By Sandra
When I first smelled Jul et Mad’s Stilettos on Lex I actually giggled. Strange reaction to have, but truth be told, it was a giggle of joy at having the opportunity to smell such a beautiful perfume and of the image that came up. Immediately, without knowing anything about the brand or the story behind the perfume, images of Carrie Bradshaw in Manolo Blahniks came to mind, when I read the name of the perfume and smelled it.
Say it with me ‚Stilettos on Lex’. Sounds luxurious, refined and fun. I had no expectations about the perfume. I finally looked up the brand Jul et Mad.
The Jul et Mad website lists the following notes for the perfume created by Dorothée Piot:
Head : Lemon, Pear, Davana, Plum Liquor
Heart: Lily of the Valley, Violette Leaves, Rose Absolute, Heliotrope, Iris, Carnation
Bottom: Musk, Madagascar Vanilla, Indonesian Patchouli, Atlas Cedarwood
The story behind the perfume is of an intriguing encounter on Lexington Avenue. One where the woman is walking in stilettos and has an aura and presence that move the people around her. She leaves a lasting impression of her heels on the pavement and her silhouette and of course her perfume. This is the beginning of the love story between a man and a woman (between the two cofounders of Jul et Mad).
Now, I don’t know about you, but I have never encountered a perfume where the image that was conjured up in my mind upon reading the name was almost exactly what the PR material intended for me. Never. To think of Carrie Bradshaw in her Blahniks crossing the streets of New York City almost on her tippytoes in a gorgeous outfit leaves me startled. So far so good.
Stilettos on Lex smells just as good if not better than the image it conjurs. It starts off with quite a bit of pear and plum on me and stays there for some time. I love it and keep burying my nose into my wrist wishing I could pull off the Blahniks with such ease and comfort. After about half an hour the perfumes shifts to a softer, slightly powdery fruity floral. I am assuming that this is the heliotrope I am getting. Lily of the valley and rose start to soften the fruity start and thefragrance becomes almost ethereal. It dries down to a soft fruity floral. This perfume has excellent sillage and longevity. Seven hours in and I can still smell it.
I can’t be young again, but I can create a memorable day for myself. The day is a crisp spring day in Vienna. The sky is crystal blue and the buds are slowly starting to come out on the trees. I hear birds chirping for the first time in months. I feel carefree and full of joie de vivre that comes with spring’s reawakening. This is the perfect perfume to accompany me on such a day.
I surely cannot pull off the stilettos on the cobble stones – not even kitten heels. Besides, I am a notorious klutz and have been known to crumble onto the pavement without knowing why. But this perfume will make my sneakers or flats almost invisible. The perfume will be what’s memorable. It will leave me (and maybe others) with a lasting impression of beauty on a spring day.
Will my husband find the perfume as stunning as I do?
He does, and our love story continues…
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