapova welcomed the onset of the grass season but failed to add a third successive Birmingham title to her collection, losing in the semifinals to American Jamea Jackson.

For the second consecutive year, Sharapova was defeated in the semifinals of Wimbledon, losing to eventual winner Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Sharapova claimed her second title of 2006 as the second seed at the Acura Classic in San Diego, defeating top-seeded Kim Clijsters 7-5, 7-5. This was Sharapova's first victory over Clijsters in five meetings.

Sharapova entered the 2006 U.S. Open seeded third after Clijsters dropped out of the tournament with a wrist injury. Favored to reach the final, she defeated Mauresmo, the top-ranked player in the world, in a semifinal 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. Sharapova then prevailed over Henin in the final 6-4, 6-4 to win her second Grand Slam title.

Sharapova won the Zurich Open, defeating Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the final. Sharapova then won the Generali Ladies Linz, defeating fellow Russian and defending champion Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-2, to take her fifth title of 2006 and the 15th title of her career.

Until her loss in the semifinals of the WTA Tour Championships, Sharapova had won 19 consecutive matches. She finished the year with a 59-9 record and won more Tier I titles than any other player.

It has been announced that Sharapova will play for the Russian Fed Cup team for the first time in 2007.

2007

Sharapova began 2007 by reaching the final of the Watson Water Champions Challenge, an exhibition tournament and warm-up for the 2007 Australian Open, where she was defeated by Kim Clijsters 6-3, 7-6(8).

At the Australian Open, the top-seeded Sharapova defeated the 62nd-ranked Camille Pin in the first round 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 on her fourth match point. The match was played in air temperatures that exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) and on-court temperatures that exceeded 50 °C (122 °F). In the fourth round, Sharapova defeated compatriot Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4. In the quarterfinals, Sharapova defeated the twelfth-seeded Anna Chakvetadze 7-6(5), 7-5. She then defeated fourth-seeded Clijsters 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals to reach her first Australian Open final and gain the opportunity to win the only Grand Slam singles title that a Russian woman had not yet won. However, Serena Williams, ranked No. 81 in the world, won easily 6-1, 6-2. Williams was the third-lowest-ranked player in the open era to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Sharapova then played in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, and after beating Francesca Schiavone in the second round and Ai Sugiyama in the quarterfinals, she retired from her semifinal match against Ana Ivanović due to a hamstring injury while trailing 1-6, 1-0.

Her next tournament was the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, where she was the defending champion and top seed. However, she lost to Zvonareva in the fourth round 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 after leading 5-4 in the second set.

At the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, Sharapova again lost easily to Serena Williams, this time in the fourth round 6-1, 6-1. In her previous rounds, she had defeated Yung-Jan Chan of Taipei and Venus Williams.

Sharapova was scheduled to play in the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, but a shoulder injury kept her off the tour and prevented her from playing in the Fed Cup tie against Spain and the Qatar Telecom German Open. She was scheduled to make her return to the tour at the Telecom Italia Masters Roma in Rome, but she had to pull out again because, as she said on her official website, she was not ready to play there even though her body was slowly getting better. She finally made her return at the Istanbul Cup, her first clay court tournament of the year, where she lost to Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in the semifinals 6-2, 6-4.

Sharapova then reached semifinals of the French Open for the first time in her career. She defeated Patty Schnyder in the fourth round, after being down match point, and Chakvetadze in the quarterfinals. Sharapova then lost in the semifinals to Ivanović.

At the DFS Classic in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Sharapova lost in the final to second seeded Jelena Janković 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Awards

2003

Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Newcomer of the Year

2004

WTA Player of the Year
WTA Most Improved Player of the Year
WTA Player Service

2005

ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation
Master of Sports of Russia
Prix de Citron Roland Garros

2006

Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation
America's Female athelete of the year

Endorsements and media publicity

Honda - Following her Wimbledon victory in 2004, Sharapova signed a one-year deal with automobile manufacturer, but the deal was only in Japan.
Land Rover - In April 2006, Sharapova signed a three-year deal to endorse their vehicles. One source with knowledge of the deal said it was worth approximately U.S. $2 million per year. Sharapova gets a free Land Rover Range Rover Sport in Florida and a chauffeured Land Rover Discovery wherever she wants.
Motorola - a fee, plus a mobile phone and all her mobile phone bills paid, plus a share of the income of downloads from HelloMoto/Maria. She was criticized at the U.S. Open by some members of the American press for holding a RAZR to her ear at roughly the same time her father was seen talking on a similar phone, as this may have violated the United States Tennis Association's no sideline-coaching rule.
Gatorade - energy drink
Tropicana - orange juice
TAG Heuer - In December 2004, she signed a deal with Swiss sports watch TAG Heuer to become their latest "sport and glamour" ambassador.
Nike Inc. - Sharapova has been known to wear somewhat eccentric or revealing outfits from Nike on court, best exemplified by a Breakfast at Tiffany's-inspired dress at the 2006 U.S. Open, which many admired for its use of sequins and futuristic neckline. She also has been featured in several Nike marketing campaigns, including one advertisement in 2006 that has her walking and riding through the streets of New York City and Arthur Ashe Stadium while everyone around her sings "I Feel Pretty" until she returns a serve with her trademark loud grunt.
Prince Sports, Inc. - Sharapova has committed to a "lifetime" of sponsoring the only tennis racket brand she's used as a pro. The endorsement deal will last until the end of her playing career and beyond.
Canon Inc. - Sharapova promotes both their office and camera products.

Sharapova's endorsements have earned her considerably more than she has won in tournament play. In June 2005, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of U.S. $18 million. (CBS, the American television network, reported in August 2006 that the figure is over U.S. $20 million.) In total, she earns over UK£13.4 million per year, over 90 percent of which comes from endorsements. When asked about her income, she said, "It's never enough. Bring on the money. There's no limit to how much you can make." In a later interview, she said, "You know, one of the greatest things about being an athlete and, you know, making money is realising that you can help, you know, help the world, and especially children, who I absolutely love working with."

Sharapova is visible in and outside of the court for her looks. Sharapova posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, annual magazine that debuted on Valentine's Day, along with 25 scantily-clad supermodels. Sharapova joined the ranks of other athletes who have previously appeared in the publication. In April 2005, Sharapova was listed by People Magazine as among the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world. In 2006, Maxim magazine named Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year.

In a poll run by Britain's FHM magazine, Sharapova was voted the seventh most eligible bachelorette. Voting took into consideration both "wealth and looks."

Sharapova has held the "Hottest Female Athlete of the Year" award from Maxim Magazine for four consecutive years.

Racquet

Sharapova's first racquet (before she entered the professional circuit) was one given to her by a family friend.

Sharapova used the Prince Tour Diablo for part of 2003 and then used several different Prince racquets until the 2004 U.S. Open. Sharapova began using the Prince Shark MP at that tournament and had a major part in the production of the Shark racquet. She then switched to the Prince O3 White racquet in January 2006, and this is currently the racquet that Sharapova uses and the best selling racquet in the world.

Controversies

Sharapova has been criticized by many for what sometimes appears to be sideline-coaching from her father during matches. At the 2006 U.S. Open she was observed receiving coaching gestures from her father and another coach. Cameras caught both Sharapova's father and her coach Michael Joyce holding up signals to tell her when to drink and eat a banana. When the press later inquired about this incident, Sharapova refused to discuss it. At the 2004 WTA Tour Championships Yuri Sharapov, Maria Sharapova's father, was warned by the chair umpire for coaching during his daughter's win over Anastasia Myskina.

Sharapova has been accused of using her trademark "Sharapova Shriek" to distract opponents. John Newcombe has said, "It's actually what I consider legalised cheating because one of the great senses that you have on a tennis court is your ability to hear the ball come off your opponent's strings." Elena Dementieva complained about the distraction during a 2006 Wimbledon quarterfinal. Later in the U.S. Open, Tatiana Golovin said: "Shrieking is not going to make the tennis ball come to me faster."

At the 2007 Australian Open, Sharapova was fined $2,000 for sideline-coaching. Her father made many obvious gestures and hand movements, which were allegedly to advise Sharapova of which shots to play against opponent Anna Chakvetadze.

Activism

On February 14, 2007, Sharapova was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and donated US$100,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects.

Simply Christina Aguilera

2007-06-21T06:43:00.001+07:00

Christina Aguilera to launch fragrance
'Beautiful' perfume hits shops this year

Christina Aguilera is to join contemporaries such as Britney Spears by launching her very own perfume.

US consumer giant Procter & Gamble will stump up the major investment for its first fragrance for the singer, with whom it signed a licensing agreement in January of this year.

The perfume, called Simply Christina Aguilera, will be launched globally this autumn.

Presented in a curvy glass bottle, intended to mirror the singer's silhouette, the fragrance will be supported by a print ad campaign featuring Aguilera's bare back painted with a black lace design.

It features the tagline: "Sometimes it's all you need to wear". Cheeky.

Christina Aguilera

2007-06-21T05:58:00.000+07:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Christina Maria Aguilera (IPA pronunciation: [ɑ.gi.ˈlɛ.ɹɑ]; born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer and songwriter. She was signed to RCA Records after recording "Reflection" for the film Mulan. She came to prominence following her debut album Christina Aguilera (1999), which was a critical and commercial success. A Latin pop album Mi Reflejo, and a Christmas album, My Kind of Christmas, followed during this period and also sold strongly.

Aguilera took creative control over her second studio album Stripped (2002), which received mixed reviews and yet produced substantial sales. During the album's promotion, her overtly sexual image became the subject of intense criticism and ridicule. Her third studio album Back to Basics (2006) included elements of soul, jazz, and blues music. It was released to moderate sales and positive critical reception. Aguilera's works have earned her numerous awards, most notably, five Grammy Awards amongst sixteen nominations, and 30 million albums worldwide.

Biography

Early life and career

Aguilera was born in Staten Island, New York City, New York, to Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera, a U.S. Army sergeant, and Shelly Loraine Fidler, a Spanish teacher. Aguilera's father was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, while her mother is of Irish descent (her maternal grandparents emigrated from County Clare). Her father, Fausto, was stationed at Earnest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada and Japan. Aguilera lived with her father and mother until she was 7 years old. When Aguilera's parents divorced, her mother took her, and her younger sister Rachel, to her grandmother's home in Rochester, Pennsylvania, a blue-collar suburb of Pittsburgh. According to both Aguilera and Fidler, her father was very controlling, as well as physically and emotionally abusive. She later wrote about her difficult childhood in the songs, "I'm OK" in Stripped, and "Oh Mother" in Back to Basics. Although her father has written to Christina, she has ruled out any chance to reunite with him. Since then, Fidler has married a paramedic named Jim Kearns, and has changed her name to Shelly Kearns.

Aguilera attended North Allegheny School District, near the Pittsburgh suburb of Wexford, Pennsylvania.

As a child, Aguilera aspired to be a singer. Her musical influences included Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Nina Simone, and Madonna. She also cites the musical The Sound of Music as an early inspiration for singing and performing. As a child, she was known locally as "the little girl with the big voice", singing in local talent shows and competitions.

According to VH1's Driven, this label eventually backfired on her. When competitors learned they would be up against her in any given week, they immediately backed out, prompting insiders to claim it was "like sending a lamb to the slaughter." Her peers soon became jealous of her and would frequently subject her to ridicule, ostracism, and, in one gym class, attempted assault. Acts of vandalism around her house included the slashing of the tires on the family car. Eventually, the family relocated and, by her own order, swore to secrecy about her talent lest another backlash occur.

On March 15, 1990, she appeared on Star Search singing Etta James' "A Sunday Kind of Love", but lost the competition. Soon after losing on Star Search, she returned home and appeared on Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV's Wake Up with Larry Richert to perform the same song again. People remarked that the then 10-year-old "sounded 20".

Throughout her youth in Pittsburgh, Aguilera sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey games, Pittsburgh Steelers football and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games. Her first major role in entertainment came in 1993 when she joined the Disney Channel's variety show The New Mickey Mouse Club. Her co-stars included Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Rhona Bennett (who later became a member of En Vogue), Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears, and Keri Russell. According to the documentary Driven, Aguilera's Mickey Mouse Club co-stars called her "the Diva". One of her most notable performances was of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing". When the show was canceled 1994, Aguilera began recording demos in an attempt to get signed to a record label.

At the age of fourteen, Aguilera recorded her first song, "All I Wanna Do", a hit duet with Japanese singer Keizo Nakanishi.

In 1997, she represented the United States at the "Golden Stag" International Festival with a two-song set which included a Sheryl Crow and Diana Ross.

1998–2001: Pop music beginnings

In 1998, she sang the High "E" in full voice (E5) on a cover of Whitney Houston's "Run to You" which she recorded with an old tape recorder in her bathroom. She was then selected to record the song "Reflection" for the Disney production of Mulan (1998). Recording "Reflection" led to Aguilera earning a contract with RCA Records during the same week. "Reflection" peaked within the top twenty on the Adult Contemporary Singles Chart, and it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Original Song" in 1998.

Under the exclusive representation of Steve Kurtz, Aguilera's self-titled debut album Christina Aguilera was released on August 24, 1999. It reached the top of the Billboard 200 and Canadian album charts, selling 8 million copies in the U.S. and over twelve million copies worldwide.

Her singles "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants" and "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" topped the Billboard Hot 100 during 1999 and 2000, and "I Turn to You" reached #3. Aguilera won the "Best New Artist" award at the 2000 Grammy Awards, and she was nominated for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for "Genie in a Bottle". According to the album's songwriters who appeared on the documentary Driven, Aguilera wanted to display the range and audacity in her voice during the promotion of the album, and performed acoustic sets and appeared on television shows accompanied only by a piano. She ended the year on MTV's 2 Large New Year's Special, as she performed and was MTV's first artist of the millennium.

Later in 2000, Aguilera first emphasized her Latin heritage, following the Latin pop trend of the time, by releasing her first Spanish album, Mi Reflejo on September 12, 2000. This album contained Spanish versions of songs from her English debut as well as new Spanish tracks. It peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Latin album charts, and in 2001 it won Aguilera a Latin Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Album". The Album has sold 2.5 million copies worldwide and has been certified Gold(500,000) in the USA and 3x Platinum (600,000* Latin album), under the RIAA's Los Premios de Oro y Platino program. She also won the World Music Award as the best selling Latin artist that year. Aguilera also released a Christmas album on October 24, 2000 called My Kind of Christmas. It peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200, has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, and has been certified Platinum (1 million) in the USA. Ricky Martin asked her to duet with him on the track "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" from his album Sound Loaded; released in 2001 as the album's second single, it reached the top five in the United Kingdom and Germany, top twenty in the U.S., and top forty in Canada, Switzerland, and Australia.

In 2001, Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and P!nk were chosen to remake Patti LaBelle's 1975 single "Lady Marmalade" for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack. "Lady Marmalade" hit number one on the Hot 100 for five weeks and reached number one in eleven other countries, and it earned all four performers a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". Aguilera's appearance in the music video was compared to that of Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider. The video proved to be hit as it won MTV's Video of the Year in 2001.

That year a single emerged into record stores called "Just Be Free", one of the demos Aguilera recorded when she was around fifteen years old. When RCA Records discovered the single, they advised fans not to purchase it and had German authorities pull the single off shelves.

Months later, Warlock Records was set to release Just Be Free, an album which contains the demo tracks. Aguilera filed a breach of contract and unfair-competition suit against Warlock and the album's producers to block the release. Instead, the two parties came to a settlement to release the album. Aguilera lent out her name, likeness and image for an unspecified amount of damages. Many of the details of the lawsuit remain confidential. When the album was released in August 2001, it had a photograph of Aguilera when she was fifteen years old.

Although Aguilera's debut album was very well-received, she was dissatisfied with the music and image her management had created for her. Due to the bubblegum pop trend at the time and the genre's upward financial trend she was limited. She mentioned plans of her next album to have much more depth, both musically and lyrically. Steve Kurtz's influence in matters of the singer's creative direction, the role of being her exclusive personal manager and overscheduling had in part caused her to seek legal means of terminating their management contract.

In October 2000, Aguilera filed a Breach of Fiduciary Duty lawsuit against Kurtz for improper, undue and inappropriate influence over her professional activities, as well as fraud. According to legal documents, Kurtz did not protect her rights and interests. Instead, he took action that was for his own interest, at the cost of hers. The lawsuit came about when Aguilera discovered Kurtz used more of her commissionable income than he was allotted, and had paid other managers to assist him. She also petitioned the California State Labor Commission to nullify the contract. After terminating Kurtz's services, Irving Azoff was hired as her new manager. The change in management marked a new change in how Aguilera was marketed, as well as what music she would do in the future.

Kurtz countersued later that month for breach of contract, claiming that the singer violated the same agreement she had sued to void. In the lawsuit, he included others close to Aguilera, alleging their intent to sabotage his business relationship with Aguilera. He also singled out Azoff for being in violation of the terms of Kurtz's contract. During this time and working on her sophomore album she revealed that she was betrayed by several friends, where she hit rock bottom. She used this as therapy for her upcoming album saying, "this record saved me from insanity."

2002–2003: Stripped era

On October 29, 2002, after much delay, Aguilera's second full-length English album, Stripped, was released selling more than 330,000 copies in the first week and peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200. Unlike previous work, the album showcased Aguilera's raunchier side. The majority of Stripped was co-written by Aguilera (who had recently signed a global music publishing deal with BMG Music Publishing), and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, balladry, pop rock, hip-hop and jazz. The album was very well-received by critics although Aguilera's vocals were overlooked as she began to cultivate a more sexually provocative image. After the release of the album, she took part in photoshoots for magazines such as Maxim, Rolling Stone, and CosmoGirl!. Many of these photographs featured her nude or semi-nude. She denied that this change was a matter of publicity, claiming that the image better reflected her true personality than did the image she cultivated back in 1999. It was during this time Aguilera referred to herself as "Xtina," even getting a tattoo of her nickname on the back of her neck and several piercings.

