“Gorgeous and incredibly cute” is how the pop singer Katy Perry describes her line of fragrances Purr and Meow. Incredibly cute is right on the mark when it comes to the packaging. Maybe I did not get my share of Barbies as a child, but I love the cat bottles, especially the amethyst tinted Purr.
I wish I could be equally excited about the fragrances. They are not badly done, far from it, but they replay the same fruit and cotton candy theme of other celebrity fragrances. I am not the target audience, but since I spend a lot of time around teens in my dance studio, my tolerance for the cloying blandness is sometimes strained to the maximum.
Purr is the most inoffensive of the two. It is a freesia and peony blend with a bright fruity top. If you’ve smelled any recent fruity floral release, you will recognize the familiar tune. On cue, the apple and peach appear, then the overexposed floral accord and finally the dry amber and musk. Purr dries down to be more oriental than floral thanks to its dose of creamy vanilla and sandalwood. It has some DNA from Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue and Armani Code for Her. Purr is competently put together, but not at all memorable. Yes, I understand that most celebrity fragrances are not meant to be creative or distinctive. They are meant to live briefly on the perfume counter, make some money for their spokespeople and vanish like butterflies at the end of the summer. If this is the intent, then Purr succeeds.
As Robin pointed in her recent review of Meow, it is painfully sweet. If you can move past the sweetness, you discover that it is nicely put together. The pear and orange top is bubbly, while the transparent jasmine and orange blossom heart has a coquettish sparkle. The soft woods and musk drydown is an expected, but pleasant backdrop. This could be enjoyable if it were not for creamy vanilla. Once Meow hits that layer, I cannot enjoy anything else. In the interests of fairness, I tried to give it at least three days of skin time. Having been exposed to all sorts of smells in a perfumery lab, I developed a certain olfactory stoicism. The same cannot be said about my husband. By the third day, he begged me to stop, because he was getting a headache from my sillage. So, the only Meow allowed in our household from now on is this one:
Katy Perry Purr and Meow are available at Nordstrom in 50ml ($45) and 100ml ($65) bottles.
Sample: my own acquisition
38 Comments
Nick: Your cat is so adorable! Clearly the fragrances don’t live up to him! January 31, 2012 at 7:59am
Elizabeth: The descriptions of the fragrances made me somewhat queasy – that’s too much sugar for so early in the morning. But the picture of your kitty cat made up for it! How lovely! Is she a Scottish Fold? I always wanted a Maine Coon, myself. January 31, 2012 at 9:04am
civava: I prefer this fluffy meow below which is really cute. And I must admit I like the bottle but no more than that. January 31, 2012 at 9:12am
Victoria: Lola is delighted to receive all of these compliments. The name doesn’t really match her shy personality. 🙂 January 31, 2012 at 9:23am
Victoria: She is my mom’s cat, but she comes to visit. Yes, she is a Scottish fold, very soft. They have a funny habit of sleeping on their back.
When I finally move to a new place, I want to get a Maine Coon. Aren’t they great! I’ve always had a pet, so it’s hard for me not to have one around these days. January 31, 2012 at 9:42am
Victoria: Yes, I do too! 🙂 The bottle is very cute, especially the smallest size. January 31, 2012 at 9:48am
Queen Cupcake: I might buy Purr just for the bottle. I’m a cat lover and am owned by four of them. The image of Lola is so adorable; her body language is affectionate and is saying “you may pet me”. January 31, 2012 at 9:49am
Victoria: She is a very sweet cat, very good natured.
If I were a bottle collector, or if I had more space, I would buy Purr for the container. It is so nicely done. Wish that the fragrance were less sweet and predictable.
It made me wonder–what perfume would suit the bottle and still be sophisticated and interesting? A sheer leather or a chypre, perhaps? January 31, 2012 at 10:15am
Kerrie: Hi Victoria,
What happened to your lovely format with the yellow background, etc? January 31, 2012 at 11:04am
Victoria: It just needed some updating. January 31, 2012 at 11:16am
Andrea: Lola needs her own blog!;-). She is precious. I had a Maine Coon, they are quite large! Be prepared for the bushy tail to sweep across everything… We had to find a new home for him as he nipped at my (then) toddler. Sounds like the perfumes are likewise difficult to live with! January 31, 2012 at 12:13pm
Victoria: That she does! Cats rule the internet, after all. 🙂
I also read that Maine Coons have problems with their joints because of their large size, so that worries me. January 31, 2012 at 12:59pm
minette: beautiful kitty! so glad to meet her! my uber-handsome tabby boys, pete and george, send their kitty hellos!
if you love cat bottles, there are also the “cat muse” perfumes with cute ears and eyes! the scents are okay but ultimately forgettable, but the bottles are very cute.
cheers! January 31, 2012 at 2:09pm
Rina: OT, I know, but I must agree with Kerrie about the new format…Before was soothing and serene and now it’s just.so.white! The side ads are distracting too but it’s the content that I love so c’est la vie… January 31, 2012 at 2:37pm
Victoria: I appreciate your feedback! I'm still working on it. January 31, 2012 at 2:49pm
Rina: As long as it contains your wonderful writing all will be well. It was just startling pre-caffeine, LOL! January 31, 2012 at 2:58pm
Maja: “a certain olfactory stoicism” hahhahaa that was nicely put 🙂 January 31, 2012 at 2:59pm
Victoria: Aha, this reminds me when I highlighted my hair for the first time–I did a double take whenever I saw myself in the mirror. 🙂 January 31, 2012 at 3:04pm
Victoria: My mom has a whole gang of them!
