Zelda “The Life of Zelda Fitzgerald” A New Fragrance by Shelley Waddington of EnVoyage Perfumes + Save Me the Waltz Draw

 cafleurebon-envoyage-shelleyatwork

 Shelley Waddington of EnVoyage Perfumes

My notebook was open in my hands. This journal of fragrance ideas  that I’ve recorded throughout the years are vital aspects of my work, the art of creating perfume. I had 'perfumer's block' and kept turning from one page to the next, searching for inspiration. The idea for my new fragrance, Zelda, came in the form of an unexpected email from Michelyn Camen, the Editor in Chief of CaFleureBon:

  

zelda fitzgerald the first flapper

Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald The First And Last American Flapper

Shelley, are you familiar with the life story of Zelda Fitzgerald? She was America’s first flapper and the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Baz Luhrmann's remake of The Great Gatsby will be coming to theaters May 10, 2013, so there is a lot of interest in her. Decades after her death, there have been  biographies and novels written about Zelda Fitzgerald that portray her as a woman who was ahead of her times… not the crazy, disruptive wife who ruined herself and her husband. Zelda Fitzgerald was a witty and fascinating woman – a talented writer, an artist, a dancer and a mother, who battled mental illness for 18 years. She was an icon of a generation that went from boom to bust. It would be interesting to tell her story, through fragrance, using  perfume notes and ingredients as your words as you did with Makeda (The True Name of the Ethiopian Queen and wife of King Solomon). What do you think

save me the waltz zelda fitzgerald

Save Me the Waltz- First Edition published in 1932 

What did I think?  I was elated. Michelyn sent images of Zelda as well as recommended that I read Nancy Milford's Zelda- A Biography (P.S), Zelda Fitzgerald's only novel, Save me the Waltz and thought I might  also draw inspiration from her paintings of dancers. I knew right away that this controversial, enigmatic  and historically misunderstood woman was my next  fragrant muse.  As a perfumer, I tell stories with fragrance and I was excited to tell Zelda's story. 

zelda fitzgerald cote d'azure 1920

Zelda Fitzgerald Cote d'Azure 1920  with her sketchbook

 Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald  was the legendary first flapper and a symbol of "The Jazz Age". More importantly, Zelda embodies an artist's lifelong struggle to find her identity. She was an accomplished woman in her own right (she was much more complex and intelligent than the flighty Daisy Buchanan as depicted by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby).  Zelda was a writer, an artist and a dancer. In my readings, I learned that she was a free thinker and many historians refer to her as America's first feminist. Scott used her letters and often quoted her verbatim as the voice of many of his female characters in his books. Her dysfunctional  marriage and long struggle with mental illness finally took its toll. Perhaps her life can be summarized by one of her husband's books- "The Beautiful and the Damned".

 This era was an important time for perfume; the Roaring 20’s was the decade of iconic fragrances such as Guerlain's Mitsouko, Shalimar, Djedi, as well as Caron's Bellodgia and En Avion.  Since I read that she wore Guerlain Shalimar, at first I thought that I would try to re-create  it. Michelyn discouraged me  from this path and we agreed that Zelda must have a unique signature scent that also payed homage to the hallmark  perfume ingredients and materials of the vintage classics using precious naturals,resins and accords from that era. 

Zelda in her ballet costume  montgomery alabama

Zelda Sayre, Montgomery, Alabama 1911

Zelda Fitzgerald was a complicated woman, so creating a fragrance that captured her essence posed many creative challenges. How do I create a perfume  that does justice to both the highest and the lowest aspects of her life? A bright beginning, a full heart, and a dark base would be the perfect start.

In choosing the notes to chronicle her life, I started with a heady magnolia to represent Zelda’s youth as a beautiful but wild and defiant belle from a “thoroughbred family” from Alabama.    