Initially, the raunchy image had a negative effect on Aguilera in the U.S., especially after the release of her controversial "Dirrty" music video. While the video for "Dirrty" became a huge hit on MTV, it disappointed on the U.S. singles chart. However, the single was a hit worldwide, reaching number one in the UK and Ireland. The album reached the top five on the UK, U.S. and Canadian album charts, though it was initially considered a "sophomore slump." The second single, "Beautiful", became a huge radio hit and earned her another Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Three more singles from the album ("Fighter", "Can't Hold Us Down" featuring Lil' Kim, "The Voice Within") were released in the following two years and were huge hits helping the album stay on the charts for the next two years - "Infatuation" was only released as single in Spain instead of "The Voice Within". Stripped stayed on the U.S. and UK album charts until well into 2004, and went on to be certified 4x platinum in the U.S., ending up at number ten on Billboard's year-end album chart. Kelly Clarkson's second single "Miss Independent" was co-written by Aguilera, having been half-finished for Stripped. Stripped is certified 4x platinum in the US and has sold over ten million copies worldwide.

In June, Aguilera joined Justin Timberlake on the final leg of his international Justified tour, held in the U.S. This portion of the tour became a co-headliner called the Justified & Stripped Tour. In August, an overhead lighting grid collapsed from the ceiling of the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, causing major damage to the sound and video equipment below. Because the collapse occurred hours before the show, only a few stagehands were injured, but a few shows were cancelled or postponed. In the fourth quarter of that year, Aguilera continued to tour internationally without Timberlake, and changed the name of the tour to the Stripped tour. She also dyed her hair black. It was one of the top-grossing tours of that year, and sold out most of its venues. Rolling Stone readers named it the best tour of the year. She became the muse and model for fashion house Versace. She also topped Maxim's Hot 100 list setting record sales for the issue later saying, "We had fun working with certain clothes, or the lack thereof".

In light of the tour's success, another U.S. tour was scheduled to begin in mid-2004 with a new theme and featuring Chingy as an opening act. The tour was scrapped because of Aguilera's vocal cord injuries suffered shortly before its opening date. It was later reported by the British tabloid newspaper The Sun that low ticket sales and lack of new material were actually the major contributing factors in the tour's cancellation. Aguilera has since denied the report. In a tribute to Madonna's performance at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards' ceremony, Aguilera performed a kiss with the singer-actress at the 2003 edition of the ceremony in August. The incident occurred during the opening performance of Madonna's songs "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" with fellow popstar Britney Spears.

2004–2005: Post-Stripped activities and transition

Aguilera later decided to embrace a more mature image; this move was met with more praise than criticism, with articles using punch lines such as "From Crass to Class". She eventually dyed her hair cherry blonde and recorded a jingle, "Hello", for a Mercedes-Benz ad, becoming the new face of Mercedes-Benz. The single was originally going to be released to advertise 'Mercedes-Benz' but it was never pulled through as she had already started working on new material. Shortly after, she dyed her hair blonde and cut it short, and took on a Marilyn Monroe look; many of her fans believe she is one of the main proponents (along with Dita Von Teese, Gwen Stefani, the Puppini Sisters and Ashley Judd) in bringing back the 1920s-1940s Hollywood glamour look.

In the run-up to the 2004 United States presidential election, Aguilera was featured on billboards for the "Only You Can Silence Yourself" online voter registration drive run by the nonpartisan, non-profit campaign "Declare Yourself". In these political advertisements, shot by David LaChapelle, Aguilera was shown with her mouth sewn shut, to symbolize the effects of not voting. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the importance of voting.

In late summer 2004 Aguilera released two singles. The first, "Car Wash", was a remake of the Rose Royce disco song recorded as a collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack to the film Shark Tale. The second song is also a collaboration, but this time as a second single from one of Nelly's double-release albums, Sweat, titled "Tilt Ya Head Back". Both singles failed commercially in the U.S., but did considerably better in other parts of the world. After much delay, Aguilera's first DVD live-recording from a concert tour, Stripped Live in the UK, was released in November 2004. In late December she officially released a fragrance, Xpose, which has only been available in a few European countries.

Aguilera collaborated with jazz artist Herbie Hancock on a cover of Leon Russell's "A Song for You" recorded for Hancock's album Possibilities, released in August 2005. Aguilera and Hancock were later nominated for the Grammy Award for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". Aguilera went back to her Mickey Mouse Club roots when she helped open the 50th Anniversary for Disneyland by performing "When You Wish upon a Star", and she also collaborated with Andrea Bocelli on the song "Somos Novios" for his album Amore, released in early 2006. She performed at "Unite of the Stars" charity banquet in Johannesburg, South Africa in late 2005 with stars such as Diana Ross and Westlife in aid of Unite Against Hunger, and she also performed at the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund at the Coca-Cola Dome in November.

2006–present: Back to Basics

In March 2006, Aguilera signed a contract with European cell phone operator Orange to promote the new Sony Ericsson Walkman phone. She was featured in a Pepsi commercial alongside Lebanese singer Elissa, as well as Korean pop singer Rain in May. The spot aired during the 2006 World Cup.

She posed nude for a Marilyn Monroe-inspired photoshoot in the May 2006 issue of GQ magazine. She also granted the magazine an interview in that issue, in which she expressed disappointment in fellow singer Mariah Carey, saying, "She was never cool to me... to the point that one time we were at a party, and I think she got really drunk, and she had just really derogatory things to say to me." In response, Carey issued a press release saying, "It is sad yet predictable that she would use my name at this time to reinvent past incidents for her promotional gain." Aguilera then released her own statement claiming, "My intentions were not to upset Mariah with any statements that were published or taken out of context. I have all the respect in the world for her."

Aguilera's third English studio album, Back to Basics, released August 15, 2006, went to #1 in 13 countries. The critically-acclaimed lead single "Ain't No Other Man" was a substantial success, reaching #2 on the United World Chart, #6 in the U.S., and the top 5 in Europe. The single was regarded as a good comeback song, since she was out of the spotlight since Stripped. Aguilera described the double CD as "a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz, blues, and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist." To date, the album is the biggest selling double-album by a female artist. Producers on the album included DJ Premier, Kwamé, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson. One track, "F.U.S.S.", was written as a response to the animosity between Aguilera and Scott Storch during the recording of Stripped. In the interview with Maxim, she said, "That’s a way of burying my experience with him. We did great work on Stripped... When I tried to work with him again, he made uncalled-for demands. It was disappointing that someone would get affected like that." She received writing credit for every track and was the executive producer for the album, which debuted at number one in the U.S. and the U.K. She was the highest selling female artist of 2006, until Beyonce debuted a couple weeks later with her new solo effort B' Day. The follow-up singles "Hurt" and "Candyman" have charted top 25 in the U.S. and the U.K, and have done considerably well worldwide. She co-directed both music videos, the former with Floria Sigismondi who directed her "Fighter" video, and the latter, "Candyman", with director/photographer Matthew Rolston which was inspired by The Andrews Sisters.

Aside from promoting her own album, Aguilera collaborated with Sean "Diddy" Combs on a track, titled "Tell Me", from his album "Press Play". The single was released in late 2006. The single debuted at number #20 in the UK based on downloads alone, then jumped to number #8 the next week.

She announced her "Back to Basics Tour" with eighteen European dates which began November 17 and ended December 17. Following this, contrary to her previous plans to tour blues and jazz clubs for a more intimate setting, she will tour North America in a 41-date arena tour, which began February 20, 2007 in Houston and ended on May 23 in San Diego. After this, she will tour Asia and Australia, which will begin June 18 in Osaka and will end on August 3 in Auckland. It has not yet been confirmed whether she will continue her tour for Latin America.

She insisted that the jazz club tour would push through sometime after. "We're definitely going to mix it up, change it up, do some things that are not on the record, do some favorite classics of mine."

At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, Aguilera again won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man". She made a noteworthy performance at the ceremony paying tribute to James Brown with her rendition of his song "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". In January 2007, Aguilera was named the 19th richest woman in entertainment by Forbes, with a net worth of US$60 million. Aguilera announced the signing of an international licensing agreement with Procter & Gamble to create Christina Aguilera fragrances. In May 2007 it was announced that the perfume would be named 'Simply Christina Aguilera' and the shape of the bottle would be Aguilera's body. Ads for it are now out, baring the diva's naked back in a black background with tagline 'Sometimes it's all you need to wear'. Aguilera said, "I love trying new things in my music and in fashion. To have a perfume of my own is the beginning of an exciting adventure."

On June 12, 2007 the John Lennon tribute CD, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, featuring many notable performers, including Christina Aguilera and her rendition of "Mother" was released to critical acclaim.

Acting career

Unlike her contemporaries, Aguilera has never appeared in movies but she has done numerous television appearances and guestings. She made a cameo appearance performing on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, and hosted a well-received Saturday Night Live episode in 2004. She's mentioned in an interview that her agenda for 2003 were touring and acting. Given the opportunity, she would like to do the roles which Angelina Jolie usually plays "like in the film Girl Interrupted. Something with substance."

She became a part of the soundtracks for several Hollywood films including Mulan, and the Oscar-winning musical Moulin Rouge! In 2004's Shark Tale, she only voiced a small part in the animated film.

Christina Aguilera is currently being lined up to play the notorious burlesque stripper Tempest Storm in a new film biopic.

Charity work

Throughout her career, Aguilera has been involved with certain charities. She signed a letter from PETA to the South Korean government asking that the country stop its alleged killing of dogs for food. Her involvement in supporting the Defenders of Wildlife have also added to her donations with charities.

Aguilera is still a major contributor in her hometown of Pittsburgh contributing regularly to the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. According to her official website, she toured the center and donated $200,000 to the shelter. She also has auctioned off front row seats and back stage passes for the Pittsburgh based charity. She has continued her donations and visits to the shelter, and plans to open an additional one. She also supports the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Refuge UK. Since then she has worked with Lifetime Television's 'End violence against women' campaign. Her work there included a public service announcement which aired on the network and during her 2007 tour.

Aguilera contributes in the fight against AIDS, by participating in AIDS Project Los Angeles' Artists Against AIDS "What's Going On?" cover project. In 2004, Aguilera became the new face for cosmetic company M·A·C and spokesperson for M·A·C AIDS Fund. Aguilera appeared in advertisements of the M·A·C's Viva Glam V lipstick and lipgloss. In addition, Aguilera contributed to YouthAIDS by posing for a joint YouthAIDS and Aldo Shoes campaign for "Empowerment Tags" in Canada, the U.S. and the UK. She was featured with one of three ubiquitous slogans, "Speak No Evil?" and stated, "HIV is something that people don’t want to talk about, hear about, or face." Singer Elton John hand-picked Aguilera, among others, for his Fashion Rocks concert benefiting his AIDS foundation. The show, which accompanies music and fashion to benefit the fight against AIDS/HIV, is televised annually and aired in September.

In November 2005, all of her wedding gifts were submitted to various charities around the nation in support of Hurricane Katrina victims. In March 2007 it was announced that Aguilera will take part in a charity album (remaking Lennon's "Mother"), proceeds will benefit Amnesty International's efforts to end genocide in Darfur. The album titled "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur" will be released June 12, which features John Lennon covers sung by several artists.

Personal life

In 2000, Aguilera was rumored to have dated MTV VJ Carson Daly. The relationship was the subject of much discussion after the release of Eminem's song "The Real Slim Shady", in which Eminem satirically suggests that Aguilera had performed fellatio on both Daly and Fred Durst, the lead singer of Limp Bizkit, and had given the rapper himself a venereal disease. Aguilera called the song's innuendo "disgusting" and "untrue." Aguilera and Eminem reportedly resolved the issue three years later backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards.

She dated Puerto Rican-born dancer Jorge Santos for two years until the relationship ended in September 2001. In the 2006 issue of The Advocate magazine she said, "I was involved with someone who had a gay past. I don’t know if he’s come to terms with it yet."

In late 2002, Aguilera began dating music marketing executive Jordan Bratman. Their engagement was announced in February 2005, and they married on November 19, 2005, in the Napa Valley. The couple celebrated their one year anniversary in Dublin, Ireland where she was on tour at the time.

In March 2007, producer Dallas Austin alleged in a video interview with SOHO Magazine that Aguilera had sex with him and several of his friends. He also alleged details about Bratman, who Dallas referred to as his old best friend. Several days following the incident Dallas admitted that he lied and issued an apology stating, "My statement about Christina Aguilera was a reaction to an incident I care not to discuss in any forum - I do owe an apology to Christina." Aguilera's rep responded with, "She's not commenting on such ridiculous statements, and we are consulting a lawyer to explore her options."

Vocal ability

Aguilera, a spinto coloratura soprano, known for her strong vocals and powerful voice, has rivaled many of her other contemporaries and has been referred to as the "voice of her generation." In the MTV special All Eyes on Christina, John Norris said that Aguilera "has a four-octave vocal range." Aguilera has been noted to possess the ability to hit notes in the whistle register. However, she does not use this as much, and prefers to sing more powerful, mid-range notes. Christina also topped COVE's list of 100 Best Pop Vocalist with a score of 50, and MTV's 22 Greatest Voices. A review in an Entertainment Weekly article mentions her "tackling that dog-whistle high note" at the 3:20 mark in the song "Soar". The song is track 14 from the album Stripped.

jloathome

2007-06-18T12:13:00.000+07:00

Jennifer Lopez Dances Back to the Small Screen

The talented Jennifer Lopez sat down for this “Extra” one-on-one to give us the down low on her hot new MTV reality series.

“I really wanted to do a show about dancers because I started as a dancer,” she explained.

The former fly girl from TV’s “In Living Color” is bringing dancing back to TV as the executive producer of “Dancelife.”

“It’s about six dancers, three guys and three girls, all at different stages in their career,” Jennifer dished.

So in a house filled with both dance and music, what do J Lo and her hubby Marc Anthony dance to?

“Oh God, nothing at home,” she said. “We rest at home. We don’t do anything at home. We eat and sleep.”

However, Jennifer assured us that her man has some moves of his own.

“He’s good, he’s a good dancer,” she insisted.

Jennifer and Marc just celebrated their second anniversary together, and Jen indulged our Tanika Ray when she showed off her anniversary present: an enormous yellow diamond.

So what happened to J Lo’s blue diamond ring her hubby gave her for their first anniversary?

“(It’s) in the safe,” she revealed.

“Extra” also unlocked the truth behind the rumors that J Lo is studying Scientology after being spotted at TomKat’s Italian wedding and then seen again with the superstar couple recently in Los Angeles.

“No, we’re not,” Jen said of the rumors. “We’re not doing anything like that.”

But what La Lopez is doing is getting ready for the Golden Globes, although believe it or not, she told us she’s hasn’t even picked out her dress.

“I always look at fashion on the red carpet as not pressure, but as, ‘Oh cool, I get to wear a cool dress,’” she said. “I always sit down and get hair and makeup first and then whatever goes good with that is what I usually wind up wearing.”

Beyonce Perfume

2007-06-18T08:35:00.000+07:00

Global superstar, Beyonce Knowles, has unveiled her new women’s fragrance collection. Called True Star, the new perfume collection captures the essence of a private performance by the American superstar and the alluring play of her gleaming radiance, confidence and modesty. Comfort and sensuality are at the essence of the True Star collection, containing a blend of ingredients inspired by the appeal of Beyonce’s celebrity, while also portraying the essence of her more personal and private side. The scent contains contrasting florals as well as notes of toasted grains creating a caressing softness that is both warm and familiar. The True Star Eau de Parfum sculpted glass bottle and integrated pump is designed to resemble an award with a tall and slender tapered shape to fit comfortably in the palm of a women’s hand. The bottle is clear glass with a soft opalescent color that begins at the base and lightly gradates up the sides. The opalescence glistens gently in the light to reflect delicate shades of color.

True Star Gold - Like Beyoncé, this captivating fragrance draws you in and exudes sexiness and confidence. Crisp, tart Kiwi combined with pumpkin flower entices, while milk, raspberry, honey and Tulip Wood envelope the senses.

True Star Eau de Parfum - Tommy's newest scent celebrates all the brilliance, mystery and passion of Beyoncé. With her on-stage electricity, majestic presence and stellar beauty, she is the perfect muse. This spectacular floral-oriental fragrance combines a halo of bright notes with nuances of sweet pea, honeysuckle, and toasted wheat grains.

A True Star Body Lotion - A luxuriously light lotion that indulges the skin with rich hydrating elements. The quick-absorbing moisturizing formula smoothes and soothes for a silky feeling. Softly touches the skin with a hint of the True Star fragrance, inspired by Beyoncé.

Make your own perfumes

2007-06-15T07:13:00.000+07:00

from www.basenotes.net
by Jane Harmon, 16 March 2007.

Are you searching for an elusive, exclusive scent that's yours alone? Make it yourself by blending various floral or herbal tinctures you make yourself.

Tincturing is one of the easiest ways to extract the scented essence of herbs and flowers. And it's simple enough to do in your home, and requires no special equipment. A few plastic soda bottles, some coffee filters and some dried herbs, plus a big jug of cheap vodka, and you can set up your own perfumery.

You can buy herbs in bulk at your local healthfood or metaphysical store. Healthfood stores typically only stock herbs used in cooking or healing, so if you want to find those that are used in perfumes but not also used in cooking or healing, the New Age store is your best bet. There you can find patchouli, rose, lavender, and chamomile, as well as the less obvious orris root, lemongrass and vetiver. Don't overlook the spices - a hint of cinnamon or clove can give a perfume a dark, rich scent.

Making a tincture is simple:

Put a quantity of herbs or dried flowers (to be determined by experimentation) into a clean, dry soda bottle. Use the 20 ounce size or smaller while you're still learning your craft, and move up to the one liter bottle once you feel you have the proportions down. You may have to grind the herb in your food processor to get it in small enough pieces to tincture readily. Most herbs sold commercially are already chopped or ground; if you are buying from a 'wild-crafter' (one who collects herbs 'in the wild'), you may receive the plants in more of a natural state, which requires more work.

NOTE: if there are small children in your house, make SURE that your tinctures-in-progress are well out of their reach. Because you are using soda bottles, it would be very easy for them to think these were something good to drink, and small amounts of alcohol can prove FATAL to very small children!

Cover the herbs with vodka. Buy the cheapest brand on the shelf; taste isn't the issue here - alcohol content is. Don't fill the bottle to the top - some herbs or resins such as benzoin will foam when tinctured. Leave enough air at the top for you to be able to shake the bottle.

Label your tincture-in-progress! There's nothing worse that looking at a shelf of processing tinctures and not be able to tell your patchouli from your chamomile! Put the date on them as well as the herb being tinctured.

