By Joyann King
Beauty people like to have fun, too! Enter the Oscars of the fragrance industry, the annual Fragrance Foundation Awards, or better known by the cream-puff nickname the FiFi’s, where designers will battle it out on May 27 for the Best in Scent title. But what’s a luxe perfume without a model as its muse? Below, a roundup of the fragrant nominees and their leggy counterparts.
 WHO: Agyness Deyn WHAT: Ma Dame by Jean Paul Gaultier WHY: According to Jean Paul Gaultier, “The name Ma Dame is a little French joke. To ‘dress like a madame’ in French is very boring, super politically correct. But ‘ma’ ‘dame’ in two words means ‘my dame.’ It means she is not like the woman in the bordello or bourgeois. She’s his muse.” The funky peroxide-blonde Brit, Agyness Deyn, is the perfect match for Gaultier’s fresh and electric scent. Not too voluptuous and more bohemian than bourgeois, Agyness guarantees Ma Dame doesn’t take itself too seriously. |
 WHO: Natasha Poly, Raquel Zimmerman, Freja Beha Erichsen
WHY: The first fragrance launched under Frida Giannini, Gucci by Gucci is a sophisticated floral fragrance made for an even more sophisticated woman. It’s no wonder that the designer chose Natasha, Raquel, and Freja as the muses for her scent, all clad in bronze Gucci dresses and fine jewelry, looking like goddesses with the bottles. With notes of guava, raspberry, pear, chamomile, orange blossom, patchouli, honey, and musk, Giannini tried to “unleash her affinity for masculine notes,” making Gucci by Gucci the perfect scent for her ladies to share with their significant others. |
 WHO: Carolyn Murphy WHAT: Estée Lauder Sensuous WHY: One part strength and one part feminine, Estée Lauder Sensuous tries to capture the anomaly that is a woman. The gorgeous Carolyn Murphy, currently the face of Estée Lauder, along with Hilary Rhoda and Liz Hurley, describes the word sensuous as “confident, relaxed, coming out of the ocean in a bikini and a slipdress…where less is more.” A woodsy departure from Estée’s signature floral scents, Carolyn is clearly the one part feminine that Sensuous desires. |
 WHO: Anja Rubick
WHAT: Chloé Eau de Parfum WHY: This rosy scent is creative, playful, and natural—perfect for a free spirit like Polish beauty Anja Rubik. A lover of adventure with an affinity for the arts, Anja is a scuba diver and film buff. She loves that the scent is “for every Chloé woman, yet feels personal at the same time.” A modern and energetic perfume, Anja represents the varied personalities that are the Chloé woman. |
 WHO: Siri Tollerød
WHAT: Harajuku Lovers fragrances: Love, Lil’ Angel, Music, Baby, “G” WHY: Gwen Stefani was inspired by the style and anything-goes attitude of the girls from Harajuku, Tokyo, and their unique self-expression. Rising star Siri Tollerød captures the playful, funky nature of the fragrances. The Norwegian-born model isn’t afraid to don eccentric headdresses and cartoonlike appearances in the name of having fun. |
 WHO: Laetitia Casta
WHAT: Ralph Lauren Notorious WHY: Taking its cue from “film noir classics of Alfred Hitchcock and other Hollywood greats,” the latest Ralph Lauren fragrance, Notorious, was inspired by “women of the golden age of glamour like Ingrid Bergman and Faye Dunaway.” French model Laetitia Casta’s timeless beauty and European glamour evoke that mysterious era of powerful sexiness. With notes of cocoa and black currant, Notorious makes you want to snuggle up with this curvaceous Victoria’s Secret model. |