“’Thoroughbred!’ she thought, ‘meaning that I never let them down on the dramatic possibilities of a scene – I give a damned good show.’” – Zelda Fitzgerald

zelda-fitzgerald as a young girl in alabama

Zelda Fitzgerald amongst the flowers in Alabama

Zelda had written about smelling “white flowers perfuming midnight”, sweet-smelling blossoms…and night-blooming vines”, I was inspired to bring some white flowers into the heart accord, along with a creamy note to reflect Zelda’s  youth.  I then  added  spice and orange notes to represent the early years and her joie de vivre. The spices lent an Oriental suggestion to the orange top notes that I especially liked for its vintage effect and Italian bergamot for her stay in Italy.  Zelda adored  mischief and the unexpected, so I used the tiniest bit of a gorgeous Iranian galbanum to catapult the top from vintage to modern.

scott fitzgerald-and-zelda fitzgerald

F.Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald: The "It couple" of the Jazz Age (and  along with Gertrude Stein, Isadora Duncan, Ernest Hemingway, and  T.S. Eliot, famous artists from the "Lost Generation"

The quintessentially French notes of rose de mai and bois de rose suggest Zelda’s years in Paris, and complement the florals. I then began building the base with  mousse de chêne  and santal, followed by a smoky tobacco accord spiked with some boozy notes to represent her carefree party days when she and Scott  were the flamboyant couple who rode on top of taxi cabs and splashed in the fountain in Union Square while  living in New York City.

Puppeufee by zelda fitzgerald

Puppeufee-  a painting by Zelda Fitzgerald

Michelyn suggested cuir notes for her ballet slippers.  Zelda studied ballet under the famous Russian ballerina Madame Lubov Egorova, so I selected the all-natural Cuir de Russie that I composed in 2009.  To this I enhanced the art deco profile by adding the notes of a classic ambreine accord; vanilla, resins, and tinctures.

zelda fitzgerald  was admitted to a psychiatric ward in Paris in 1930

Zelda was admitted to a pyschiatric facility in 1930 in Paris for schizophrenia- which historians now debate 

Approaching the dark notes I wondered, how to tell a story of darkness so extreme?   I discovered that only the most beautiful and precious animalics of musk, castoreum, and civet could honor and exalt Zelda’s bright life and tragic descent into a final heart of darkness. 

zelda perfume shelley waddington  the life of zelda fitzgerald

 Michelyn pointed out that ZELDA called for a graceful art deco bottle, as well as a special label and package, to set it apart from all my other perfumes. I agreed and am quite pleased with the flacon as well as the scent.

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald - 1920

Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald 1920

ZELDA, an Oriental Floral perfume for women 

Top of Spiced Italian Bergamot, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Cardamon,and Iranian Galbanum

Heart of rich Magnolia Blossom, Rose de mai, Bois de rose, Tuberose absolue, Gardenia

Base of Smoky Amber, Vintage Musks, Vanilla, Balsams, Leather (natural Cuir de Russie accord), Tobacco, Castoreum, Civet,  Mysore Sandalwood, Vetiver, Cedarwood, and Mousse de Chêne.

Size: .6oz

Price: $55.00

Date available: May 13, 2013

Sincere thanks to the immensely talented Michelyn Camen for her generous literary and artistic creative direction. And for introducing me to Zelda.

Shelley Waddington, Founder and Perfumer, EnVoyage Perfumes

-Art Direction, Michelyn Camen Editor in Chief

6 gatewaydrive great neck

F.Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda lived at 6 Gateway Drive, Great Neck N.Y.  Copyright Great Neck Library

Editor's Note:  Zelda Fitzgerald died at the age of 48, locked in a room awaiting electric shock treatment in a tragic fire at the Highland Mental Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. "The Great Gatsby" and the lives of F.Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald have been a passion of mine, since I moved with my husband to Great Neck, N.Y. where the Fitzgeralds rented a home in Great Neck Estates, less than a mile from where we live. Whereas Daisy might have worn 28 La Pausa by Chanel as I wrote in my article  The Great Gatsby, Great Neck and Chanel 28 La Pausa, Zelda was not Daisy, not at all and Shelley brought her to life with ZELDA in a way I could not have imagined in 2011.-M.C.

zelda envoyage perfumes sample

 

ZELDA is available on the EnVoyage Perfumes website. The formal launch will be held at the FRAGments Underground Artisan & Indie Perfume Collective Event at MorYork in Los Angeles, CA on June 22, 2012.

Thanks to Shelley Waddington we have a special preview draw of five samples for five CaFleureBon readers. To be eligible, please leave a comment with your thoughts on Zelda Fitzgerald,  if you plan on seeing Baz Luhmann's  3 D remake of the Great Gatsby movie  or what appeals to you about ZELDA the perfume. Draw ends May 16, 2013

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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60 comments

  • It’s funny, I just read the Wikipedia entry about Zelda a few days ago and was thinking that she might have been more creative and brilliant than her husband. I wonder how much was true mental illness and how much was a result of the craziness of the times and her life. Too bad she destroyed so much of her art and her husband discouraged her from writing her own novels. She was quite an interesting, beautiful lady. I would love to smell your impression of her.