Store the bottles in a cabinet; this is in lieu of purchasing expensive, dark-colored bottles to make your tinctures in. Once a day, take them out and shake them to thoroughly mix the herbal matter with the alcohol. Do this for about two weeks.

Some botanical matter takes longer to tincture than others. Herbs and dried flowers should be done in two weeks. Some very fragile dried flowers or plants will eventually completely dissolve in the alcohol and you will wonder where they went! Roots and woods will take longer. Leave wood such as cedar or licorice to tincture for at least a month.

At the end of two weeks (or a month), 'decant' your tinctures. I use a coffee filter to filter out the soggy plant material, filtering the tincture into a pan. (If you are a natural gardener, make sure the leftover plant mass has dried thoroughly - all the alcohol evaporated - before adding to your compost heap. Alcohol is flammable and a compost fire can be quite dangerous.) Once filtered, you can rebottle; for long-term storage, purchase dark brown or blue bottles. For shorter periods, glass or clear plastic in a dark cabinet is fine. Dab a little of the tincture on your skin, and wait for the alcohol to evaporate before taking a sniff. Is the scent strong enough? If not, you may wish to put more herbs into the tincture and let the brew extract more plant essence before calling it 'done'.

All plants will produce a tincture, but only some of them will have a scent suitable for perfumery. Good choices include lavender (produces a dark rich violet-colored tincture), patchouli, rose (a beautiful deep red liquid), lemon balm, chamomile, vetiver, lemongrass, rosemary (a lovely 'grassy' scent), cinnamon and clove. When buying rose petals, make sure it is the type with a scent! Some newer rose strains have had the scent bred out of them and are for 'looks' only.

Each tincture by itself can serve as a single ingredient perfume. If you love the scent of rose, wear rose tincture on your pulse points, or make a rose cologne spritzer by diluting your tincture with water and storing in a spray bottle.

Of course, the real joy is in creating a blend that is exclusively yours. Mix florals with more woodsy or grassy scents. The sharp tang of citrus can be mellowed with the sweetness of a spice. Make your kitchen your laboratory and wear the results.

Here are two blends to get you started:

RICH GIRL - A rich spicy scent that evokes glamour and wealth:

Four parts patchouli tincture
Two parts rose tincture
One part (or less, to suit) each of Clove and Cinnamon tinctures

SERENITY - A floral fragrance that calms and soothes the senses

Two parts lavender tincture
Two parts chamomile tincture
Two parts lemongrass or lemon tincture (Without this last ingredient, you may find the blend soothes you too much; the lemony scent will counteract the soporific effects of the chamomile.)

About the author
Jane Harmon owns a New Age store in Virginia and makes her own perfumes and potions.

Cher Barbie Doll

2007-06-13T16:02:00.000+07:00

Timeless Treasures Celebrity Barbie doll by Mattel

This is the 2001 collector's edition of the BOB MACKIE BARBIE CHER DOLL: The doll is mint and has never been removed from her box.Cher has on silver & lavender halter top gown designed by Bob Mackie, with lavender boa to match. The gown also has glitter through out it . True-to-life details include authentic face sculpting, dramatic face paint, and a gorgeous mane of black hair.

The back of the box says:

"CHER from Platinum records to the silver screen, from the brilliant lights of concert stages to television screens across the country, Cher dazzles with her searing intensity. An enduring and unforgettable entertainer, she consistently tops the charts with her thrilling music. Completely unique and forever fascinating, she is singularly beautiful and incomparably spectacular. Pop culture icon, determined survivor, symbol of pure glamour: Cher is simply sensational. Now this renowned superstar collaborates again with acclaimed designer Bob Mackie to create an astounding work of art that is pure, classic Cher. A fabulous celebrity doll, precisely sculpted with incredibly true to life detail, captures all her magic. She wears a recreation of an original Bob Mackie gown, designed exclusively for her. The midriff baring halter gown features a fitted mermaid skirt and silvery glitter accents. A marabou feather stole, in periwinkle blue lends an air of extravagant glamour. Bold silvery hoop earrings complete this extraordinary ensemble. A remarkable tribute to the quintessential star: Cher."

Naomi Campbell Cat Deluxe

2007-06-13T06:29:00.000+07:00

Naomi Campbell launch Cat Deluxe in May. The fragrance was created by perfumer Michel Almairac of Robertet and features notes of freesia, cardamom, violet, peony, peach, woods, musk, patchouli and vanilla. (via cosmoty.de) Naomi Campbell Cat Deluxe is available in Eau de Toilette (15, 30, 50 and 75 ml) and Eau de Parfum (30 ml) and in matching body products.

Naomi Campbell dating Uma ex?

2007-06-13T06:03:00.000+07:00

Naomi Campbell has been seen out with Uma Thurman's ex-boyfriend.

The supermodel was spotted enjoying dinner with hotel mogul Andre Balazs at New York's Waverly Inn last week. The pair were joined briefly by top designer Donna Karan.

However, a source denies Naomi and Andre are an item, saying: "They aren't a couple. They're not really together."

Andre also took Naomi as his date to fellow model Kelly Killoren Bensimon's recent birthday party at hip Manhattan bar Pop Burger.

'Kill Bill' star Uma split from the handsome hotel owner in March just days after rumours surfaced the couple, who had been dating on-and-off for three years, were planning to marry this summer.

Uma, 36, and Andre, 50, were said to be planning to tie the knot on a secluded Caribbean island, with friends insisting "they can't keep it a secret much longer".

Uma's ex-husband, actor Ethan Hawke, was even said to have given his blessing and planned to attend the intimate ceremony.

In March 2006, Uma appeared at the Oscars without Andre, fuelling speculation the relationship had ended. Uma's publicist confirmed the split a few days later.

Paradise Passion

2007-06-09T11:11:00.000+07:00

Naomi Campbell launches Paradise Passion fragrance

Cosmopolitan Cosmetics has collaborated with Naomi Campbell for a sixth time since their fragrance partnership began in 1999. The result is Paradise Passion, a floriental, fruity, musky scent, which will be rolled-out to Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Japan and South America in March.

"We are aiming it at the 18-to-35-year old woman who wants to break out of grey everyday life and who wants to transform herself," says Cosmopolitan Cosmetics spokesperson Xavier Dujoncquoy.

The jus was created by perfumer Francoise Caron and contains top notes of perroquet flower, mango and tangerine. The base notes are soft musk and sandalwood, while the heart of the scent is commanded by the tropical papaya flower, which is indigenous to the Pacific islands. The bottle fuses ruby and turquoise shades and has a metal clip with two satin-finished petals, again mirroring the leaves of the papaya flower. The red also symbolises Campbell's self-professed passionate and fiery personality.

In a truly global collaboration, the glass bottle was produced by Sydney based Iconomy, while the box--which is tall and slim like its supermodel creator--was manufactured by Hamburg's Lutz Hermann Design agency.

Paradise Passion eau de toilette is available in three sizes, with 30ml retailing at 24.50 [euro]. Eau de parfum will be priced at (27.50 [euro] for 50ml. A shower gel, body cream, deodorant natural spray and deodorant aerosol complete the range.

Kylie Minogue Darling

2007-06-08T12:50:00.000+07:00

Kylie Minogue Darling Everybody’s darling, Kylie Minogue, launches her very first fragrance.

Sensational singer, successful businesswoman, sexy, playful, glamorous yet down to earth and approachable Kylie Minogue. Men like her for her sweet, sensual charm - women for her strength and talent. Her universal appeal makes her a role model, a global icon that transcends borders and age groups. As in all areas of her life, Kylie Minogue has taken a passionate approach to fragrance and worked in close collaboration with Coty on the development of darling. She says, "The launch of my new fragrance coincides with a new chapter of my life." It captures the many elements of her personality and all the contrasting qualities she shares with today’s contemporary woman.

Sensual, sweet, seductive, strong, glamorous and delicate in equal measures - Kylie is irresistible. A woman whose warmth forges a tremendous bond with her fans, as the popularity of her latest Showgirl concert tour reveals.

Kylie’s outstanding qualities are reflected in one fabulous fragrance. An evocative, enticing essence called darling, representing the richness, sensuality and glamour that is Kylie Minogue.

darling, the fragrance

A glamorous Chypré-Floriental, as multifaceted as Kylie herself.
A sensual, floral bouquet with a heady, sparkling yet sweet
top note of passion fruit, freesia and lychee.
The heart is brimming with a delicate, feminine floral blend of lily and boronia.
The base note projects the sensual, enveloping essences of sandalwood, amberwood and vanilla.

darling, the bottle & box

As dynamic and glamorous as Kylie’s spectacular shows, the box is irresistible with a glittering holographic effect.
An exquisite, heavy glass bottle with a gracefully rounded base and distinctive cap.
The name darling is emblazoned in a stylised, handwritten script. The effect is elegant with a warm touch of casual chic.
The box echoes the pink theme with irresistible appeal thanks to its holographic effect.

Kylie Minogue

2007-06-08T12:27:00.000+07:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kylie Ann Minogue (born 28 May 1968) is an Australian dance-pop singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Minogue rose to prominence in the mid '80s through her role in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, before she commenced her career as a pop artist in the late '80s. According to Warner Music Australia, Minogue has sold over 65 million records worldwide.

Signed to a contract by British songwriters and producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman, she achieved a string of hit records throughout the world. Her popularity began to decline during the early 1990s, leading her to part company from Stock, Aitken & Waterman in 1992. Minogue distanced herself from her earlier work and attempted to establish herself as an independent performer and songwriter. Her projects were widely publicised, but her albums failed to attract a substantial audience and resulted in the lowest sales of her career to date. She returned to popularity as a dance–pop artist in 2000, and became well-known for her provocative music videos and expensively mounted stage shows.

Minogue has established one of the longest and most successful careers as a performer in contemporary pop music, and in Europe and Australia, she has become one of her generation's most recognisable celebrities and sex symbols. In Australia, after being dismissed early in her career by some critics, she has been acclaimed for her achievements; she holds the record for the highest ticket sales for an Australian tour by a female performer, and has attained nine number-ones on the ARIA singles chart.

Childhood and beginning

Kylie Minogue was born in Melbourne, Australia, to an Australian father, Ronald Minogue who came from County Clare, Ireland, and a Welsh-born mother, Carol Jones who had emigrated as a young child from Maesteg, Wales in 1955 to Townsville, Queensland.

Kylie is the eldest of three children; her sister Dannii Minogue (born Danielle Jane Minogue) is also a pop singer, and her brother, Brendan, works as a news cameraman in Australia. They all attended Camberwell High School in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

The Minogue sisters began their careers as children on Australian television, and from the age of 11, Kylie Minogue appeared in soap operas such as Skyways, The Sullivans and The Henderson Kids. Dannii Minogue became successful as a regular performer on the weekly music programme Young Talent Time, in which Kylie gave her first singing performance in 1983. Kylie was overshadowed by her younger sister until achieving success in 1986 with her role in the soap opera Neighbours.

Minogue played the character of Charlene Mitchell; a story arc that created a romance between her character and that played by her then real-life boyfriend Jason Donovan culminated in a wedding episode in 1987 that attracted a large audience. Her popularity in Australia was demonstrated when she became the first person to win four Logie Awards in one event, including the "Gold Logie" as the country's "Most Popular Television Performer", with the result determined by public vote. Neighbours began screening in the United Kingdom in 1986, achieving high ratings.

Recording and performing career

Stock, Aitken and Waterman: 1987 – 1992

During a Fitzroy Football Club benefit concert with other Neighbours cast members, Minogue performed “The Loco-Motion” (written by Goffin and King). and was signed to a recording contract with Mushroom Records in 1987. Released as a single, and retitled “Locomotion”, the Australian recording spent seven weeks at number one on the Australian music charts, and was the highest selling single in Australia for the 1980s. Its success resulted in Minogue traveling to London with Mushroom Records executive Gary Ashley to work with Stock, Aitken & Waterman. They knew little of Minogue and had forgotten that she was arriving; as a result, they wrote “I Should Be So Lucky” while she waited outside the studio. The song reached number one in the UK and Australia and was a hit in many parts of the world. Her debut album Kylie, a collection of dance-oriented pop tunes, reached number one on the British albums chart and became the year's highest-selling album. It sold over seven million copies worldwide, with most sales occurring in Europe and Asia, and it contained six successful singles. In December 1988 “Turn It into Love” was a massive number one single in Japan. In the United States and Canada the album did not sell strongly, however the re-recorded version of “The Loco-Motion” reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Canadian Singles Chart. “It's No Secret”, released only in the U.S., peaked at number thirty-seven in early 1989. In late 1988 Minogue left Neighbours in order to concentrate fully on her music career.

A duet with Jason Donovan, titled “Especially for You” was a major success in the United Kingdom in early 1989. “Especially for You” was also the first Kylie Mingoue single to sell over 1 million copies in the UK (The second was “Can't Get You Out of My Head”). The critic Kevin Killian wrote that it was “majestically awful… makes the Diana Ross, Lionel Richie ‘Endless Love’ sound like Mahler”. She was sometimes referred to as “the Singing Budgie” by her detractors over the coming years. Chris True's comment about the album Kylie for All Music Guide suggests that Minogue's appeal transcended the limitations of her music, by noting that “her cuteness makes these rather vapid tracks bearable”. Her follow up album Enjoy Yourself (1989) was a success in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia, and contained several successful singles, but it failed throughout North America, and Minogue was dropped by her American record label Geffen Records. She embarked on her first concert run, the Enjoy Yourself Tour, in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Australia, where Melbourne's The Herald Sun wrote that it was “time to ditch the snobbery and face facts — the kid's a star”. Minogue had become Stock, Aitken and Waterman's highest selling act, so in the face of widespread comment that the second album was a poor imitation of the first, it was decided to adjust the overall style of her music.

Rhythm of Love (1990) presented a more sophisticated and adult style of dance music and also marked the first signs of rebellion against her production team and the “girl-next-door” image. Determined to be accepted by a more mature audience, Minogue took control of her music videos, starting with “Better the Devil You Know”, and presented herself as a sexually aware adult. A relationship with INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence furthered her attempts to gain acceptance as a mature performer, with Hutchence saying his favourite hobby was “corrupting Kylie”, and writing the INXS hit song “Suicide Blonde” in reference to her.

The singles from Rhythm of Love sold well in Europe and Australia and were popular in British nightclubs where Minogue started to be regarded as fashionable by the older audience she had targeted. When “Shocked” reached the British Top 10 in 1991, she became the first recording artist to place their first 13 single releases in the Top 10. Despite the album seeing no Stateside release, "Shocked" became popular enough with club DJ's that it still is on some dance music radio station music databases. In May 1990, 22-year-old Kylie performed her band's arrangement of The Beatles's “Help!” before a crowd of 25,000 at the John Lennon: The Tribute Concert on the banks of the River Mersey in Liverpool. Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon offered Minogue their thanks for her support of “the John Lennon Fund”, while the media commented positively on her performance. The Sun wrote “The soap star wows the Scousers — Kylie Minogue deserved her applause”.

Minogue's contract had been for three albums, but she was persuaded to record a fourth. Let's Get to It (1991) was designed to broaden her appeal by presenting a diverse range of ballads and slower dance songs. Despite generally positive reviews it failed to make the British Top 10, although the album spawned two UK Top 5 singles: “If You Were with Me Now” and a cover of “Give Me Just a Little More Time”. The Let's Get to It Tour in late 1991 sold out in Britain.

By this time Minogue had fulfilled the requirements of her contract and elected not to renew it. She had often expressed the viewpoint that she was stifled by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and later compared the experience to her time with Neighbours, saying all they wanted her to do was “learn your lines… perform your lines, no time for questions, promote the product”. Realising that her fans were growing apathetic towards the Stock, Aitken and Waterman formula, and that she could only develop as an artist if she broke away from them, she decided to leave. She agreed to record three new songs to be included on the Greatest Hits album, which was released to coincide with her departure from them in 1992. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom. The new singles (“What Kind Of Fool” and “Celebration”) were top 20 hits.

Deconstruction: 1993 – 1998

Minogue's subsequent signing with Deconstruction Records was highly touted in the music media as the beginning of a new phase in her career, but the eponymous Kylie Minogue (1994) received mixed reviews. It sold 2,500,000 copies worldwide, and the single "Confide in Me" spent five weeks at number one in Australia. Subsequent singles, "Put Yourself in My Place" and "Where Is the Feeling?" were top twenty hits in the UK.

Australian artist Nick Cave had been interested in working with Minogue since hearing "Better the Devil You Know", saying it contained "one of pop music's most violent and distressing lyrics" and "when Kylie Minogue sings these words, there is an innocence to her that makes the horror of this chilling lyric all the more compelling". "Where the Wild Roses Grow" (1995), was a brooding ballad whose lyrics narrated a murder from the points of view of both the murderer (Cave), and his victim (Minogue), and its success demonstrated that Minogue could be accepted outside of her established genre as a pop artist. It received widespread attention in Europe, where it reached the top 10 in several countries, and acclaim in Australia where it reached number two, and won ARIA Awards for "Song of the Year" and "Best Pop Release". She performed it with Cave at the Australian summer rock festival, "The Big Day Out" before a crowd of alternative music fans, and was well received. She also appeared with Cave during several of his concerts in small venues throughout Europe, as well as the T in the Park festival in Scotland which gave her more experience performing outside of the dance/pop genre and before audiences that were not necessarily her fans. She recited the lyrics to "I Should Be So Lucky" as poetry in London's Royal Albert Hall "Poetry Jam", at the suggestion of Cave, and later credited him with giving her the confidence to express herself artistically, saying: "He taught me to never veer too far from who I am, but to go further, try different things, and never lose sight of myself at the core. For me, the hard part was unleashing the core of myself and being totally truthful in my music".

By 1997 Minogue was in a relationship with the French photographer Stephane Sednaoui, who described her as a combination "geisha and manga superheroine". He began taking photographs of her that downplayed her glamour, with the aim of attracting a more 'rocky' and discerning audience, and she drew inspiration from artists such as Shirley Manson and Garbage, Björk, Tricky and U2, and Japanese pop musicians such as Pizzicato Five and Towa Tei (with whom she would later collaborate on the singles "GBI: German Bold Italic" and "Sometime Samurai").

