purr by katy perry

Remember those fruit-scented body sprays people were crazy for in fifth grade? Well, I got my paws on Katy Perry's new scent, Purr ($45), and it smells like a fancier, less chemical-laden version of those.

It's an "upside-down" fragrance in the sense that most perfumes open with their prettiest notes and then end with a relatively generic bottom accord, usually some variation on musk or sandalwood. Purr has a really nice caramel and sweet patchouli dry down that fans of Angel will adore, but to get there, you have to sit through a bunch of fruity opening notes. Purr faded on me after about two hours, which means it's probably better as a scent sprayed on your hairbrush, since the oils on your scalp will help it last longer.

If you're in New York today and happen to see this large purple milk truck, then you may be in for a purr-sonal appearance by Katy Perry. Starting earlier this morning, Katy's been "parading" around the city selling her new fragrance, Purr, and signing autographs. (Watch it all go down live right here.) Unfortunately, you have to buy a bottle of Purr to get the chance to see Katy, but if you were going to get one anyway, this is a good time to do it. Would you be more likely to buy Purr if Katy Perry was the one selling it to you, or are you purr-fectly happy to leave this one alone?

Source: Twitter User DarrenBaber

Did you know that Katy Perry's cat is named Kitty Purry? And while you let the awesomeness of that sink in for a second, did you also know that she has a new perfume called Purr on its way?

Given these two facts, then, it's not surprising that this just-released image of the bottle looks like a mash-up of early Egyptian statuettes of the cat-headed goddess Bast and Eartha Kitt's original Catwoman costume. I like the curvilinear quality of the cat's head and the rhinestone eyes, although it's not exactly a step away from the total campiness of her ads. Does this bottle make you want to nose out Purr even more, or are you allergic to this much feline symbolism?

Katy Perry's new fragrance Purr may well smell like a sexified version of all my preteenage dreams (aka Lisa Frank fantasies) if her new ad is anything to go by. Katy's never been one to get overly serious about things, and it's certainly in keeping with the overblown "goofy sexpot" aesthetic she favors. But it's also a little odd for a fragrance, which usually trades on images of sophistication or beauty. What do you think? Is this ad refreshingly campy and fun, or will you be passing on Purr when it bows in November?