  • I’m a huge fan of The Great Gatsby so yes, I will be catching the remake for sure! Thanks for hosting the draw! 🙂

  • I’ve always found Zelda so intriguing, and I earnestly wish that we had more of her own work still accessible to us so we could hear her unique voice. While I love much of her husband’s work for its doomed elegance, I know that the impressions of Zelda that he gives through various female characters are far from the full story. I will absolutely be seeing the film soon, and I hope to be smelling this fragrance soon too! Thanks for the article and draw.

  • This sounds amazing, and I think it must capture Zelda perfectly. I am sure I will see the movie even though I have mixed feelings on it.

  • Mary Carol says:

    I definitely want to see the remake of the movie. I found it interesting to read how the notes used in the perfume relate to the different aspects of Zelda’s life. I enjoyed this article plus all of the pictures and the example of Zelda’s art work as well.

  • The fragrance ‘Zelda’ sounds like my cup to tea!

    I just watched Silver Linings Playbook and after reading this I wonder how Zelda would have faired if she were given the chance to dance her way back to mental health. Of course it also takes therapy, compassion, wisdom and proper medication to regain mental health and sadly it seems Zelda was never given much of the first 3 and most likely overdose of the last.

    I plan to rent The Great Gatsby remake and watch it at home since I’m not a fan of 3-D.

  • Zelda sounds quite interesting. I am sure she had so much to offer, it is a shame her life ended at such a young age. The fragrance sounds lovely, Shelley is such a talented perfumer!
    Thanks for the draw!

  • angiefunk says:

    I was not aware that Zelda was the first flapper and feminist. She sounds like an interesting lady with a complicated life. I will have to check out the novel about her. As for the Great Gastby, I remember reading the book when I was younger and enjoying it. I do want to see the movie since I am a Baz Luhmann fan, loved Romeo and Juliet by him. The perfume sounds lovely and I really like the art deco bottle.

  • I went on a long road trip recently and listened to the Great Gatsby as a book on tape. It renewed my interest in the movie and I do plan on seeing it. This fragrance sounds lovely and something I would be drawn to. Thanks for the chance to sample.

  • I love the novel, but think, if nothing else, Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation will be worth seeing for the spectacle alone! I’d love to smell Zelda, too! Thanks for the draw!

  • Dubaiscents says:

    Sadly, I didn’t know anything about Zelda before reading this but, her life sounds amazing and I think this perfume will do a wonderful job of representing that! Thanks for the draw and the wonderful post!

  • Janet in California says:

    Zelda has always been fascinating to me. I am planning on seeing the movie!

  • Judith DM says:

    I am truly looking forward to your release! It seems you have studied Zelda to paint a portrait of her through notes very accurately. This is one I will be trying! Please forgive me, but I want to clear up some misconceptions. Zelda was not the first flapper, but certainly has come to define them through Fitzgerald’s literature and their vagabond life. The definitive bio of Zelda is Jessica Mitford’s Zelda Zelda is not believed to have inspired Daisy. Scholars believe, based on Fitzgerald’s notes and interviews, it was Ginevra King, a spirited young lady from Lake Forest, who was his first love, and he remembered her all of his life, sometimes with tears. It seems to me Mr. Fitzgerald was attracted to strong and talented women in their own right! He may have written about a so called wilting vine, Daisy (cunning, not wilting in my opinion), but these were not the women he pursued in his life. Maybe the outcome of Zelda’s life would have been different if we knew more about mental illness then, as we do today. You can read about Ginevra on the Huffington Post or Chicago Tribune. Or google her name. You are in very good company releasing your own Zelda! Tiffany and Co., Ralph Lauren and Brooks Bros. are as well. It is a fascinating era of feast or famine. Obviously the feast is more fascinating! I am looking forward to your Zelda!

  • Save Me the Waltz is absolutely worth reading in itself, not merely as an historical curiosity. The prose is somewhat idiosyncratic, but once you get a feel for its rhythms, it is clear that Zelda had both a real originality of style and a (semi)autobiographical fearlessness that was ahead of its time.