Impossible Princess (named after a poetry collection by artist Billy Childish) featured collaborations with musicians such as James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore of the Manic Street Preachers, and Minogue contributed the majority of the lyrics. Largely a dance album, its style was not represented by its first single "Some Kind of Bliss", and Minogue countered questions that she was trying to become an indie artist. She told Music Week, "I have to keep telling people that this isn't an indie-guitar album. I'm not about to pick up a guitar and rock." Billboard magazine described the album as "stunning" and concluded that "it's a golden commercial opportunity for a major [record company] with vision and energy [to release it in the United States]. A sharp ear will detect a kinship between Impossible Princess and Madonna's hugely successful album, Ray of Light". In the UK, Music Week gave a negative assessment, "Kylie's vocals take on a stroppy edge ... but not strong enough to do much".

It became the lowest-selling album of her career in the UK, but was her highest-selling album in Australia since her debut album, with sales boosted by a highly successful live tour. In reviewing her show, The Times wrote of her ability to "mask her thin, often nondescript voice with musical diversity and brittle charisma and genuinely great pop songs by any standard", and a live album recorded during her tour, titled Intimate and Live, was successful in Australia.

She maintained her high profile in Australia with live performances, including the 1998 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the opening of Fox Studios in Sydney in 1999, where she performed Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", and a Christmas concert in Dili, East Timor in association with the United Nations Peace-Keeping Forces.

Parlophone: 1999 – present

Minogue and Deconstruction Records parted company and following a duet with the Pet Shop Boys' on their Nightlife album, she signed with Parlophone in April 1999. Her album Light Years (2000) was strongly influenced by 1970s disco artists, such as Donna Summer and Village People (see 1970s in music), and included several songs written by Guy Chambers and Robbie Williams who imbued their lyrics with humour. New Musical Express wrote: "Kylie's capacity for reinvention is staggering" and summarised the album as "sheer joy" and "what she does best". It generated career-best reviews for Minogue and quickly became a success throughout Asia, Australia and Europe and sold over two million copies worldwide. The single "Spinning Around" became her first UK number-one in ten years, and its accompanying video, which featured Minogue in revealing gold hot pants, received widespread television airplay. The subsequent single releases, which includes the duet "Kids" with Robbie Williams, sold strongly too, but failed reach #1 in any country.

In 2000 Minogue performed a cover version of ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and her single "On a Night like This" at the 2000 Sydney Olympics closing ceremony, an event watched by an estimated 3.7 billion people in 220 countries. Afterwards, she embarked upon a concert tour, On A Night like This Tour, which played to sell-out crowds in Australia and the United Kingdom, where she sold over 200,000 tickets and set an Australian record for a female artist. Her six planned Melbourne shows were increased to twenty-two due to public demand. Minogue was inspired by the style of Broadway shows such as 42nd Street and films such as Anchors Aweigh, South Pacific and the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals of the 1930s. Describing Bette Midler as a "heroine", she also incorporated some of the "camp and burlesque" elements of Midler's live performances. The show directed and choreographed by Luca Tommassini featured elaborate sets such as the deck of an ocean liner, an Art Deco New York City skyline, and the interior of a space ship, and Minogue was praised for her new material and her reinterpretations of some of her greatest successes, turning "I Should Be So Lucky" into a torch song and "Better the Devil You Know" into a 1940s big band number. She won a "Mo Award" for Australian live entertainment as "Performer of the Year". Following the tour she was asked by a Seattle Post-Intelligencer journalist what she thought was her greatest strength, and replied, "That I am an all-rounder. If I was to choose any one element of what I do, I don't know if I would excel at any one of them. But put all of them together, and I know what I'm doing."

In 2001 Parlophone released Fever, which retained some disco elements and combined them with 1980s electropop. Its lead single "Can't Get You out of My Head" became the biggest success of her career and reached number one in over forty countries, and sold more than six million copies worldwide. The album's success was equally widespread, and following extensive airplay by North American radio, Capitol Records released it in the United States in 2002. It attracted favourable comment, with Rolling Stone calling it "campy as a tent full of Boy Scouts and yet easy on the cheese", while Popmatters described it as "a perfect album of gorgeous dance music". Minogue attracted some negative commentary, such as from Launch's Bob Gulla, who wrote: "she'll do virtually anything to get our attention. Not since Pia Zadora have we seen a more vacant talent grab... an astoundingly bland helping of hollow dance pop grooves and nauseating pleas for sex... it's so desperately lightweight it's in imminent danger of disintegrating altogether".

The album debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart at number three, and the single reached number seven on the Hot 100. Fever peaked at number ten on the Canadian albums chart and the single reached the BDS airplay top three. Following singles "In Your Eyes", "Love at First Sight" and "Come into My World" were substantial successes throughout the world, and Minogue established a presence in the mainstream North American market, achieving particular success on the club scene. In 2003 she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Dance Recording" for "Love at First Sight", and the following year won the same award for "Come into My World".

Minogue's former stylist and creative director William Baker explained that the music videos for the Fever album were inspired by science fiction films—specifically those by Stanley Kubrick—and accentuated the electropop elements of the music by using dancers in the style of Kraftwerk. Alan MacDonald, the designer of the 2002 KylieFever tour, brought those elements into the stage show which was based around a framework of seven iconic female images, drawing from Minogue's past incarnations. The show opened with Minogue as a space age vamp, which she described as "Queen of Metropolis with her drones", through to scenes inspired by Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, followed by the various personas of Minogue's career. Minogue said that she was finally able to express herself the way she wanted, and that she had always been "a showgirl at heart".

Her next album, Body Language (2003), was released following an invitation-only concert, titled Money Can't Buy, at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. The event marked the presentation of a new visual style, designed by Minogue and Baker, inspired in part by 1960s icon Brigitte Bardot, about whom Minogue commented: "I just tended to think of BB as, well, she's a sexpot, isn't she? She's one of the greatest pinups. But she was fairly radical in her own way at that time. And we chose to reference the period, which was ... a perfect blend of coquette and rock and roll."

The show attracted mixed reviews, with the main criticisms being that nothing substantially new was presented, and that the new songs did not match the appeal of her previous hits. Despite this, the concert was made into a successful television special that drew high ratings.

The album downplayed the disco style and Minogue said she was inspired by 1980s artists such as Scritti Politti, Human League, Adam and the Ants and Prince, blending their styles with elements of hip hop. It received some of the most positive reviews of her career with Billboard Magazine writing of "Minogue's knack for picking great songs and producers". All Music described it as "a near perfect pop record... Body Language is what happens when a dance-pop diva takes the high road and focuses on what's important instead of trying to shock herself into continued relevance" Sales in the United Kingdom and Australia were good but paled in comparison to "Fever", despite the large success of its first single, "Slow" and in the United States the album made little impression, although the singles became major club hits. In November 2004, "Slow" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of "Best Dance Recording".

Minogue released her second official greatest hits album in November 2004, entitled Ultimate Kylie, along with her music videos on a DVD compilation of the same title. The album introduced her singles "I Believe in You", co-written with Jake Shears and Babydaddy from the Scissor Sisters, and "Giving You Up". Both songs reached the British top ten, and with a tally of twenty-nine top ten singles, Minogue became the second most successful woman on the British singles charts, behind Madonna. "I Believe In You" reached the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play top three and attained dance and rhythmic radio airplay nationwide. Minogue was nominated for a Grammy Award for the fourth consecutive year when "I Believe in You" was nominated in the category of "Best Dance Recording".

In April 2005, Minogue and her creative director William Baker issued a joint statement announcing the end of their professional relationship, with Minogue commenting that the break had been timed to coincide with the release of the Ultimate Kylie album and the launch of Showgirl - The Greatest Hits Tour. However the split was to be short-lived, with Baker back on board with Kylie by late 2006. The tour was intended to be the most extensive of her career, and anticipated a total audience of more than 700,000.

On 21 May 2007 it was reported that Minogue's next album is to include collaborations with Scissor Sisters and jazz singer Blossom Dearie.

Breast cancer

Minogue was in Melbourne following the European stage of the tour when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, leading to the postponement of the remainder of the tour and her withdrawal from the Glastonbury Festival.

Minogue's cancer diagnosis, and her hospitalisation and treatment in Melbourne, resulted in a brief but intense period of media coverage, particularly in Australia, where the Prime Minister John Howard issued a statement supporting Minogue. As media and fans began to congregate outside the Minogue residence in Melbourne, the Victorian Premier Steve Bracks warned the international media that any disruption of the Minogue family's rights under Australian privacy laws would not be tolerated. His comments became part of a wider criticism of the media's overall reaction, with particular criticism directed towards paparazzi.

Minogue underwent surgery on 21 May 2005 at the private Catholic Cabrini Hospital in Malvern. Friends such as Olivia Newton-John, herself a survivor of breast cancer, urged the media and fans to respect Minogue's privacy. Soon after, Minogue commenced chemotherapy as part of her treatment regimen.

Minogue issued a public statement, thanking her fans for their support and urging them not to worry. On 8 July 2005, she made her first public appearance after her surgery, when she visited a children's cancer ward at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital. She returned to France where she completed her chemotherapy treatment at the Institut Gustave-Roussy in Villejuif, near Paris.

Recovery

In December 2005, following successful treatment for her illness, Minogue released a digital-only single, "Over the Rainbow", a live recording from her Showgirl tour. During the early months of 2006, media began reporting Minogue's upcoming projects and the general improvement in her health. In June 2006, she was reported to be recording material for a new album, collaborating with Scissor Sisters, Steve Anderson, Richard Stannard, Johnny Douglas, Ash Thomas, and Teddy Riley while also making preparations to continue her newly renamed Showgirl Homecoming tour. She gave her first public interview since her diagnosis with breast cancer on the British satellite channel Sky One, 16 July 2006.

Her children's book, The Showgirl Princess, written during her period of convalescence, was published in October 2006, and her perfume, "Darling", was launched in November. On her return to Australia for her concert tour, she likened her cancer battle and chemotherapy to experiencing a nuclear bomb, and said that she is determined to resume her career. Minogue confirmed that she had collaborated with Boy George on a song called "Ready" and had been working on a new album, scheduled for release in late 2007.

Return to performing

On 11 November 2006, Minogue resumed her Showgirl - Homecoming Tour with a performance in Sydney, joking with the crowd that she was, after an 18 month delay, "fashionably late". She had told journalists prior to the concert that she would be highly emotional, and she cried before dedicating the song "Especially for You" to her father, a survivor of prostate cancer. Although her dance routines had been reworked to accommodate her medical condition, and longer breaks were introduced between sections of the show to conserve her strength, the media reported that Minogue performed energetically, with the Sydney Morning Herald describing the show as an "extravaganza" and "nothing less than a triumph".

The following night, Minogue was joined by Bono, who was in Australia as part of U2's Vertigo tour, for the duet "Kids", but Minogue was forced to cancel a subsequent planned appearance at U2's show, because of exhaustion. During her last two shows, she was joined on stage by sister Dannii Minogue for the duet, their first performance together since the late 1980s. Minogue's shows throughout Australia continued to draw positive reviews, and after spending Christmas with her family, she resumed the European leg of her tour with six sold-out shows in Wembley Arena, before taking her tour to Manchester for a further six shows. On 31 December 2006 she saw in the new year with an extra sell-out show at London's Wembley Arena, where she was supported by ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again. Her sister Dannii joined her onstage once more for the final Wembley show, on 9 January 2007 for a surprise duet on "Kids" and more sibling banter at the close of the show.

On 13 January 2007, Minogue was forced to withdraw from a performance at the MEN Arena, Manchester, due to a moderately severe respiratory tract infection, resulting in some of her performances to be temporarily postponed. The January 13 concert was rescheduled some ten days later on 23 January 2007. Her management stated that the infection was unrelated to her cancer. She also recently opened a collection in the V&A Museum in London called Kylie - The Exhibition.

New Album 2007

Kylie is currently working on her tenth studio album due at the end of 2007. She's working with DJ/producer Calvin Harris. She's also working with Groove Armada and frequent collaborators the Scissor Sisters on tracks for the album. According to Popjustice.com, several tracks have recently leaked, and two of the five leaked tracks are in the running to be included on the album. It is still unknown which two will be featured, but speculation is that "In My Arms", "Stars", or "Lose Control" will make the cut. The title for the upcoming album is called Kylie X.

Film career

In 1989, Minogue starred in The Delinquents, which told the story of a young girl growing up in Australia during the late 1950s. Its release coincided with her popularity in Neighbours, and while both the film and Minogue's performance received poor reviews, it was a commercial success. She appeared as Cammy in the action film Street Fighter (1994), based on the fighting game series of the same name. The film received poor reviews by critics, with The Washington Post's Richard Harrington calling her "the worst actress in the English-speaking world." Subsequent films such as Bio-Dome (1996), Sample People and Cut (both 2000) failed to attract significant audiences.

Australian film director Baz Luhrmann, cast Minogue in Moulin Rouge! (2001) where she played the part of Absinthe, the Green Fairy, singing a line from The Sound of Music. In 2002, Minogue provided the voice of a young girl named Florence in the animated film The Magic Roundabout, released in 2006. Minogue also sang the title song in the movie and was one of the two starring actors not replaced when the film was released in the US.

Filmography

1989 The Delinquents Lola Lovell
1994 Street Fighter Cammy
1995 Hayride to Hell The Girl
1996 Bio-Dome Doctor Petra von Kant Misfit
2000 Sample People Jess Cut Hilary Jacobs
2001 Moulin Rouge! The Green Fairy
2006 The Magic Roundabout Florence

Image and celebrity status

Throughout her professional life, Minogue has been the subject of intense media interest in both the United Kingdom and Australia, which remained constant even while her success as a recording artist had temporarily fluctuated. Her efforts to be taken seriously as a musician have sometimes been hindered by her high profile as noted by The Australian, who wrote in 1997, "When you have to lug around an image the size of Kylie's, it's difficult for any music you produce to match the hype—especially in a country that gives scant credibility to pop". Her relationships, including her recently ended relationship with French actor Olivier Martinez, have been extensively reported as well.

Minogue is regarded as a gay icon, which she encourages with comments such as "I am not a traditional gay icon. There's been no tragedy in my life, only tragic outfits." While part of her appeal lies in her flamboyant costumes and her confident sexual posturing, she acknowledges the gay community throughout the world by performing at gay venues and events, and by openly supporting AIDS and gay rights causes. She has said that she believes gay fans responded to her apparent distress when the news media began heavily criticising her in 1989, and that those fans have remained loyal, explaining, "My gay audience has been with me from the beginning... they kind of adopted me".

After playing the "girl next door" in her early videos, Minogue began to touch on adult themes: a mature relationship in "Better the Devil You Know", lesbian posturing and drag queens in "What Do I Have to Do", telephone sex in "Confide in Me", and prostitution in "On a Night like This". She performed a slow strip tease in the Barbarella-inspired "Put Yourself in My Place" and wore revealing costumes in many of her videos, most notably "Spinning Around" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head". She satirised her image in the video for "Did It Again", in which the four major incarnations of her career, "Indie Kylie", "Dance Kylie", "Sex Kylie", and "Cute Kylie" battled for supremacy. Her evolving image and often overt sexuality led to some critical comparisons to Madonna. Minogue has admitted her admiration for Madonna and has cited her as a significant influence. Minogue's status has led to her being referenced in several pop songs including The KLF's "Kylie Said to Jason" (1989), BMX Bandits' "Kylie's Got a Crush on Us" (1993), KMFDM's "Sucks" (1993), The Pretenders' "Popstar" (1999), and The Androids' "Do It with Madonna" (2003).

In 1993 Baz Luhrmann introduced Minogue to the photographer Bert Stern, notable for his work with Marilyn Monroe. Stern photographed her in Los Angeles and, comparing her to Monroe, commented that she had a "similar vulnerability and awareness of the camera". She has gained credibility by her association with people such as fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, photographer Stephane Sednaoui, and designer John Galliano, who described her as a "blend of Lolita and Barbarella".

During her career she has chosen photographers who attempt to create a new "look" for her, and the resulting photographs have appeared in a variety of magazines, from the cutting edge The Face to the more traditionally sophisticated Vogue and Vanity Fair, making the Minogue face and name known to a broad group of people. Stylist William Baker has suggested that this is part of the reason she has entered in the mainstream pop culture of Europe more successfully than many other pop singers who concentrate simply on selling records. She has appeared in guest roles in television series such as The Vicar of Dibley and Men Behaving Badly in the UK, and Kath & Kim in Australia, which capitalised on her celebrity status and image for comedic effect. In the latter she played a Melbourne teenager on her wedding day, referencing her role as Charlene in Neighbours.

The News of the World reported that she has been cast as a 'sexy Cyberwoman' in the 2007 Doctor Who Christmas special. This has been denied by the show's executive producer, Russell T Davies, in the magazine Ariel. However, Minogue later confirmed that she will be appearing in the special, but not playing a villain as previously reported.

Despite her commercial success, and her acceptance by a large audience as a contemporary sex symbol, her critics describe her willingness to display her body as an attempt to disguise a lack of talent. Her detractors, such as those discussed in the book La La La, have described her as a "one dimensional performer" and "pretty, but mindless and talentless". Miki Berenyi of the group Lush said "I have a massive problem with her because she epitomises the acceptable role ... it's a shame she gets so much credibility when there are so many women worth a hundred times that. It's war—you shouldn't stick up for Kylie, she should be fought at every turn". Minogue continues to attract discussion, and in Paul Morley's study of the evolution of pop music, Words and Music: A History of Pop in the Shape of a City, Minogue is the vehicle by which pop is explored.

Minogue has often spoken of the stability of the team she works with. Her parents, Ron and Carol Minogue, are actively involved in her career; her father, an accountant, is her financial advisor and her mother has joined her on each of her tours. She has been managed by Terry Blamey since 1987 and the close network, along with her Stock, Aitken and Waterman origins, have led to comments that she is "manufactured", an assessment which Minogue has admitted is partly accurate, saying, "if you're part of a record company, I think to a degree it's fair to say that you're a manufactured product. You're a product and you're selling a product. It doesn't mean that you're not talented and that you don't make creative and business decisions about what you will and won't do and where you want to go... Ultimately, yes, it's my name and I have to deliver the goods. But it doesn't happen without a team. So I try and work with the best people I can and take from them what I can. Hopefully I enhance what they do as well" William Baker has described her status as a sex symbol as a "double edged sword" observing that "we always attempted to use her sex appeal as an enhancement of her music and to sell a record. But now it has become in danger of eclipsing what she actually is: a pop singer".

