Katy Perry’s got a fragrance and a new gingery ‘do. Read our interview with the purr-fectly charming popstar!
In behind the racks and rows of samples at Sears’ Toronto HQ on Thursday, Canadian press descended on Katy Perry, who was holding court for the launch of her first fragrance, Purr (from $36, exclusively in Canada at the department store) the juicy fragrance is a rich mix of fruity, clean and musky notes. Having played a concert the evening before and set to perform a free show later that afternoon at Yonge-Dundas Square, her look for her meet-and-greet was considerably more toned down than the fantastical costumes she dances around in on stage. Perry donned a demure Dior lilac dress with a matching twinset cardigan, and bow-topped, platform peep-toe Miu Mius. Showing the playful side that’s become her signature, she channeled her fragrance’s cat-shaped bottle with a lacy kitty-ear headband she picked up at Colette in Paris, by milliner Maison Michel, atop a brand new gingery ‘do. Amidst the hullabaloo, we quizzed the singer on the fragrance-making process. She dished on those bygone years of ditching the boyfriend’s place to go home and clean up. The former FASHION cover girl was, what else, purr-fectly charming.
What was your favourite part of the fragrance-making process?
“The finished product is always really validating after all the many years of work you put into it. I think this project probably took two years to dream up and get right—the scent obviously needed to be right, and the bottle needed to be right. I’m very involved to an annoying point in everything I do. I think people have started to see that a lot lately, especially with my tour and my music. They go: ‘Oh, yeah, it’s very Katy Perry-esque.’ Kind of quirky, cute and fun, and light-hearted—that’s exactly what the perfume is to me.”
It’s great you know who you are, and you’re able to reflect it in what you do.
“I have this larger-than-life personality, and in everything I do I think people see that coming through. Especially with Purr, I think when people walk up to the counter, they’re like, ‘That looks like something Katy Perry- Oh, that is Katy Perry!'”
As far as notes, going into the creation of your fragrance, were there any you thought you just had to include?
“I like the idea of putting musk in it, because it gives it a bit more depth. I didn’t want it to smell like just a knock off, like a Fracas, or something that was already very popular and wanted to just bank on the success of my name. That wasn’t my intention at all. My intention was to create and develop something that actually, you know, a woman would smell and be like, ‘This doesn’t really smell like anything else.’ I remember when I was dating, if I stayed the night at a boyfriend’s house, and I didn’t have all of my shower stuff I’d be like, ‘I’ve got to peace out.’ My regimen is at home; I go through it every day. That’s what makes me me. Well, it doesn’t make me me, but it definitely gets me clean.”
What beauty products do you carry around in your purse?
“Well, I’m a clean freak: baby wipes and toothbrushes are my thing—very practical, very simple. With me everybody always asks about my perfume, and I’m always saying, ‘It’s really fantastic to be able to do this but don’t forget no product will ever make you who you are.’ That’s really important for me. It’s just an accent. It’s a bonus.”
 the juicy fragrance is a rich mix of fruity, clean and musky notes. Having played a concert the evening before and set to perform a free show later that afternoon at Yonge-Dundas Square, her look for her meet-and-greet was considerably more toned down than the fantastical costumes she dances around in on stage. Perry donned a demure Dior lilac dress with a matching twinset cardigan, and bow-topped, platform peep-toe Miu Mius. Showing the playful side that's become her signature, she channeled her fragrance's cat-shaped bottle with a lacy kitty-ear headband she picked up at Colette in Paris, by milliner Maison Michel, atop a brand new gingery 'do. Amidst the hullabaloo, we quizzed the singer on the fragrance-making process. She dished on those bygone years of ditching the boyfriend's place to go home and clean up. The former FASHION cover girl was, what else, purr-fectly charming.
Read the interview now! »
[caption id="attachment_48227" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="Katy Perry at the Met Gala shot by Larry Busacca/Getty Images."] [/caption]
What was your favourite part of the fragrance-making process?
"The finished product is always really validating after all the many years of work you put into it. I think this project probably took two years to dream up and get right—the scent obviously needed to be right, and the bottle needed to be right. I'm very involved to an annoying point in everything I do. I think people have started to see that a lot lately, especially with my tour and my music. They go: 'Oh, yeah, it's very Katy Perry-esque.' Kind of quirky, cute and fun, and light-hearted—that's exactly what the perfume is to me.”
It's great you know who you are, and you're able to reflect it in what you do.
"I have this larger-than-life personality, and in everything I do I think people see that coming through. Especially with Purr, I think when people walk up to the counter, they're like, 'That looks like something Katy Perry- Oh, that is Katy Perry!'"
As far as notes, going into the creation of your fragrance, were there any you thought you just had to include?
"I like the idea of putting musk in it, because it gives it a bit more depth. I didn't want it to smell like just a knock off, like a Fracas, or something that was already very popular and wanted to just bank on the success of my name. That wasn't my intention at all. My intention was to create and develop something that actually, you know, a woman would smell and be like, 'This doesn't really smell like anything else.' I remember when I was dating, if I stayed the night at a boyfriend's house, and I didn't have all of my shower stuff I'd be like, 'I've got to peace out.' My regimen is at home; I go through it every day. That's what makes me me. Well, it doesn't make me me, but it definitely gets me clean."
What beauty products do you carry around in your purse?
"Well, I'm a clean freak: baby wipes and toothbrushes are my thing—very practical, very simple. With me everybody always asks about my perfume, and I'm always saying, 'It's really fantastic to be able to do this but don't forget no product will ever make you who you are.' That's really important for me. It's just an accent. It's a bonus.”){kind=link}