Country Pin Up Girl 

I grew up deep in the mountains of northern Georgia , marveling at the sophisticates in Paris, New York and Chattanooga, who were rumored to have such things as “electric” and water that didn’t need to be carried into the house by hand.  We were told they put special lights on their houses just for Christmas, with parades and such to mark the occasion, but we had Uncle Bobby Lee who could entertain us for hours with his false leg, and Cousin Darryl  who always brought his pet snake to scare the aunties with, so we knew we weren’t missing much.

Robert Earl Keene's Christmas with The Family

We’d start our Christmas morning at church, as is right and proper, but once we were back home and the jug got passed around, the day got considerably less proper and far more interesting.  Things often got out of hand, but it was seldom anything a little duct tape or a few stitches couldn’t fix. Occasionally shots would be fired over some trivial matter, but by that time everyone was pretty ripe and their aims were off; I don’t recall anything more than flesh wounds on Christmas Day. Decades later, I am in another rural Southern locale, just a few hours from the Wal-Mart Mother Ship.  I am quite the sophisticate now, what with the indoor plumbing and electric and all; we even have Christmas lights. But Uncle Bobby Lee has passed on, cousin Darryl is in prison, and the Feds consider bootlegging to be worse than murder now, so Christmas is not quite the same.  I’m deep in the Bible Belt, in a dry county, so I have to get my illicit Christmas thrills from a different kind of bottle.

Noel au Balcon  was created by Antoine Maisondieu and was first released as a Limited Edition in 2007, exclusive to Sephora in France. I may as well admit that despite Michelyn’s best efforts, I still can’t pronounce it and also that it took me a fair bit of time to notice that the name is Noel au BaLcon, not Noel au BaCon.  It was a bit of a let-down to my redneck soul, I can’t deny it, but it’s a pretty catchy name anyway. And who else but the French could take a mundane comment about the weather at Christmas and turn it in to a tribute to bodacious tatas?  I get a little extra rush, knowing that I’m swanning among the righteous, sporting a perfume dedicated to party girls and their epic racks.

 

Gil Elvgren Christmas Pinup

Noël au Balcon is merry and bright with orange blossom and tangerine ; cinnamon and red pepper keep you rocking around the Christmas tree,  while honey and amber make things naughty but very nice. It lasts forever; you can wear it to church first thing while the orange blossom is blooming sweetly, and be home just as the pepper and honey start sexing things up.

I may not be able to pronounce it, but I know good stuff when I smell it. Noël au Balcon never takes itself too seriously, and she’ll always show you a good time. I hope all our CaFleureBon readers get their redneck on this Christmas…may your eggnog be too strong,  your exterior illuminations too tacky, and may your Christmas party be rowdy enough to alarm the neighbors. Merry Christmas Y'All !!

Avec mes apologies, cher Etienne

P.S.  Santa Baby, I’m still waitin’ for Etienne de Swardt to appear under my tree….for me

Merry Christmas to you and yours, from all of us at ÇaFleureBon!

Tammy Schuster, Contributor

What perfume will you be wearing this Christmas? What  (or who) are you hoping will be under your tree?