Minogue has suggested that although her career will inevitably change direction, she expects to continue as a singer, and move away from the "sex-pot" persona she has created. In 2003 she received positive reviews for some low key performances in Paris nightclubs where she performed jazz standards, and she indicated she may take her career in this direction. Rather than identify herself as a particular type of singer, she has assessed herself with the comment, "now more than ever, I consider myself a performer... on stage is where I have given and received so much energy and enthusiasm".

In the world of fashion, Minogue appeared as an underwear model for fashion retailer H&M in 1998. More recently, she inspired a limited edition beachwear range for the company where she contributed ideas towards the range but didn't design any items, and has recently appeared in advertisements promoting the range. The beachwear range went on sale in May 2007, which includes bikinis, scarves and swimsuits. Also in May 2007, Minogue performed Can't Get You Out of My Head as a duet with Sharon Stone at the Cannes Film Festival for AIDS research.

Tours

The Hitman Roadshow/Disco In Dream (1989)
Enjoy Yourself Tour (1990)
Rhythm Of Love Tour (1991)
Let's Get To It Tour (1991)
Intimate and Live (1998)
On A Night Like This Tour (2001)
KylieFever (2002)
Showgirl - The Greatest Hits Tour (2005)
Showgirl - Homecoming Tour (2006/2007)

Discography

Studio albums

The following list includes all Kylie Minogue albums with the exception of compilations, live and remix albums. For a complete album list, see Kylie Minogue discography.

1988: Kylie
1989: Enjoy Yourself
1990: Rhythm of Love
1991: Let's Get to It
1994: Kylie Minogue
1997: Impossible Princess
2000: Light Years
2001: Fever
2003: Body Language

Cium Harum Parfumnya, Kenali Karakternya

2007-06-08T12:03:00.000+07:00

Fri, 11 May 2007 13:45:00 WIB
Sumber: hanyawanita.com

Orang bilang, wangi parfum seseorang mencerminkan karakter dari orang tersebut. Ini memang bukan cuma mitos belaka, karena orang memilih jenis wewangian tertentu sesuai dengan apa yang disukai dan membuat dirinya merasa nyaman.

Anda pun tidak mungkin memilih parfum yang selama ini Anda gunakan setiap kali sebelum berangkat ke kantor bila tidak menyukai aromanya kan? Parfum dan karakter memang sudah menjadi satu paket yang tidak dapat dipisahkan.

Anda yang feminim mungkin akan cenderung memilih wewangian yang kental aura perempuannya dibandingkan rekan kerja yang tomboy dan lebih suka mengenakan parfum kekasihnya yang lebih beraroma maskulin. Yuk bermain sebentar untuk mencocokkan parfum dan karakter Anda atau sekedar menebak pribadi bos Anda berdasarkan parfum andalannya!

Telinga Anda akan lebih nyaman mendengarkan :
A Alunan musik klasik
B Musik dance, progressive ataupun elektronik
C Let’s Rock and Roll!
D RnB lah dan hiphop dong

Warna busana favorit Anda dan memang paling banyak ada di lemari (atau minimal mendekati warna favorit) :
A Hijau
B Putih
C Kuning
D Pink

Anda memenangkan liburan gratis, kira-kira enaknya kemana ya?
A Hiking ke gunung dengan tour and travel
B Berenang, surfing, bodyboard dan segala macam olahraga air di pantai bersama teman-teman
C Menikmati segala macam wahaha di Disneyland dengan keluarga D. Pasti dinner di Paris dengan kekasih

Relaksasi terbaik setelah seharian penat dan stress di kantor, bagi Anda adalah :
A Mendekor ulang rumah dengan pakaian ‘dinas’, yaitu jeans robek dan t’shirt belel penuh noda cat
B Memakai baju terbaik, dandan secantik mungkin dan clubbing!
C Memakai baju terbaik, dandan secantik mungkin dan clubbing! Nonton tv / dvd film seri favorit dan bersantai dengan baju rumah yang super nyaman
D Menyambut pasangan pulang kantor dengan lingerie seksi dan lilin aroma therapy

Bila bebas pantangan, makanan apa yang langsung terbayang untuk makan malam?
A Eksperimen dengan resep baru dong
B Eksperimen dengan resep baru dong
C Terserah, yang penting perut kenyang dengan makanan berat
D Coklat! Pure coklat dan hanya coklat semata.

Punya waktu senggang? Anda pasti akan langsung mengisinya dengan …:
A Menulis diary, puisi atau mengarang lagu
B Hangout dengan sahabatsahabat di coffee shop langganan
C Ke puncak atau manapun untuk menikmati pemandangan alam yang masih hijau dan udara segar
D Menghabiskan waktu bersama pasangan, full hanya bersama dia

Minuman yang pertama kali akan terlintas di benak ketika sedang haus :
A Smoothie buah yang segar
B Cosmopolitan, Illussion atau apapun yang beralkohol
C Soft drink
D Wine

And the answers are :
Dominan A : Kreatif dan berjiwa seni tinggi
Wangi yang segar akan semakin menggugah daya kreatifitas Anda. Cari saja wewangian yang segar seperti eucalyptus dan peppermint.

Dominan B :
Gemar bersosialisasi dan menjalin pertemanan baru

Wangi yang segar, menarik perhatian dan menggetarkan akan sangat Anda sukai. Wewangian dari buah-buahan seperti apel hijau, sitrus dan bunga-bunga yang lembut model lily dan freesia cocok untuk Anda.

Dominan C : Aktif dan Ceria
Wangi yang manis dan menenangkan cocok untuk pribadi Anda yang dinamis. Pilih wewangian lavender, ylang-ylang atau chamomile.

Dominan D : Feminim dan flirty
Wangi oriental yang memikat cocok untuk Anda. Cari saja wewangian yang terbuat dari jasmine dan rose yang dipadukan dengan aroma rempah seperti musk, amber dan vanilla.

Kenali Parfum "Aspal"

2007-06-08T12:00:00.000+07:00

Samarinda Post online
Sabtu, 11 Maret 2006

Jika dihitung-hitung, jenis dan merek parfum yang beredar di pasaran bisa mencapai ratusan bahkan ribuan. Banyaknya varian parfum itu, umumnya dibesakan berdasarkan aroma yang terkandung. Tetapi di balik banyaknya jenis parfum tersebut, bisa dipastikan sangat sulit bisa mengetahui aroma sebuah parfum dengan tepat, kecuali jenis parfum yang sering kita pakai.

Akibatnya, merek-merek parfum pun sangat mudah untuk dipalsukan. Produk parfum asli tapi palsu (aspal) itulah, yang akhirnya banyak beredar di masyarakat. Jika tak jeli dan teliti dengan parfum yang kita beli, bisa-bisa bukan parfum asli yang didapatkan, melainkan parfum aspal.

"Ada beberapa trik yang bisa kita pakai untuk mengetahui keaslian sebuah parfum. Caranya juga cukup mudah. Yang penting memang harus jeli dan teliti," jelas Rendy, pemilik Charity.

Menurut Rendy, langkah pertama yang bisa kita ambil untuk membedakan parfum asli atau palsu itu tentu dari bau atau aroma yang dikeluarkannya.

"Biasanya, baunya lebih mencolok atau keras. Dan yang pasti, baunya tak bisa tahan lama," jelasnya.

Selain dari bau, keaslian parfum juga bisa dilihat dari warna parfum. Umumnya sama seperti aroma, warna parfum palsu cenderung lebih mencolok dan terang. Sementara parfum asli, walaupun cerah, tak sampai mencolok.

Dari kemasan parfum juga bisa dibedakan keasliannya. Parfum palsu, biasanya dikemas lebih kasar jika dibandingkan dengan botol atau kemasan parfum asli. Untuk merek-merek tertentu, botol dibuat dengan bentuk yang rumit dan unik, sehingga sulit untuk dipalsukan.

"Cara terakhir, bisa ditandai dengan rasanya saat kita semprotkan. Kalau kena kulit, parfum palsu biasanya terasa sangat dingin. Bahkan kalau untuk parfum yang menggunakan campuran alkoholnya terlalu banyak, setelah kena kulit bisa memunculkan rasa panas di kulit," imbuh Rendy.(win)

The scent of a strong woman

2007-06-08T11:47:00.000+07:00

Khaleej Times Online
3 June 2007

UNDER THE patronage of Shaikha Lubna bint Khaled Al Qasimi, Minister of Economy for the UAE, the fragrance 'Mukhalat Shaikha Lubna' was revealed at an exclusive event held at Saks Fifth Avenue.

The event was held recently with several VIP guests present, including Shaikha Lubna and her associates, Saks Clients and members of the media. 20 per cent of sales made on Mukhalat Shaikha Lubna will be donated to the Friends of Cancer Patients, a charitable organisation based in Sharjah.

“Fragrance is known to stir positive emotions in a woman’s heart — the new mukhalat will stir even more emotion as 20 per cent of the sales will be donated to the Friends of Cancer Patients," said Shaikha Lubna.

Shaikha Lubna’s patronage comes as a form of support to young national women entrepreneurs. 'Mukhalat Shaikha Lubna' is the creation of Al Tanhat Company that is specialised in producing and mixing Arabian perfumes.

Menangkap Wewangian Alam

2007-06-08T11:30:00.000+07:00

Kimiawan Minyak Wangi Menangkap Wewangian dari Alam
Oleh Carrie Dierks
Sumber: © 1998 Peregrine Publishers, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Jika akhir-akhir ini Anda berhenti sejenak di counter minyak wangi, Anda pasti mendapatkan banyak sekali jenis cologne dan minyak wangi yang baru di pasaran. Aroma baru dari Tommy Hilfiger, Coty, dan Clinique, di antaranya, bercirikan campuran unik yang berkisar dari "karangan bunga mawar, melati, dan bunga bakung" sampai kepada "bau pedas dari merica dan kayu manis". Aroma-aroma ini berkisar dari yang lembut sampai yang berani, tetapi semua mempunyai kesamaan: mereka menggunakan teknik labotarium modern untuk meniru dan meningkatkan wewangian yang berasal dari alam.

Waktu seorang pembuat minyak wangi meracik jenis wewangian yang baru, kerjanya sangat mirip seperti seorang komposer menciptakan sebuah melodi: mencampurkan beberapa jenis wewangian ke dalam suatu keseluruhan yang selaras. Berbagai macam bau di dalam minyak wangi dikelompokkan sebagai nada atas, nada tengah dan nada dasar. Nada atas biasanya berasal dari tumbuhan sejenis lemon dan jeruk, tercium oleh hidung Anda terlebih dahulu, karena molekulnya menguap dengan cepat. Nada dasar mempunyai bentuk molekul yang lebih besar dan lebih lambat menguap, baunya akan bertahan selama satu hari atau lebih, biasanya berasal dari zat yang dikeluarkan oleh hewan seperti musk (dari rusa Tibet) dan ambergris (dari paus sperma). Nada tengah merupakan pusat dari wewangian dan biasanya merupakan campuran dari bunga-bunga yang wangi seperti mawar, melati dan bunga bakung.

Dunia pembuatan minyak wangi mengalamami perubahan besar tahun 1921, dengan dikeluarkannya Chanel No. 5. Wewangian klasik ini adalah wewangian pertama yang mengkombinasikan sari bunga-bungaan dengan persenyawaan buatan yang disebut aldehida. Persenyawaan hidrokarbon ini tidak hanya memperkuat dan mengintensifkan aroma tradisional, tetapi juga memberikan kemungkinan untuk menciptakan banyak aroma-aroma baru yang tampaknya tidak terbatas. Ahli-ahli kimia sekarang ini sudah mengembangkan sekitar 3000 aroma buatan berbeda untuk dikerjakan.

Aroma khas dari sebuah persenyawaan tergantung dari struktur kimianya. Contohnya, menurut seorang ahli kimia organik Charles Sell dari perusahaan minyak wangi Quest International, sebuah molekul beraroma melati mempunyai "sebuah atom karbon sebagai pusat yang dikelilingi oleh tiga kelompok yang berbeda: sebuah kelompok dengan tingkat kepolaran yang tinggi, sebuah kelompok dengan tingkat kepolaran yang rendah, dan sebuah rantai karbon yang panjang." Aroma buah-buahan biasanya berasal dari jenis ester, yang dihasilkan di dalam buah ketika alkohol bereaksi dengan asam karbosilat.

Tetapi para ilmuwan tidak selalu dapat memperkirakan aroma yang akan dihasilkan oleh sebuah persenyawaan, karena tidak ada seorang pun yang tahu dengan pasti bagaimana molekul-molekul bereaksi dengan reseptor olfatoris (reseptor pembau) di hidung. Akibatnya, pembuatan minyak wangi dapat melibatkan banyak sekali percobaan.

Sebuah teknik yang dipakai oleh ahli minyak wangi untuk mengetahui susunan kimia dari sebuah aroma dengan tepat adalah headspace technology. Ini dilakukan dengan menempatkan sebuah kaca lengkung di atas sumber aroma tersebut, seperti bunga, dan menganalisa molekul-molekul di dalamnya. Dengan informasi ini, ahli kimia dapat menciptakan lagi wewangian tersebut di labotarium. Dari sana, selanjutnya terserah kepada pembuat minyak wangi dengan keahliannya untuk menciptakan sebuah campuran yang dapat menarik para pembeli.

(diterjemahkan oleh Shirley Deborah)
c 2000 Peregrine Publishers, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Katalog Belanja Minyak Wangi

2007-06-08T11:26:00.000+07:00

Sinar Harapan

Eau de toilette dari Aqua Di Aqua Homme ini ditujukan untuk pria. Minyak wangi asal Paris ini beraroma menyegarkan. Sehingga ini tepat sekali dipakai pada siang hari ketika hendak melakukan aktivitas olah raga. Namun, bukan berarti tidak cocok untuk disemprotkan ke badan pada pagi hari ketika hendak ke kantor atau aktivitas lainnya. Di Indonesia, sementara ini jika ingin mendapatkannya baru ada di gerai-gerai C&F Perfumery.

Kemasan minyak wangi dari Amerika bermerek FUBU yang satu ini terbilang unik. Tampaknya para desainer minyak wangi pun terus mengembangkan variasi-variasi botol untuk produknya sesuai tuntutan zaman. Disadari atau tidak, banyak konsumen akan memalingkan mata ke arah etalase ketika melihat kemasan botol minyak wangi yang ”eye catching.” Biasanya hasrat untuk mencoba tester akan muncul setelah terkesima dengan bentuk botol. Botol warna emas adalah untuk perempuan sementara yang perak untuk laki-laki.
Menurut seorang sales girl dari C&F yang knowledgeable tentang setiap produk di sana, FUBU ini cocok untuk hampir setiap kegiatan atau acara. Pasalnya, aroma rempah di dalamnya membuat orang yang mengenakannya akan merasa lebih percaya diri bahkan meninggalkan kesan elegan. Produk ini pun terbilang eksklusif di gerai C&F. Sebab C&F Perfumery merupakan sebuah exclusive carrier untuk merek minyak wangi tersebut.

Ini pastinya minyak wangi untuk perempuan. Dari warna kemasan baik kotak maupun botolnya saja berwarna merah jambu. Blumarine II ini buatan Italia dan juga termasuk salah satu produk eksklusif di C& F Perfumery. Sebab, di toko-toko minyak wangi lain di Indonesia belum ada. Aromanya memiliki nuansa vanila yang menyegarkan. Sehingga, cocok untuk dikenakan pada pagi hari untuk wanita.

Minyak wangi bermerek Angel berukuran 50 ml dari desainer Thierry Mugler asli dari Perancis. Lazimnya cerita-cerita dongeng, seorang Angel (Malaikat) sering membawa tongkat dengan sebuah bintang di penghujung. Nah, barangkali sesuai dengan namanya, untuk mendeskripsikan minyak wangi tersebut, bentuk bintanglah yang dipilih. Memang, bentuk bintangnya sedikit tidak simetris.

Aroma rempah dan sedikit manis ini membuat minyak wangi ini berkesan elegan bahkan eksklusif. Ada untuk pria dan wanita. Keberadaannya belum lama jika dibanding dengan merek-merek lain. Ini baru dimulai pada era awal 1990-an. Tapi ternyata, jumlah penggemarnya pun terbilang tinggi.

Jika minyak wangi ini disemprotkan pada kulit dekat nadi, maka seakan-akan wanginya pun akan berjalan ke seluruh tubuh sesuai arah darah yang mengalir. Alhasil, seluruh tubuh Anda pun akan terasa aroma wanginya. Bahkan, aroma tersebut akan melekat di badan dan menyatu lalu menjadi aroma yang khas dari seseorang.

Bvlgari Blue terbilang baru kehadirannya. Sejak debutnya sudah laku tinggi sejak beberapa waktu lalu. Ini sesuai dengan laporan pihak penjual minyak wangi di beberapa gerai. Sesuai gambar, yang ini adalah berukuran 75 ml dan ditujukan untuk perempuan. Aromanya berkesan eksklusif dan cocok untuk acara malam hari.

Hugo Boss sudah lama eksistensinya. Dan setiap versi yang dikeluarkannya pasti laku di pasaran. Gambar ini menunjukkan paket-paket yang ditawarkan oleh Hugo Boss dalam satu kemasan kotak. Warna merah ditujukan untuk perempuan dan warna abu-abu untuk laki-laki. Untuk laki-laki, tersedia sebuah eau de toilette berukuran 100 ml sedangkan shower gel (sabun jenis gelatin) berukuran 150 ml. Ini juga tersedia di C&F Perfumery dengan harga yang bersaing dengan gerai-gerai eksklusif lainnya di Indonesia. (pir)

Seputar Minyaak Wangi

2007-06-08T11:24:00.000+07:00

Minyak wangi umumnya tidak ditinggalkan oleh wanita. Bau wangi ini ada yang bertahan lama pada kulit tubuh tapi ada juga yang hanya sesaat. Tapi berapa lama minyak wangi ini bermanfaat bagi kita? Untuk mengetahui rahasianya, simak pertanyaan di bawah ini.

1. Berapa lama aroma minyak wangi dapat bertahan?
Pada umumnya, sebotol minyak wangi dapat bertahan segar dan aromanya tidak hilang selama satu tahun. Bila disimpan di tempat yang sejuk dan kering, biasanya dapat bertahan beberapa bulan lebih lama. Potensi minyak wangi akan hilang bila aroma atau warnanya berubah.