I just googled Catmuse perfumes. You are right, the bottles are really cute. January 31, 2012 at 3:05pm
Victoria: It is surprising how quickly one learns to tune out some smells. 🙂 January 31, 2012 at 3:06pm
Martin: I personally like the new look very much,it’s clean and easy to read. Thank you for all of your hard work and interesting posts. That’s why I come here every day. January 31, 2012 at 5:08pm
Victoria: Thank you! At any rate, all feedback is helpful, so hope that once all is finished, the new format will make it easier to read and browse for all of us. January 31, 2012 at 5:22pm
sariah: I found that really funny too. Good line Victoria! January 31, 2012 at 7:39pm
behemot: I love, love Lola the cat. I like a new look of your blog a lot, but as of Katy Perry fragrances… well. I do not know. I am going to get a small bottle of one of them anyway. Tried to decide which one is better and will probably settle for the amethyst kitten, Purr. Maybe I shpuld get both, because I have 2 cats at home? No, one bottle will be more than enough.. January 31, 2012 at 7:59pm
Victoria: Your daughter might like Purr (Meow is really sweet, so beware!) It is fine for what it is, not that outstanding. And Purr’s bottle looks much prettier in that deep purple.
I was actually considering to buy a small bottle for my mom. As a cat lover, she would appreciate it, although she would want it to be filled with Bois de Violette. 🙂 January 31, 2012 at 10:13pm
Victoria: 🙂 The things we do in the name of perfume! January 31, 2012 at 10:15pm
behemot: I wouldn’t blame your Mom if she has such idea.. I would also prefer to have B de Violette in this lovely , purple bottle.
As for my daughter, she seems now to embrace an idea of “signature fragrance”. How strange, hope she will outgrow it soon 🙂 January 31, 2012 at 10:40pm
Victoria: My mom's becoming an adventurous perfumista. She has been wearing Vero Kern's fragrances way before I got around to sampling them.
Your daughter must have found something that makes her feel good, but I am guessing that she will want a change sooner or later. 🙂 January 31, 2012 at 10:50pm
behemot: From what I’ve read in many of your posts about your Mom (loves SL Tuberouse Criminelle), I can easy picture her wearing Vero Kern! January 31, 2012 at 11:19pm
Victoria: 🙂 She can very adventurous! Tubereuse Criminelle was my doing though. She fell in love with a decant I brought on one of my visits.
January 31, 2012 at 11:42pm
rosarita: I’m late to the party here but had to share about my beloved Maine Coon. He’s 13; we adopted him from friends 5 yrs ago (they had to move and we’ve always loved LeRoy, so it was a great fit.) He is a hoot! Lots of personality, very soft fur, loves to play and cuddle. He is a big guy, not fat but enormous, around 20 lbs. When he stands on his back legs to inspect something (ahem) he reaches my waist. Big! No joint problems so far or any health problems, actually. He is an indoor kitty but he loves to hunt, so we play hunting games with him. The previous owners declawed him as a kitten. If he had claws and was an outdoor cat, I have no doubt he’d be dragging home a dead critter every night. I can’t recommend Maine Coons enough! Thanks for giving me an opportunity to brag 🙂 February 1, 2012 at 7:27am
Victoria: Please do anytime! 🙂 He sounds wonderful. I am always taken aback at the size of Maine Coons when they stretch themselves out. They are so big! My mom's boy cat is big too, about 16lb, but he is not long like a Maine Coon. February 1, 2012 at 10:18am
Musette: we don’t ‘do’ cats in this joint – a) I’m allergic and b) I have Rottweilers who think cats make great …well, we just don’t ‘do’ cats over here!!!
But my bff just got a young Bengal – that kitten is hysterical!!! And so soft. And her markings are gorgeous. When I want to get a cat-smooch, I take a Claritin and hie on over there and play with her for awhile.
xoA
ps. your husband is an excellent sport!!! February 1, 2012 at 8:27pm
Victoria: Yeah, I can see why you guys don't do cats. 🙂 When I was growing up, we always had a small pet of some sort. I even had salamanders. Then one day, I was coming back from school, and a cat started following me. He walked me to the door and then left. This repeated several times and pretty soon he started living with us. He was my first cat. Since then, we've been moving so much that having an animal is very difficult. So, I play with my mom's whenever I get a chance. February 1, 2012 at 10:08pm
jacque mitschel: nice,pretty nice May 7, 2012 at 6:41am
Geneviève: I tried Meow yesterday and I was surprised. I bought it would be horrible but I enjoyed it even if it’s super sweet. It also lasts so long, it’s incredible. Even after a long shower! January 31, 2014 at 6:37pm
Geneviève: *thought January 31, 2014 at 6:38pm
Nora Szekely: First of all, Lola is lovely. I’m a proud cat owner, these animals can lift my mood anytime!
As for the scent, I bought Purr a few years ago when I started my journey to the perfumes’ mysterious land. I was navigating away from using one scent as a teenager towards a grown woman’s scent wardrobe holding many good fragrances to suit mood and occasion (at least that’s how I describe my overflowing collection to baffled “moogles” 🙂 🙂 🙂 ).
I guess I was seduced by the bottle first being a crazy cat lady in the making, then I realized I liked the scent as well. I always loved sweet scents and they also suit my chemistry. Finally I bought a smaller bottle that I used up quite quickly despite the relatively strong sillage and decent longevity on me.
Recently I started to crave it again and now I’m a proud owner of the purple cat and the juice. This scent may not be unique but for me it’s comforting, I gladly use it for a night in for my own pleasure only but it also suits cheerful parties, and I even used it at work (with a light hand). It lifts my mood, for me it falls to the same category as Pink sugar by Aquolina: it may not be sophisticated but fun to wear and usually people compliment on it as well. September 24, 2014 at 11:40am