  • With the Movie posters all over Paris and most magazines celebrating the movie, the actors, the writer, the era, it is hard to ignore the buzz and excitement around The Great Gatsby..although Robert Redford and Mia Farrow will always be Jay and Daisy to me..
    Shelley Waddington’s creation seems very lyrical and beautiful and I cannot wait to smell what she has created as an ode to the writer of”Save me the waltz” one of my favourite books..
    Thank you for the draw..

  • What a beautiful project about Zelda’s life. It is very interesting to see the “joie de vivre” in the top notes and the sadness of the end of her life in the dark notes. Very interesting. Thanks.

  • What appeals to me about Zelda the perfume? The mysore sandalwood !!!!!!!!!!

    thank you for this wonderful draw!

  • I see all of Baz’s films, so I will def be watching the Great Gatsby. My gf just picked up the book actually.
    I always find battles with mental illness fascinating.
    I love the bottle of the perfume, very fitting.

  • Zelda sounds amazing! And what a beautiful name for a fragrance. And yes I do plan on seeing The Great Gatsby in 3D. Tommorow, in fact! 🙂

  • Everything in this article is interesting to me. I’d like to see more of Zelda’s paintings. She was clearly talented. Shelley Waddington is a perfumer I’ve only read about so it was good to read her thoughts about creative process. The notes listed for this perfume sound very good indeed. I was saddened to read about the death of Zelda Fitzgerald, the poor woman. Please enter me in this draw. I live in the U.S.

  • Judith DM
    Glad to see you are also interested in Zelda Fitzgerald and its clear you have studied her life as well. Regarding your comment, although she was not the first flapper , Zelda was called the first American flapper by Scott Fitzgerald in his letters and the literary circles of the era. Daisy’s style of conversation and some of her comments are also direct quotes from Zelda… one of the issues between the Fitzgeralds; Zelda felt that Scott used her in his novels to the detriment of her own career and later in life accused him of plagiarism. Daisy is a composite perhaps of Ginerva and Zelda but aspects of Zelda are definitely present in the Great Gatsby just as Scott is very present in both the characters of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby
    The author of Zelda’s biography that I recommended Shelley to read is not Nancy Mitford as you mentioned but Nancy Milford.
    An exciting project to work on and the fragrance is really special. I hope you can experience it as it is quite unique.

  • Wow. That’s quite a background story! I have no doubt that Shelley has captured every facet of Zelda’s shooting star life. This just went on the bucket list.

  • I am the only person who despises The Great Gatsby as a novel, so I don’t plan on seeing it. I must say, Zelda the perfume sounds more appealing to me than any of the novels! I think it sounds like such a rich, intricate, vintage-style perfume: the kind of thing I would absolutely love. Thank you for the draw. I do live in the US.

  • I originally did not plan to see The Great Gatsby, but
    now I would like to after reading this very interesting
    article. I love how every note is so intentional and well
    thought out. I would like to experience the result of this
    amazing project! I live in the US.
    Thanks for the draw!

  • What a fascinating scented interpretation of the milestones of her life. I can’t wait to sample this. I just recently watched the 1970’s version of The Great Gatsby with Redford, Farrow, and Sam Waterston. I think the underlying themes are still relevant today and love the Baz Luhrmann is putting his delightfully, over-the-top style into his adaptation. I will want to see it on a big screen with amazing sound.

  • Yes, I hope to see the movie. I would also love to sniff the fragrance: how does one capture severe suffering (in any art form) without softening or romanticizing it?

  • First off…let me say I am OVERJOYED that Michelyn and Shelley have collaborated, inspiring and helping each other to create something that sounds out of this world! Everything that has ever come from En Voyage has been smashing!!

    I do plan on seeing Baz Luhrman’s “Great Gatsby” but look even more forward to sniffing THIS Zelda than seeing one misrepresented in a Hollywood film…

    Zelda was, I imagine, one of those people who was so ahead of her time and so free-spirited that her contemporaries just did not know how to take her. I can empathize to a certain degree

    I think it is great that dashes and pinches of other EV scents are used to illustrate and add depth to this complex and intriguing character. Can’t wait to sniff (and, most likely, SWOON!)

    Thanks to Shelley and Michelyn for sharing (with each other AND with all of us!)

    John xox

  • It’s wonderful to learn some of the truth behind Daisy and a great motivation to learn more about Zelda. She sounds like someone truly unique and talented, and it’s a shame she died so young. Having loved all of Luhrman’s prior films, I plan to see his new one although the story of The Great Gatsby is such a sad one. I would love to be in on the draw, and I do live in the US. Thanks for your generosity!