2. Tiap orang biasanya mempunyai satu karakteristik dari aroma tertentu. Bagaimana jika menyukai dua aroma berbeda? Bisakah dipakai secara bergantian?
Tentu saja bisa. Anda dapat memakai berbagai minyak wangi yang Anda sukai secara bergantian, tergantung suasana hati dan kapan memakainya. Apakah siang atau malam hari, untuk ke kantor atau ke pesta. Seandainya sepulang kantor akan menghadiri undangan makan malam dan Anda ingin memakai minyak wangi yang berbeda, Anda dapat "menghapus" bau minyak wangi yang "pertama" dengan menggunakan air sabun.

3. Kok, saya tidak dapat mencium aroma minyak wangi yang saya pakai sesudah memakainya selama satu minggu, sementara orang lain dapat mencium aroma minyak wangi tersebut?
Adalah hal yang normal bila indera penciuman Anda tidak bekerja dengan baik. Awalnya, Anda dapat mencium aroma minyak wangi Anda lalu karena sudah terbiasa dengan bau tersebut, lama-lama tidak tercium lagi. Hal ini terjadi karena indera penciuman sudah "imun" alias terbiasa dengan bau tersebut sehingga seolah tak tercium lagi. Akibatnya, Anda cenderung menyemprotkan/mengoleskan minyak wangi lebih banyak lagi yang membuat orang sekitar menjadi "tersengat" hidungnya karena bau harum yang berlebihan. Oleh sebab itu disarankan untuk mengganti minyak wangi dari waktu ke waktu.

4. Bagaimana memastikan aroma minyak wangi dapat bertahan seharian penuh?
Hanya satu kata: lapisan!. Artinya, pada waktu mandi gunakan sabun yang beraroma sama dengan minyak wangi Anda. Dengan demikian, aroma tersebut menyebar secara merata ke seluruh tubuh. Sesudah mandi, langsung oleskan pelembap tubuh ke seluruh tubuh dengan pelembap yang beraroma sama dengan minyak wangi. Dengan melakukannya langsung sesudah mandi dapat melembutkan kulit tubuh dan aromanya akan segera menyerap. Yang terakhir, tentu saja, memakai minyak wangi itu sendiri. Semakin sedikit kandungan alkohol dari suatu minyak wangi, semakin lama aroma minyak wangi tersebut dapat bertahan.

Tips lain agar wangi dapat bertahan lama adalah dengan menyemprot meja setrikaan dengan minyak wangi sebelum menyetrika baju. Panas yang dikeluarkan oleh setrikaan akan membantu menyebarkan aroma tersebut ke seluruh pakaian. Atau dapat juga dengan menyemprotkan minyak wangi ke tangan, tepuk beberapa kali, lalu selusupkan jari-jari ke rambut. Rambut Anda akan menyerap aroma minyak wangi tersebut dan merupakan penyebar wangi yang terbaik.

5. Dua minyak wangi kegemaran saya berjenis sama, yaitu harum bunga mawar. Dapatkah saya memadukannya?
Memadukan kombinasi lebih dari satu minyak wangi merupakan cara yang bagus untuk mengekspresikan ciri khas Anda. Banyak minyak wangi yang dirancang untuk dipadu sesuai dengan pribadi masing-masing individu. Bila dua aroma kegemaran dari jenis yang sama, tentu merupakan paduan yang sangat baik. Yang terpenting dan yang paling manjur adalah memakai minyak wangi yang paling Anda sukai.

6. Bagaimana cara mengetahui bahwa minyak wangi tersebut cocok untuk kita? Apakah cukup hanya dengan menciumnya sekilas saja?
Aroma yang disemprotkan pada secarik kertas merupakan cara yang baik untuk mengetahui aroma yang Anda sukai. Letakkan carikan kertas tersebut di lengan bagian dalam untuk melihat reaksi kulit Anda terhadap aroma minyak wangi tadi dan Anda akan tahu apakah aroma tersebut cocok untuk tubuh. Yang pasti, untuk menguji suatu minyak wangi, sebaiknya datang ke gerai khusus minyak wangi karena cara yang benar untuk mengetahui apakah kulit Anda cocok dengan minyak wangi tertentu adalah dengan menyemprotkan minyak wangi tersebut langsung ke kulit Anda.

7. Apakah aroma minyak wangi saya terlalu keras?
Bila memakai minyak wangi, usahakan untuk memakai secukupnya agar aromanya tidak berlebihan ataupun kekurangan.

8. Bagaimana caranya agar dapat menggunakannya secara tepat?
Para ahli mengatakan, kita harus memahami zat kimia yang dikandung oleh tubuh kita dan mengikuti aturan-aturan daerah bebas wewangian. Berikut saran para ahli:

a. Jangan gunakan terlalu banyak
Kita sering menyemprotkan minyak wangi pada titik nadi, pakaian, rambut, dan leher. Hal ini terlalu berlebihan. Anda hanya perlu menyemprotkannya sedikit pada tengkuk, di bagian belakang lutut, pada belahan buah dada, bagian belakang pergelangan tangan, di bagian lekukan siku, dan di belakang telinga.

b. Pilih minyak wangi yang tepat.
Pada waktu membeli minyak wangi Anda harus memahami minyak wangi yang Anda beli untuk dipakai pada siang hari atau malam hari. Karena minyak wangi yang dipakai di siang hari tidak sama dengan yang dipakai untuk malam hari.

c. Mengetahui daerah/tempat bebas minyak wangi.
Pada situasi tertentu, memakai minyak wangi tidak dapat diterima. Seperti halnya pada kelas yoga. Di tempat senam/fitness sebaiknya tidak memakai minyak wangi karena aroma yang dikeluarkan bercampur dengan keringat, sementara para peserta berada berdekatan satu sama lainnya. Aroma yang menyengat akan sangat mengganggu peserta lainnya.

Serba Serbi Minyak Wangi

2007-06-08T11:20:00.000+07:00

Minyak wangi merupakan salah satu pelengkap di meja rias kita. Tak hanya wanita, pria masa kini pun tak malu-malu lagi menggunakannya. Namun yang kerap terjadi, minyak wangi yang seharusnya menebarkan aroma semerbak, menjadi sebaliknya. Masalahnya, salah dalam penggunaannya.

Tiga Macam Minyak Wangi

Eau de perfume:
Meskipun kandungan alkoholnya sedikit, tapi aroma wanginya bisa tahan cukup lama dan kuat. Cocok digunakan untuk pesta atau acara malam hari.

Eau de Toilette:
Memiliki kadar alkohol yang tinggi. Aroma wewangian ini ringan, tidak terlalu tajam, dan awet. Cocok digunakan pada setiap kesempatan.

Eau de Cologne:
Jenis wewangian yang ringan dan standar. Biasa digunakan setelah habis mandi untuk menyegarkan tubuh.

Saat mencoba minyak wangi ketika hendak membelinya, sebaiknya tidak mencoba lebih dari 2 jenis dan usahakan kulit dalam keadaan kering. Tes minyak wangi langsung pada kulit pergelangan tangan. Ini lebih baik daripada sekadar mencium wangi parfum dari kertas tester, karena wangi yang timbul bisa berbeda.

Demikian juga saat memakai, sebaiknya tidak dituang ke tangan karena harumnya minyak wangi di tangan akan masuk ke dalam botol dan mempengaruhi keharumannya.

Agar baunya tetap melekat di tubuh, gunakan parfum semprot. Selain irit, percikan minyaknya bisa menyebar ke sekelilingnya. Bisa juga teteskan atau semprotkan minyak wangi ke kapas, tempatkan di dada, dengan demikian aromanya bisa bertahan lama.

Tips:
1. Eau de Parfum sebaiknya tidak langsung disemprotkan ke baju karena akan menimbulkan noda dan sulit hilang. Gunakan selalu pada kulit badan. Parfum yang disemprotkan atau digunakan ke badan akan berkembang dan menjadi makin lembut nantinya.

2. Semprotkan atau oleskan minyak wangi di belakang telinga, leher, belakang lutut, dan belahan dada.

3. Sebaiknya, kemasan minyak wangi disimpan ditempat yang sejuk seperti di lemari pendingin agar bertahan lebih lama dan bau serta warnanya tidak berubah.

4. Kini minyak wangi tersedia dalam berbagai ragam aroma dan botol/kemasan aneka bentuk serta rupa. Wadah/botol yang tidak transparan akan lebih awet dibanding yang transparan, karena isinya terlindung dari sinar secara langsung.

Terapi Wangi-wangi yang Bisa Jadi Solusi

2007-06-08T11:13:00.000+07:00

Kompas, 14 Juni 2006

Memanjakan tubuh dengan aromaterapi bukan lagi barang baru. Tetapi, ternyata banyak hal yang perlu diperhatikan sehubungan dengan terapi ini. Apa saja?

Aromaterapi seringkali diartikan sebagai segala jenis terapi dengan memakai beragam aroma/wewangian. Bahkan, deterjen atau pewangi lantai yang diberi pewangi pun sering dianggap sebagai aromaterapi.

Benarkah demikian?

Menurut dr. Rachmi Primadiati, MN.Med, DArom, Dherb.Med, CIDESCO, CIBTAC, BABTAC, spesialis kecantikan dan medical aromatherapyst, tidak semudah itu menganggap semua harum-haruman sebagai aromaterapi. "Aromaterapi itu satu teknik terapi menggunakan minyak esensial tumbuhan. Ada yang dihirup, diminum, dioleskan, atau dipijatkan."

Manfaat aromaterapi juga tak sekadar perawatan kecantikan atau merilekskan tubuh. Ada fungsi lain yang lebih ’mulia’, mengobati tubuh dari penyakit-penyakit ’serius.’ Tetapi jangan salah, lo. Tak semua wewangian bersifat menyembuhkan.

"Hanya yang dari minyak esensial hasil penyulingan dan perasan bagian-bagian tumbuhan aromatik saja yang menyembuhkan," jelas Rachmi.

Menurut Rachmi, layanan aromaterapi yang banyak diberikan pusat-pusat kecantikan sifatnya tidak untuk mengobati, melainkan sekadar relaksasi dan menyegarkan. "Tak semua orang cocok dengan semua minyak esensial. Mereka juga tidak memperhitungkan dosis yang tepat."

Untuk keluhan saluran napas dan emosi, misalnya, cara paling pas adalah dihirup. Keluhan saluran pencernaan lebih baik memakai bahan yang diminum. Sedangkan untuk kasus-kasus kulit dan menyeimbangkan fungsi-fungsi organ tubuh, dengan pengolesan plus pijatan. "Agar tak meleset khasiatnya, lakukan di bawah pengawasan orang yang punya pengetahuan dasar kedokteran dan aromaterapi, atau orang yang sudah mempelajari aromaterapi secara khusus."

DITERIMA TUBUH

Berbeda dengan obat kimiawi sintetis, pemakaian minyak esensial tumbuhan tidak dianggap benda asing di dalam tubuh, sehingga tidak memperberat kerja organ-organ tubuh. Menurut Dr. Dietrich Gumbel, Ph.D, penulis buku Principles of Holistic Skin Therapy with Herbal Essence, tumbuhan memiliki komposisi yang sama persis dengan manusia.

Menurut Gumbel, minyak esensial akan masuk ke sirkulasi tubuh. Minyak esensial yang dioles di kulit akan terserap masuk ke lapisan kulit dalam, mencapai sirkulasi darah dan menuju organ sasaran untuk berefek.

Sejauh ini, semua penyakit bisa disembuhkan dengan metode aromaterapi medis, baik secara langsung maupun diintegrasikan dengan cabang ilmu kedokteran lain, khususnya antar-cabang kedokteran naturopati.

Untuk pengidap jantung koroner, misalnya, pasien akan dibantu aromaterapi yang dikombinasikan dengan hidroterapi (terapi dengan air, misalnya spa) untuk mengurangi sumbatan. Sedangkan pada pasien stroke, fungsi pengobatan aromaterapinya adalah membantu memperlancar sirkulasi darah, getah bening, memperkuat fungsi saraf, dan menambah kekuatan otot.

Di Amerika dan Eropa, terapi aroma sudah diakui sebagai cabang ilmu kedokteran dan masuk ke dalam bidang ilmu naturopati. "Bahkan di negara-negara Eropa dan Amerika, pengobatan dengan cara alami sudah dapat di-cover oleh asuransi, lo," cetus Rachmi yang lama tinggal di Amerika dan Eropa ini.

Meskipun secara mendasar pengobatan aromaterapi berbeda dengan cara pengobatan konvensional, namun dalam proses pemeriksaannya sama saja. "Jika diperlukan, tetap dilakukan pemeriksaan laboratorium, MRI, atau rontgen."

LANGKAH-LANGKAH BERTERAPI

Ikuti langkah-langkah berikut ini agar terapi aroma jadi lebih bermanfaat.

Pakailah minyak esensial yang sudah diencerkan agar tidak mengiritasi kulit.
Gunakan tak lebih dari 5-8 tetes untuk air sebanyak tigaperempat bathtub dan berendamlah selama 15-20 menit.
Jika mata teriritasi minyak esensial yang pekat, basuh dengan susu murni. Kandungan lemak dalam susu bisa mengurangi iritasi, khususnya di mata.
Gunakan minyak zaitun atau minyak nabati lain untuk mengurangi rasa panas yang
mungkin ditimbulkan oleh beberapa jenis minyak esensial, seperti peppermint.
Jika tertelan tanpa sengaja, minum susu banyak-banyak atau makan roti yang dikunyah hingga lembut. Jika menimbulkan masalah serius, segera hubungi dokter.
Mengonsumsi minyak aromaterapi secara oral harus di bawah pengawasan dokter spesialis aromaterapi. Beberapa minyak esensial amat berbahaya jika dikonsumsi.
Dianjurkan menikmati hirupan aromaterapi sambil memejamkan mata karena akan membantu membangun imajinasi untuk memaksimalkan kerja minyak esensial yang dipakai. Jangan memakai minyak aromaterapi terlalu dekat dengan mata.
Beberapa minyak tertentu misalnya minyak mint menyebabkan insomnia. Jangan menggunakannya pada malam hari, kecuali jika Anda ingin melek semalam suntuk.

MAHAL TAPI CESPLENG

Tidak semua tumbuhan bisa mengeluarkan minyak esensial. Hanya tumbuhan berbau wangilah yang mengeluarkan minyak seperti ini. Sumbernya bisa dari kelenjar tertentu di dalam akar, umbi, batang, daun, buah, biji, atau bunganya.

Minyak esensial jahe, dihasilkan kelenjar yang terdapat pada umbinya, sedangkan mawar ada di bunga serta batangnya. Minyak ini bisa disebut sebagai life force dari tumbuhan, dan kadarnya hanya 0.01-0.1 persen saja. "Diperlukan tumbuhan dalam jumlah banyak untuk menghasilkan minyak esensial yang cukup. Misalnya, untuk satu sendok makan minyak esensial mawar (sekitar 10 cc), diperlukan 100 kg bunga," papar Rachmi.

Tak heran, jika harga minyak esensial yang sudah dipakai lebih dari 6 ribu tahun lalu oleh bangsa Romawi, Yunani, dan Mesir ini jadi mahal dan sangat pekat. Manfaatnya juga 100 kali lebih kuat dibandingkan tumbuhan segar.

SESUAI SIFAT

Berobat ke dokter ahli aromaterapi pun berbeda dengan berobat ke dokter biasa. Butuh setidaknya 45 menit untuk wawancara karena dokter harus tahu sifat dasar si pasien.

"Minyak esensial dari tumbuhan tertentu hanya cocok untuk orang dengan karakter tertentu pula," ujar Rachmi yang aktif di American National Cosmetology Association ini.

Diagnosa baru bisa diambil setelah dokter mengorek segala sesuatu tentang diri si pasien, termasuk karakter, pola hidup, pola makan, dan cara menyelesaikan persoalan hidup. Ada dua tipe kepribadian, yakni:

Kepribadian Tipe A/ agresif, pemarah, tak sabar, aktif, mudah stres/ relaxing atau calming/ camomile, jasmin, rose

Kepribadian Tipe B/ Kalem, tenang, depresif, introvert/ uplifting atau stimulating/ basil, lemon, violet

Misalnya, jika Anda termasuk tipe A, lantas diberi minyak esensial buah pala untuk mengobati sakit kepala. "Alih-alih sembuh, sakitnya malah semakin menjadi, karena pala bersifat stimulating. Seharusnya diberi minyak esensial yang sifatnya menenangkan, misalnya lavender," papar Rachmi yang memperdalam ilmu perawatan aromaterapi dan obat herbal di International College for Natural Science, London, Inggris.

Jika orang dengan tipe B sakit kepala, jangan diberi minyak esensial yang sifatnya menekan. "Selain pusingnya bakal tetap ada, dia pun akan merasa semakin depresi," imbuhnya.

Beragam akibat bisa ditimbulkan dari kesalahan pemberian jenis atau dosis minyak esensial. Dampak tersebut bisa ringan (misalnya iritasi kulit), bisa pula berat (misalnya keguguran kandungan).

Penggunaan minyak esensial bisa dilakukan beberapa cara, tergantung kebutuhan. Bisa dihirup, dioleskan ke kulit, atau dimasukkan ke dalam tubuh. Lavender, misalnya, jika diberikan tak sesuai dosis, bukannya akan menenangkan dan membuat mudah tidur, tapi malah membuat kita terjaga semalaman karena mata tak mau diajak terpejam. (Nova)

Gerai Minyak Wangi yang Andalkan Lokasi

2007-06-08T11:05:00.000+07:00

Sinar Harapan

JAKARTA – C&F Perfumery membuka gerai terbarunya Jumat lalu (21/3). Gerai ke-11 di dalam kawasan berbelanja baru Senayan Trade Center (STC) Jalan Asia Afrika, Jakarta. C&F Perfumery di bawah naungan PT Izone Indonusa berdiri sejak tahun 1992. Ini adalah gerai yang menjual produk-produk minyak wangi.

Kuantitas minyak wangi paling mendominasi sementara ini. Dan sedang dikembangkan pula penjualan produk-produk lain. Semacam make-up, rambut dan perlengkapannya, perawatan kulit serta tubuh dan perlengkapan kecantikan lainnya.

Konsentrasi pada kuantitas minyak wangi pun diimbangi kualitas. Ada beberapa produk minyak wangi terkenal di dunia hanya bisa ditemukan di sana untuk kawasan Indonesia. Dalam bersaing di pasar dengan para pelaku bisnis serupa, salah satu strategi yang digunakan oleh C&F Perfumery adalah menjual barang-barang yang terjamin keasliannya. Itu dengan harga yang bersaing serta wajar.

Melihat perkembangan yang terjadi, ada beberapa strategi dan konsep tersendiri dalam mengembangkan usaha tersebut. C& F sendiri yaitu singkatan dari kata Cosmetic and Fragrance. Itu yang utama.

”Namun sebenarnya C&F sendiri bisa berarti banyak,” ujar Winny Wahju General Manager PT Izone Indonusa. Semua konsep bisnis perusahaan dituliskan dengan awalan atau prefiks C dan F. Misalnya, C&F menjual produk-produk lengkap untuk segala acara baik casual maupun formal. Lalu contoh lain, produk C&F juga memiliki konsep complete & full range, compliment & fulfillment serta current & future. Artinya C&F menyanggupi pengadaan secara lengkap, baik untuk komplimen maupun untuk pemenuhan seluruh kebutuhan dan juga untuk menyediakan tuntutan masa kini bahkan siap untuk menghadapi tren di masa mendatang.

Itu hanya beberapa singkatan saja yang diambil. Pasalnya, masih banyak lagi kata-kata lain yang berawalan huruf C dan F. Antara lain menyangkut customer oriented & fresh feature, choice & freedom, comfort & flexibility. Selain itu pula ada counsel & finesse, congenial & friendly dan tentunya pula untuk celebration & fiesta. Kesemuanya mencerminkan pelaksanaan dari usaha tersebut.

Secara keseluruhan itulah konsep C&F Perfumery yang tengah dijalankan selama ini. Semua ini bertujuan bahwa setiap pelayanan yang diberikan adalah untuk membantu pelanggan mencapai tujuannya dalam berbelanja. Dan untuk itu, produk-produk yang disediakan pun banyak. Sehingga keleluasaan dalam memilih pun semakin besar. Belum lagi pelayanan para pramuniaganya yang sudah disiapkan untuk memberikan konsultasi yang benar dan jujur.

Lokasi Toko

Di Jakarta sendiri sudah tersebar tujuh gerai termasuk di lokasi STC. Ada dua gerai di Kota Bandung dan tiga gerai lain di Surabaya. Di Jakarta sendiri lokasi penjualan pada titik-titik yang mudah dijangkau. Ini pun merupakan salah satu upaya strategi bisnis C&F Perfumery. Seperti yang selalu disebut-sebut dalam ilmu marketing bahwa lokasi adalah sangat penting.

Tampaknya, inilah yang dipakai oleh pihak manajemen PT Izone Indonusa. Bagaimana tidak, kesebelas lokasi C&F semuanya terdapat dalam departement store terkemuka di kota besar dan mal-mal ternama. Di Jakarta sendiri letak C&F ada di Plaza Senayan, Kelapa Gading Mal, Mal Taman Anggrek, dan Mal Ambassador. Lalu di kawasan jalan protokol pun ada. Ini tepatnya ada di dalam Lotus Dept. Store di lantai dasar Djakarta Theatre. Lalu gerai yang baru dibuka yaitu persis di sebelah Plaza Senayan, Senayan Trade Center.

Sementara untuk kawasan Kota Bandung, gerai C&F terdapat di dalam Istana Plaza dan Bandung Supermal. Selain itu Surabaya pun dianggap besar tuntutan pasarnya untuk produk ini. Oleh karenanya, C&F Perfumery pun tersedia di tiga tempat. Antara lain yaitu Tunjungan Plaza 3 dan 4 serta ada pula di Galaxy Mal.

Kemudian juga letak gerai di dalam mal biasanya mudah dijangkau pengunjung. Misal, seperti cabang Plaza Senayan letaknya ada di lantai satu dekat dengan tangga jalan. Mau tidak mau setiap pengunjung pun yang melewati tangga jalan tersebut pasti akan dengan mudah mengarahkan pandangan ke C&F Perfumery.

Pastinya, bisnis ini berkembang sampai ke kota-kota besar lain karena ada pangsa pasar yang dinilai baik di lokasi-lokasi tersebut. ”Karena kita melihat potensi yang besar dari daerah-daerah itu,” ujar Winny ketika ditemui SH. Meningkatnya potensi pasar menurut Winny, karena parfum dan kosmetik adalah jenis produk yang berhubungan dengan gaya hidup. Seiring dengan perubahan zaman, gaya hidup ini seolah-olah sudah beralih posisinya menjadi suatu kebutuhan dalam hidup. ”Contohnya, sekarang ini orang yang muda-muda kelihatannya kalau tidak pakai minyak wangi bisa nggak pede juga,” imbuhnya.

Varian Produk dan Harga

Menurut Winny, minyak wangi yang tersedia di beberapa C&F jumlahnya mencapai dua sampai tiga ratusan. Pasalnya, dari seorang desainer saja kemungkinan ada tiga atau empat jenis bahkan lebih. Setiap desainer pastinya mengeluarkan aroma kekhasan masing-masing. Ada yang beraroma kayu-kayuan, rempah, buah, bunga, vanila bahkan teh.

C&F juga dipercayakan oleh beberapa merek minyak wangi terkenal dunia sebagai distributor eksklusif. Maksudnya, produk tersebut hanya bisa ditemukan di gerai-gerai C&F di Indonesia. Ini misalnya berlaku pada produk-produk bermerek Solo White, Aqua Di Aqua Homme dan Blumarine II. Dan sekarang pendatang barunya yaitu FUBU untuk laki-laki dan perempuan. Kemasan merek ini pun luar biasa uniknya. Warna emas dan perak membedakan siapa pemakainya.

Kehadiran FUBU ini juga adalah sebuah perwujudan konsep bisnis C&F. Maksudnya, setiap bulan pasti ada produk baru yang diluncurkan di C&F. Hal ini adalah untuk mengundang daya beli. Tentunya, pengunjung pun senang tatkala bertandang ke toko selalu saja ada produk-produk baru yang ditawarkan.

Belum lagi harga di C&F mampu bersaing dengan harga dari pelaku bisnis serupa di pasaran. ”Harga kami bersaing dengan harga produk lainnya di dept.store,”ujar Winny. Tidak diragukan, dengan menerapkan beberapa konsep penting penjualan, jika sebuah toko minyak wangi memiliki varian produk yang banyak dengan pelayanan pramuniaga yang knowledgeable terhadap produk sekaligus harga bisa lebih rendah daripada toko lain, konsumen pun akan menjadi lebih sering berkunjung!
(SH/sally piri)

UAE minister launches her own perfume

2007-06-08T10:58:00.000+07:00

AFP
June 3, 2007

FRAGRANCE LAUNCHED: United Arab Emirates economy minister Sheikha Sheikha Lubna Al Qassemi has launched her own perfume with part of the proceeds going to charity, the 'Khaleej Times' newspaper reported June 3, 2007.
(REUTERS)

DUBAI -- The first woman minister in the United Arab Emirates has launched her own perfume with part of the proceeds going to charity, the Khaleej Times newspaper reported Sunday.

Economy minister Sheikha Lubna Al Qassemi unveiled the fragrance - "Mukhalat Sheikha Lubna" - at the Dubai branch of the luxury Saks Fifth Avenue store.

Twenty percent of revenue from the sales would go to a cancer charity, the paper said.

"Fragrance is known to stir positive emotions in a woman's heart," Sheikha Lubna was quoted as saying.

The perfume "will stir even more emotion as 20 percent of the sales will be donated to the Friends of Cancer Patients."

The Scent of a Man, Bought by a Woman

2007-06-06T13:55:00.001+07:00

The New York Times
May 28, 2007
By ALEX MINDLIN

It is an industry rule of thumb that women’s perfumes account for two-thirds of annual sales of “prestige” fragrances — that is, high-end fragrances sold in department stores or boutiques, rather than drugstores.

But lately, that ratio has shown signs of shifting. A men’s fragrance was the top-selling fragrance for nine months last year, compared with one month in 2003, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm. And Unforgivable, Diddy’s citrus-tinged cologne, was the year’s top-selling introduction, a figure determined by combining its first-month and December sales.

“It used to be that if you launched a women’s fragrance, it might do $30 million better than a men’s fragrance,” said Karen Grant, senior beauty industry analyst for NPD. “Now that doesn’t happen.”

Much of the surge in men’s fragrances has been driven by Acqua di Gio, a 10-year-old Armani cologne that was the top-selling fragrance for eight months in 2006. One clue to its success was that Acqua di Gio seemed to be more popular than other colognes among women, who buy more than half of all cologne as gifts.

Ballet and Perfume: Balanchine's Perfumes

2007-06-06T13:41:00.000+07:00

from: boisdejasmin.typepad.com
May 25, 2005

Watching an interview with the late New York City Ballet artistic director and choreographer, George Balanchine, on a DVD titled simply Balanchine (2004) led me to another Guerlain reference of this week. In an interview, Balanchine mentions that he liked buying perfumes for his dancers and especially Guerlain. Although he did not name any specific perfumes, in another article I read that Mitsouko was among his favourites. The interviewer must have made a comment about the beauty of dancers as they trail perfume on the stage like lithe fragrant flowers, to which Balanchine replied, waving away the remark, “No, no, I just like to know once I get to the theater whether everybody is present and who is missing.” This was a quintessential Balanchine moment. Having such a grounded perspective in the ephemeral world of ballet is a true rarity.

Photo: George Balanchine and Suzanne Farrell in rehearsal.

Lost in Reverie: Scent and Memory

2007-06-06T13:30:00.000+07:00

from: boisdejasmin.typepad.com
June 10, 2005

There are some powerful odours that can pass
Out of the stoppard flagon; even glass
To them is porous. Oft when some old box
Brought from the East is opened and the locks
And hinges creak and cry; or in a press
In some deserted house, where the sharp stress
Of odours old and dusty fills the brain;
An ancient flask is brought to light again
And forth the ghosts of long-dead odours creep.

When opening a perfume bottle and receiving a jolt that lifts some recollection from the depth of memory, I often think of Charles Baudelaire’s The Flask. The word perfume derives from Latin: per means through, fumum signifies smoke. Through the smoke of incense offerings to the gods… Through the mist of time, the past comes back in veils of images long lost under the layers of information the brain processes on daily basis. Three percent of our genes are devoted to olfaction, which is an impressive number. According to my neuroscience textbook (Nicholls et al., 2001), “odors are detected in a patch of about 100,000 olfactory receptor neurons whose axons project through a thin portion of the frontal skull to the olfactory bulb.” In comparison to visual and auditory receptors (four and one, respectively), the number of olfactory receptors is much higher, about 1,000. Moreover, unlike other receptors, they are continuously replaced....

I step into the blinding June sunlight, determined to take a walk despite the heat. The scent of my sunscreen mixed with a hint of Après l'Ondée almost changes the scenery around me, taking me back to Warsaw, where I was gathering data on economic reforms in July of last year. I was interviewing various Polish politicians, and in between talking about the benefits of establishing local governments and copying endless data from the Statistical Library, I would wander around the city, exploring its parks—my favourite Park Łazienkowski overgrown with mock orange and some white shrub that smells like wet paper, outdoor café shops, and museums. After a Polish guide went on a long harangue about Russians during a visit to yet another palace, I wisely decided to hide my Russo-Ukrainian origins. I would usually say that I was Estonian, until a cab driver asked me what is “hello” in Estonian. I muttered something incomprehensible and quickly paid my fare, giving him far too large of a tip by accident.

And suddenly, I am standing in a middle of one of the oldest American cities, and the memory of Warsaw, including this incident springs to my mind as if some invisible button was pushed. The same feeling of being caught in a lie makes me blush immediately, followed by a nostalgic longing for a cup of coffee and a piece of charlotka, a Polish apple cake, at Blikle café. Someone once remarked, if only moments can be bottled. Indeed, they can.

Yet, the scent can not only conjure the past, it can shape new longings and new visions. In conclusion, I would like to quote another of Baudelaire’s poems, Exotic Perfume, which explores the images that the poet envisions after inhaling his lover’s perfume:

Islands of Lethe where exotic boughs
Bend with their burden of strange fruit bowed down,
Where men are upright, maids have never grown
Unkind, but bear a light upon their brows.
Led by that perfume to these lands of ease,
I see a port where many ships have flown
With sails outwearied of the wandering seas…

Painting: Portrait of Baudelaire by Gustave Courbet, 1848.

References: Nicholls et al, 2001; The Poems and Prose Poems of Charles Baudelaire. Ed. James Huneker.

Bride's Perfume Makes, Keeps Memories

2007-06-04T14:36:00.001+07:00

Monday, June 04, 2007
By Susan Guybnnn, The Frederick News-Post

Charleen Jones, holding a bottle of Chantilly perfume, and her husband, David, are photographed in January at their home in Frederick, Md. The two were married 40 years ago. She wore Chantilly to her wedding and today the fragrance still reminds her of that day.

FREDERICK, Md. -- Every time Charleen Jones splashes on Chantilly perfume it sparks a beautiful memory.

"I love Chantilly and I wore it for my wedding and honeymoon," said Jones, who lives in Boonsboro. "Whenever I wear Chantilly, I still am carried back" to her wedding day.

Choosing a fragrance that would create lasting memories was a tip Jones read in a bridal magazine before she and her husband, David, wed 40 years ago.

"(Chantilly) was a favorite of mine. It just makes me feel good," said Jones. Created in 1941 by Dana, the fragrance is marketed as a feminine fragrance for evening.

For many brides, choosing a fragrance for her wedding day is an afterthought -- after the gown is ordered, after the flowers are selected and after the reception is planned. These create visual memories.

But, according to the Sense of Smell Institute, a division of The Fragrance Foundation, visual recall fades to about 50 percent after only three months while smell recall remains sharp -- with a 65 percent accuracy -- after a year.

"You plan ahead with your hairstyle and gown, and you also need to think about your fragrance. It's going to take a while to find the fragrance to fit your personality," said Donald Toms, Clinique counter manager at Bon Ton in the Frederick Towne Mall.

But the sea of fragrances is deep and wide, so how does a woman find the scent?

"People buy fragrance to give them a joyous memory or experience," said Toms. "We relate fragrances to a pleasant memory."

Toms suggests starting at the fragrance counter of a department store where a fragrance associate can provide samples and help you find your signature scent -- one that will complement and not overpower you or the wedding flowers.

"For brides, or anyone, when testing a fragrance, never do it on your wrist next to a watch," advises Toms. "The metals can actually change the fragrance, as can leather. It breaks down the structure of the fragrance."

You can't judge a fragrance by sniffing from the bottle. Also, don't spritz and rub or sniff. "That's the biggest no-no," said Toms. "You're not getting the full effect of the fragrance. It kind of overloads the nose. Rubbing breaks down and disrupts the process."

Fragrances, he explained, have a top, middle and base note. "The first effect is the top, which fades into the middle and into the base note, the one that will last," said Toms. It takes time to reach the last note, as your body heat and oils will affect how it develops.

And because each woman's body chemistry will wear a fragrance differently, don't assume that because a fragrance works for a friend that it will be right for you. "A fragrance never smells the same on any two people," said Toms.

If you want to experiment, start at least a month before the wedding. "Wear it to different kinds of activities," Toms said. "Wear it if you're just going out to the market and see what kind of response you get. If someone walks up and asks what you're wearing, that's good."

The knot, a wedding Web site, suggests layering your signature fragrance by using different products with the same scent. Start with a body wash, followed by a scented moisturizer and end with the perfume. Apply fragrance on your pulse points, such as wrists or behind your ears. Fragrance rises, so apply it to the bend of your elbows and your ankles, too. But don't spritz on your clothes because perfumed products can damage or stain fabrics, particularly the fine silks and satins of wedding gowns.

Let your bridesmaids and your groom in on your fragrance choice and encourage them to wear complementary scents, says The Fragrance Foundation. Their scent should be in the same fragrance family as yours -- such as oriental, spicy, floral, floral blend, modern or citrus. No fragrance will last all day, so plan to refresh about every three to four hours.

And your natural hair color can be key in finding a fragrance, according to the foundation. Blondes, who typically have fair, dry skin, will be happiest with long-lasting multi-floral fragrances. Subtle scents will evaporate too quickly. Brunettes, with medium to dark skin, which has more oils, often find success with dramatic orientals. The fair and delicate skin of redheads may be incompatible with green notes. Green scents smell of green leaves and fresh cut grass and include fragrances such as Chanel No. 19 by Chanel, Gio by Giorgio Armani and Safari by Ralph Lauren.

(Distributed by the Associated Press)

Scentsational

2007-06-04T14:13:00.000+07:00

Celebrity fragrances lead the boom in the number of new perfumes

By LaMont Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Crass commercialism never smelled so good.


	New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter's cologne, Driven, is being marketed by Avon. Click photo for larger image.

Before long, it just might be easier to name celebrities who don't have a namesake fragrance than those who do. As the definition of celebrity broadens, so do the number of those who want to cash in on fleeting fame with what may be the ultimate vanity product.

This year, baseball great Derek Jeter and romance novelist Danielle Steel are among famous faces who made their first forays into fragrance. It's possible that Driven, Jeter's grapefruit-and-spice-infused cologne offered through Avon, could rival the commercial success of scents by former NBA great Michael Jordan.

As for Steele, success with her floral-Oriental Danielle could spur other literary greats to wade into the increasingly crowded fragrance waters. One can only imagine what concoctions might be cooked up by horror-meister Stephen King or Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling.

Upward of 350 new scents were launched in the United States this year, almost one every day. That's a pace consistent with the past few years, but almost double the number introduced just a decade ago, said Rochelle Bloom, president of the New York-based Fragrance Foundation.


Hanae Mori's Magical Moon Click photo for larger image.

Celebrity fragrances are fueling the growth. They began decades ago with stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Cher, said Bloom, but only recently have they begun to compose a major segment of the $6 billion U.S. industry.

"There have always been celebrity fragrances," she said. "They come and go. But about four years ago, when Jennifer Lopez launched her own, that kind of resurrected the whole fragrance category. There have been many successes and failures, but they have brought new customers to the fragrance arena. Sales had been flat, but celebrity fragrances have added glamour and brought younger customers."