  • My daughter brought me to see The Great Gatsby for Mother’s Day on Saturday. It was a good movie, especially the clothes, the cars, the jewels and the over the top parties.
    Quite a production. I had recently viewed my DVD of the Great Gatsby from 1974. Really beautiful, the fashions and hairstyles were softer. I loved Robert Redford, Mia Farrow and Sam Waterston. The new actors were OK, especially Leonardo DiCaprio, but even with the bigger production and budget, I liked the 1974 version better.

    The story remained about the same. I would love to try this new fragrance…what a fascinating collaboration.
    Thanks.

  • Laurentiu says:

    The combination of sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla and balsalms sounds very appealing. Plus, the story, the story behind it made me really curious. A perfume characteristic to Zelda must be amazing!

    Thanks for the draw!

  • It is the first time I have learned about Zelda, and it was a beautiful read. I find the perfume composition to be exact what Zelda would have liked to wear if she was alive today.

  • Zelda was brilliant even more than her husband – at least that is my opinion! I would love to try Shelley’s perfume!

  • Wow! I read The Great Gatsby a year ago, so I am familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald, but I never realised that he was married to such a fascinating woman. Her art is mind-blowing, and I’m now even interested in reading her book, Save Me The Waltz.

    As Katie Puckrik has often said in reviews, Shalimar was that bad-girl, ‘flapper’ scent from the 20’s. I’m not surprised that the first American flapper, Zelda Fitzgerald wore it. However I applaud Shelley for having veered away from re-creating it, and given Zelda a new signature scent.

    I will be watching The Great Gatsby. I was hinting to my boyfriend just last night that he should take me to see it.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • I love the Rouring 20’s and the parfums created on those years, such as Shalimar that Zelda used to wear! I’m curious about the new film , The Great Gastby, but while I’m waiting for watching it, I’ll start reading the book, just today that Haruki Murakami, a writer I love ,has answerd to the question: ‘Which three books have meant the most to you?’ :
    -THE GREAT GATSBY, Dostoevsky’s THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV, and Raymond Chandler’s THE LONG GOODBYE. All three have been indispensable to me (both as a reader and as a writer); yet if I were forced to select only one, I would unhesitatingly choose GATSBY.

    Now, I’m curious about this scent…

  • Sarah Lathrop says:

    This fragrance sounds amazing!!! My favorite perfume is Serge Lutens Muscs Koublai Khan, so the animal notes (musk, civet) in Zelda sound wonderful to me. Daring, yet classic. Plus, I love leather and tobacco notes in fragrances. Seems like I’d adore this one!
    I am really excited to see the new Great Gatsby adaptation. I saw the preview in the theater before another movie and there’s just something about it. The cast is terrific in any case.
    Thanks for the draw!

  • ringthing says:

    I love this concept and the art direction of this article is, as always, perfectly right. The perfume sounds wonderful. I reread Gatsby last summer and re watched the Redford/Farrow version of the movie, which disappointed me. I’ll watch the Di Caprio/Mulligan remake, for the production if not the story. The story is so tragic. Thanks for a wonderful draw.

  • Wow, who would have thought all the facets to Zelda Fitzgerald. Mom is begging to go see the movie so we will be attending The Great Gatsby. The perfume sounds quite the journey. This fragrance really has piqued my interest.

  • Wow. What a fantastic project! It sounds like you worked really well together.

    I don’t know a lot about Zelda and am ashamed to admit that the only Fitzgerald I’ve read was TGG… but this project makes me want to read her work!

    How do you create a natural Cuir de Russie accord? I love leather and love magnolia… this sounds LOVELY.

    And I really love the bottle.

    Congraulations to you both!

  • Quite the undertaking. MC was clearly a wealth of knowledge in the process. The formulation sounds so ambitious in trying to bring forth so many aspects of her life. I am very curious to smell this BIG perfume.
    I did like the Great Gatsby and do plan to see the film, though I may wait until it’s on TV (just cant seem to bother rushing to the theater for it). And I would like to admit that when I saw the name Zelda, I first though of Ari’s cat…anyone else? 🙂

  • Tomate Farcie says:

    I’m a big Fitzgerald fan. I’ll definitely be seeing the film. The story of Zelda is a tragic one. She was so creative in her own right but cut down by mental illness.