This year saw no shortage of star scents, from athletes and authors to A-list actresses. Sarah Jessica Parker capitalized on the popularity of "Sex and the City" with the successful debut of Lovely last year, and this year the fictional women of Wisteria Lane aimed for the same success with the launch of Desperate Housewives Forbidden Fruit. It's an alluring fragrance with notes of peach, spicy pepper, passion lily, woods and, of course, red Rome apple and wisteria.


	Fire Island's Bond No. 9 Click photo for larger image.

Paris Hilton and Kimora Lee Simmons, two highly influential fashion trendsetters, also launched new fragrances. Hilton's Heiress, her third women's scent, smells sickly sweet. However, Simmons' Baby Phat Golden Goddess is a sultry mix of florals, caramel and vanilla flower patchouli with a faux yellow diamond ring on the bottle's neck.

Meanwhile, Simmons' husband, humanitarian and hip-hop guru Russell Simmons, launched Phat Farm Atman for men. All proceeds benefit an HIV/AIDS initiative in Africa and other programs that support human rights, health, arts, education and economic empowerment.

That's part of a trend. Other new fragrances benefit charities with a portion of sales, such as Original Santal by Creed (United Nations High Commission on Refugees) and The Scent of Peace by Bond No. 9 New York (UNICEF).

Fashion designers continued to be strong players in the fragrance industry. Betsey Johnson, Badgley Mischka and Matthew Williamson debuted their first scents -- all three for women -- while Sean "Diddy" Combs introduced Unforgivable, a men's cologne that is one of the year's best-selling.


Russell Simmons' Phat Farm Atman Click photo for larger image.

Also of note is the return of the unisex fragrance. We say "return" because the earliest known fragrances were single-note florals worn by both men and women. In fact, thanks to gourmand notes and more ambitious development, it is unclear in many cases whether a scent is intended for men or women.

"People are paying more attention to being really creative in fragrance," said Bloom. "Perfumery is coming back. Five years ago, people were really copying other people's fragrances, so everything started to smell alike and there was not that much distinctiveness. Now people are going back to the art of perfumery and creating some very rich and wonderful scents."

Store shelves are crowded with personal fragrances, leading Ms. Bloom to suspect that the market may have reached the saturation point. She predicted that the weakest scents will fade into oblivion, adding that some celebrities need "a reality check."

Their entries have been "great for the industry" in terms of exposure, she said, "but it's a little scary when you see people adding their names to fragrances and you wonder who is their audience. Everyone thinks they're a Jennifer Lopez. Everyone who has their five minutes of fame wants a fragrance. But regardless of your name, in the end the juice has to be good."

For now, the fragrance-buying public is the big winner. With more options than ever, even folk who can't afford a Juicy Couture leather tote at $825 can own a slice of the luxury brand with its new fruity-floral, creme brulee-infused perfume.

To help you sort through all of the selections, fashion editor LaMont Jones picked his favorites for the fifth consecutive year. There are dozens of exemplary fragrances, but here are his Top Ten for women, Terrific Three for men and Fantastic Four for both genders.

Women

Midnight Rain by La Prairie. Beguiling and unforgettable, the enigmatic little sister of last year's phenomenal Silver Rain combines cashmere woods, mandarin, guava and musk with plum flowers, pomegranate, white lily and vanilla orchids. Warning: likely to provoke a torrid romantic encounter; $135 at Saks Fifth Avenue and shoplaprairie.com


	Kimora Lee Simmons' Baby Phat Golden Goddess Click photo for larger image.

Stella by Tocca. Inspired by the fashion brand's scented candle, this eau de parfum is delightfully feminine, from first whiff to drydown, with tantalizing notes of blood orange, spicy lily, white freesia and wild diamond orchids; $68 at Sephora and tocca.com.

Sira des Indies by Jean Patou. From the same house as the legendary Joy comes this provocative scent inspired by India. Ingredients such as ylang ylang and banana creme harmonize with vanilla, sandalwood and India's fabled red champaca tree blossoms for olfactory opulence; $90 and up at Sephora and Saks.

Tom Ford Black Orchid. After teaming with Estee Lauder to modernize two of the beauty brand's classic scents, the influential fashion designer introduced his own creation. The signature eau de parfum is a sexy, smoldering blend of fruits, florals and woods combined with black currant, black truffle, black gardenia, incense, vetiver and vanilla; $90 and $135 at neimanmarcus.com.

Tutti Kiwi by Guerlain. By the venerable brand that grew from alchemy to the height of French luxury, Tutti Kiwi is part of Guerlain's exquisite Aqua Allegoria fragrance line. It's a fresh, vibrant melange of mandarin, rhubarb, vanilla, kiwi and frosty lemon sorbet; $49 at Sephora.

Missoni by Missoni. A scent of a different stripe for a fashion house known for its chic and colorful lines. It's confident and romantic, with whispers of Italian lemon, magnolia petals, bitter orange and Gianduia chocolate; $60 and up at Sephora and Saks.

Donna Karan Gold by Donna Karan. The iconic New York designer turns out fragrances faster than you can say "DKNY." While they're always remarkable, this has the greatest potential to unseat her top-selling scent, Cashmere Mist. Gold's seductive aroma is propelled by Casablanca and calla lilies, white clove, golden balsam and gold pollen; $45 and up at Ulta, Macy's, Boscov's, Saks and Sephora.

Lily & Spice by Penhaligon's. You'll inhale few perfumes as extravagant yet as light and nuanced as this winner. The nose that created this entrancing blend of white lily petals, brown patchouli and saffron should be insured; $85 and up at penhaligons.co.uk or 1-877-736-4254.

Bath by Bobbi Brown. The makeup guru's latest scent is modern and clean, but don't let the spare apothecary-style bottle fool you. The spa-fresh eau de toilette rises above the mundane with white lily, sandalwood, water hyacinth, orange flower and aromatic sage; $40 at Saks and bobbibrown.com.

Magical Moon by Hanae Mori. Don't laugh when you hear that it was formulated according to ancient lunar calendars. Just luxuriate in the ethereal, eclectic blend of a laundry list of aromatics, from night-blooming osmanthus, porcelain rose, sugar cane, cotton flower, coconut milk, white musk and white sandalwood to red cedar, incense, pineapple pulp, guava nectar, orange flowers and pink berries; $65 and up at select Macy's, Sephora and Saks stores. A portion of sales go to education charities.

Men

Terre d'Hermes by Hermes. Every few years, someone introduces a scent so sexy that it's almost criminal. This year, that would be Terre d'Hermes. It's almost animal with notes of flint, pepper, vetiver and Atlas cedar, but it's tamed by hints of orange, grapefruit, bay rose and geranium; $90 at Saks and Sephora.

Antidote by Viktor & Rolf. A distinctive cologne that is robust yet restrained. Hints of sandalwood, white cedar and black pepper are balanced by infusions of bergamot, mint leaves and French lavender; $65 and up at Saks.

Burberry London by Burberry. A refined, elegant fragrance that wears as handsomely as a cashmere sweater. Tobacco leaves, mimosa flower and oak moss evoke a stroll in the woods while leather, port wine, cinnamon leaves and black pepper lend an air of sophistication; $47 and up at Macy's, Boscov's and Saks.

Both

Gaultier2 by Jean Paul Gaultier. A strong musk base is tempered by amber and vanilla, making this eau de parfum at home with blue jeans or formalwear. And it lasts all day without giving the wearer -- or anyone else -- a headache; $55 and up at Macy's and Sephora.

Fleurs de Gardenia by Creed. When you have 226 years of experience under your belt, it's hard to come up with a loser. But Creed does more than get by with this limited-edition standout, a captivating concoction of ambergris, peony, Italian jasmine, Florentine iris and rare gardenias from Miami, Asia and French Polynesia. Plus, the juice is housed in a winter-white leather atomizer; $250 at Saks.

Blue Agava & Cacao Cologne by Jo Malone. An eclectic blend of notes makes this scent splendid, from mouth-watering grapefruit, lime oil, red berry, cinnamon and chypre cocoa to agava flower, orchid, white lily, geranium salt and vetiver; $50 and up at Saks and jomalone.com

Fire Island by Bond No. 9 New York. To spritz this on is to be instantly transported to a Mediterranean beach -- or the scent's New York namesake -- on a lazy summer day. Cardamom, ozone and tuberose power this all-occasion fragrance while hints of sparkling neroli, white musk and skin musk give it a sensual twist; $120 and up at Larrimor's, Saks and bondno9.com

Ragam Aroma Parfum

2007-06-04T13:45:00.000+07:00

Tren yang tak Pernah Henti

"KESAN pertama begitu menggoda, selanjutnya terserah Anda". Slogan advetorial yang diumbar ini, memang mengisyaratkan bahwa menjadi wangi merupakan salah satu kebutuhan penting saat ini.

Bukan hanya bagi para selebriti, politikus, bangsawan, maupun profesi tertentu lainnya. Tapi wangi tubuh, dibutuhkan bagi setiap orang yang intensitas interaksi antarmanusianya sangat tinggi.

Memang, parfum sebagai salah satu produk wewangian boleh dibilang telah memiliki fungsi baru. Ia tidak lagi sekadar menghilangkan bau badan yang tak sedap, bau keringat, atau mungkin juga bau pakaian akibat lembap.

Biasanya pengguna parfum itu identik dengan kepribadian, status sosial, gaya pergaulannya, maupun status-status lainnya yang bisa dibentuk berdasarkan aroma tertentu.

Karena parfum telah dikaitkan dengan status, maka harganya pun sangat beragam sesuai segmentasi atau target konsumen dari perusahaan parfum. Ada yang harga di negara aslinya saja mencapai 80 dolar Amerika yang dirupiahkan menjadi sekira Rp 720.000,-. Namun, kalau barang itu sampai ke Indonesia, tentunya harga dasar itu pun akan bertambah berkaitan dengan pajak, biaya pengiriman, dan lain-lain.

Namun, bagi mereka yang tidak mementingkan merek dan menggunakan wewangian apa saja asalkan menimbulkan aroma sedap, produk-produk lokal seperti cologne biasanya menjadi sasaran.

Barangnya dijual di mana-mana dan harganya pun relatif terjangkau. Namun, beda barang tentunya juga beda kualitas. Itu bukan hanya disebabkan merek, tapi kandungan dalam parfum dan cologne sendiri sangat berbeda.

Komposisi parfum secara umum, terbagi empat yang dibedakan dari kandungan minyak aromanya. Bila membeli parfum bertuliskan Perfume Extract, maka kandungan aromanya mencapai maksimal 40 persen. Untuk jenis Eau de Parfum, maksimal aroma yang terkandung adalah 30 persen. Kemudian, jenis Eau de Toilette mengandung maksimal 20 persen minyak aroma. Yang terakhir, Eau de Cologne hanya mencapai tiga persen.

Karenanya, persentase kandungan aroma itu berpengaruh pada kualitas. Bila persentasenya kecil, maka daya tahan wewangiannya akan semakin kecil. Beberapa merek tertentu biasanya mengeluarkan beberapa jenis sekaligus sehingga konsumen bisa memilih berdasarkan selera maupun isi kocek.

Misalnya Fendi Donna by Fendi for Women yang dikeluarkan dalam jenis Eau de Parfum dan Eau de Toilette, ataupun Truth by Calvin Klein for Men yang berupa Eau de Toilette dan yang Truth by Calvin Klein for Women berupa Eau de Parfum. Namun, kandungan Eau de Toilette antarmerek bisa saja berbeda sehingga daya tahannya pun berbeda-beda.

Selain itu , meski perusahaan parfum membedakan produknya berdasarkan konsumen laki-laki dan perempuan, namun pembelian parfum tidak serta-merta bergantung pada pengkategorian itu.

Secara umum, aroma yang muncul itu terbagi dari dua sumber. Ada sumber alami yang terdiri dari tumbuhan dan hewan, serta ada sumber sintetis.

Awal kemunculannya di Mesir berabad-abad yang lalu, sumber wewangian tentunya berasal dari alam. Dan, saat pengetahuan tentang parfum sampai ke Eropa pada abad ke 14 melalui pengaruh bangsa Arab dan Persia, sumber alami tentunya menjadi satu-satunya pilihan.

Aroma parfum dari tumbuhan terbagi-bagi lagi. Di antaranya berasal dari bunga, daun, akar, buah, kayu, dan kulit kayu. Aroma yang bersumber dari hewan juga memiliki istilah yang beraneka ragam. Musk, merupakan satu istilah yang menggambarkan aroma dari kelenjar rusa jantan.

Wangi ini berasal dari daerah Asia. Dari wilayah Amerika Utara, ada jenis Castoreum yang bersumber dari berang-berang. Selain itu, ada pula Honeycomb didistilasi dari lebah madu.

Wewangian sintetik tentunya berasal dari berbagai macam zat kimia yang diperoleh dari berbagai macam proses kimiawi. Perusahaan yang biasanya memproduksi parfum beraroma sintetis itu adalah International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), Givaudan, Firmenich, Quest International, Takasago, dan Symrise.

Sekarang ini, penggunaan sumber sintetis berkaitan juga dengan etika moral dalam mengambil ekstrak-ekstrak makhluk hidup, terutama hewan.

Pemilihan aroma sintetik, juga berkaitan dengan banyaknya sumber-sumber alami yang mengandung racun atau memiliki konsentrasi yang tinggi sehingga bisa menyebabkan alergi bagi para penggunanya. Lebih jauh lagi, bila menggunakan bahan alami, maka kegiatan pembuatan parfum itu akan membahayakan spesies makhluk hidup tertentu atau bahkan melanggengkan terjadinya penjualan ilegal.

KARENA keragaman selera, kebutuhan, dan kemampuan konsumen, memang pilihan produk semakin banyak tersebar. Ingin wewangian murah dengan harga Rp 10.000,-, atau yang harganya lebih dari Rp 1 juta pun ada. Karenanya, perusahaan wewangian itupun semakin beragam dan tempat penjualan juga semakin bermacam-macam.

Ada counter merek tertentu yang biasanya berlokasi di mal, ada yang bisa dicari di supermarket, atau ada juga toko khusus penjual parfum berbagai merek yang asli maupun dari bibitnya.

Bila tertarik dengan merek namun barang aslinya tidak terjangkau secara ekonomi, di Bandung pun banyak tersedia toko-toko yang menjual bibit aroma parfum berbagai merek yang juga dijual di counter resmi. Di antaranya ada di Jln. Paledang dan Jl. Banteng yang sehari-harinya dikunjungi ratusan pengunjung untuk membeli parfum dengan harga relatif terjangkau.

Di kawasan Paledang, ada toko yang sudah memulai usahanya dari sejak tahun 1970an dan sudah tiga kali berpindah tempat. Pemilik sekaligus pendiri, Tjing, mengatakan, bibit-bibit parfum itu diambil dari agen yang secara periodik datang ke tokonya.

Bibit yang dipilih untuk dibeli, memang biasanya tergantung merek apa yang sedang menjadi tren. Saat ini, Blue Emotion keluaran Etienne Aigner menjadi parfum pilihan yang dikhususkan untuk laki-laki.

Namun, tentu saja perempuan pun tidak dilarang asal seleranya sesuai. Sementara, Still by J. Lo for Women menjadi pilihan banyak perempuan atau dengan kata lain sedang nge-trend.

Tren memang berubah-ubah dan toko bibit semacam itu biasanya mengikuti saja sesuai permintaan pasar. Sebelum kedua merek di atas, Polo Safari dan Davidoff telah menjadi pilihan.

Di toko bibit parfum, kandungan aromanya juga bermacam-macam, dari lima persen sampai 40 persen. Bibit aroma itu nantinya akan dicampur dengan alkohol berkonsentrasi 96 persen. Untuk membeli parfum yang kandungan bibitnya lima persen, harga yang harus dibayar adalah Rp 10.000,- yang sekaligus bisa mendapatkan botol kecil menyerupai bentuk pulpen dengan isi enam mililiter.

Bila nanti habis dan ingin mendapatkan refill, maka cukup membayar Rp 5.000,-. Bila ingin mendapatkan kandungan aroma lebih besar lagi, memang butuh botol yang lebih besar. Biasanya 25 persen bibit akan dicampur dengan alkohol sampai isinya mencapai 50 mililiter. Harganya cukup disamakan dengan persentase kandungan itu, Rp 25.000,-.

Yang pasti kegemaran orang dalam mengonsumsi aroma wewangian parfum, merupakan bagian dari tren yang tak pernah berhenti.

PARFUM memang telah menjadi senjata utama dalam pergaulan antarmanusia, tentunya selain kemampuan berkomunikasi. Ia pun tidak lagi dipandang secara fungsional, tapi juga dikaitkan seara erat dengan gengsi, status, kedudukan, dan lainnya. Apalagi, ada fanatisme yang terkait dengan pengidolaan selebritas yang mewakili merek tertentu.

Penggemar J.Lo makaberusaha membeli J.Lo Glow, misalnya. Atau ada juga penggemar Britney Spears yang secara otomatis juga menyukai parfum Curious. Yang fanatik kepada olahragawan Michael Jordan maka berusaha mendapatkan merek Michael Jordan, sementara penggemar David Beckham mencari Instinct atau Intimately for Him.

Namun, pemakai parfum di Indonesia tentunya beragam dengan berbagai perbedaan. Bila dikaitkan dengan pembelian parfum, maka perbedaan ekonomi itu harus disesuaikan dengan parfum yang dibeli. Apakah demi membeli J.Lo Glow, rela membayar 55 dolar Amerika. Itupun berupa harga asli di Amerika yang jumlahnya akan bertambah berkali lipat bila sudah sampai ke Indonesia.

Konsumen tentunya diharapkan tidak gegabah dalam membeli produk, apalagi hanya dikaitkan dengan fanatisme aroma atau fanatisme pada selebriti yang mewakili merek tertentu.

Demi fanatisme itu, kebutuhan lain pun diabaikan sampai harus ada pengiritan di mana-mana. Tubuh yang wangi boleh jadi dianggap sebagai kebutuhan utama dalam pergaulan. Namun, selagi masih banyak tersebar banyak pilihan--apalagi pilihan harga--maka konsumen bisa bebas memilih sesuai selera, kebutuhan, dan kemampuan. (Vebertina Manihuruk/"PR")***