  • wefadetogray says:

    I did not know that Zelda was thought to be the first american feminist. I can put her right there with my beloved Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, the first feminist of Latin America–both complex, creative, smart women. I read the Great Gatsby long long ago and I do not plan on seeing the movie, mainly because of my aversion to DiCaprio

  • I thought this was a fascinating article on how a perfumer might approach a new concept. That each facet in the composition corresponds to a time in Zelda’s life, and that the elements have been chosen with such insight.
    The flapper era still has a glamorous irresponsible feel I think.
    I would love to sample this perfume

  • I just realized that after years of hearing about her I ad never seen pictures of her. What a truly beautiful and dynamic woman and also tragic. As for the film I would rather see a Great Gatsby fragrance thean a fil of the novel. I was not thrilled with the recent Anna Karenina film. Though Stoppard was interesting enough. But that said Zelda is not Daisy and a perfume that is an ode to her must be something!

  • Sincere thanks to the generous and talented Michelyn Camen for contacting me for the idea of making a perfume about Zelda – and for her suggestions for some of the notes. Her suggestion for an art deco bottle. was frosting on the cake.

    Making this perfume was a pure joy!

    I so appreciate the wonderful comments from you all, such a pleasure to read. It’s heartwarming to see so much enthusiasm about ZELDA! Thank you all so very much and good luck in the draw.

  • I saw the movie and thought it was very entertaining and great cinematography. I would love to smell a perfume, fashioned from this era.

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    i like the fact that Zelda’s bottle reminds us of old age…at first glance, it has some resemblance to frosted bottle of Lelong Indiscret which also looked like a tower…i am quite eagerly waiting for Gatsby and even hunted down a discontinued bottle of Pacoma Gatsby which has turned out to be a fine honeyed fragrance…

  • The life of Zelda Fitzgerald has always fascinated me. I’ve read “The Beautiful and the Damned” over and over, it is so intriguing and one of my favorite books. I think Shelley chose the perfect notes, especially “the most beautiful and precious animalics of musk, castoreum, and civet could honor and exalt Zelda’s bright life and tragic descent into a final heart of darkness” and am so interested to try this.

  • This sounds like an amazing scent, and the process of creating it is so interesting.

    I think I’d take issue with the idea that Zelda was “America’s FIRST flapper” (??), but I’ve been a huge fan of FSFs work for a very long time. Zelda was an amazing person in her own right as well, as you’ve described here so well.

    Thanks for this draw opportunity — I’m very intrigued to sample Shelley’s latest creation. It will be hard to hold off on ordering a sample until after the draw!

  • Congrats Shelley on launching Zelda, well done! Zelda Fitzgerald is our puppy’s name . Just as interesting as her name sake! The real Zelda was F.Scott’ s muse and the character of Daisy was really based on Zelda!
    Great choice, again well done!

  • I loved the old movie- it introduced me to Zeld’s F.’s character and I don’t intend to see the new one
    beautiful collaboration, Shelley and Michelyn Camen, this looks amaizing

  • I didn’t know the movie was 3D, was planning on seeing it when it reaches DVD. I loved Moulin Rouge. Thanks for the draw!

  • just heard an extensive story about the Great Gatsby today and the person who was interviewed explained a few things about the life of Mr Fitzgerald, said the story was slightly autobiographic and also how he died far too early. Alas, not a word about Zelda.. am curious how the perfume smells like!

  • I definitely do not intend to see the 3D Gatsby movie. It just strikes me as lurid and tacky. I love the novel, and the original film with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, especially now that they’re both tucked away in my memory, where my imagination fills in any missing pictures or pieces. I am very curious about the Zelda fragrance that Michelyn collaborated on, and hope to sample it one day, if not in the draw, then some time later. I just moved back to NY from Asheville, NC. I always felt so sad when I would pass the grounds of the former hospital where Zelda had died. I used to always think of her (and her husband) in her heyday when I passed the Plaza Hotel, in NYC, picturing the two of them laughing and making scenes. The two locations are lifetimes apart in almost every way.

  • Congratulations Shelley! I look forward to experiencing your rendition of who Zelda was. I find that when you set out to encompass the attributes of a person or an era into the sensual sense of smell, you are right on! Discovering Zelda through your creative talent will be a joy!

  • Count me in for the draw, I just live Shelley’s fragrances and forgot to mention to include me ( in the draw) in my previous comment.