Paris, France: Portrait of a Lady

Well, today marks the beginning of the end of my time on the road in 2010.... We arrived in Paris this afternoon from London due to wrap up the year by performing the last two, of over one hundred shows, of the Monster Ball Tour, on Sunday and Monday evening at the Bercy Arena. Excited to be in Paris, with only one day off to spare, I wasted no time getting myself together to go out, preparing to endure the cold, wet and snowy weather. I was determined to see whatever I could in the brief time that I had. Tony and I met in the lobby and strategized a shopping plan by starting out in search of the Frederic Malle parfum boutique. Since our visit to Antwerp we've been intrigued with the parfum and knew that we'd get the chance to visit the actual boutique once in Paris. The fragrance is offered in a variety of scents, with a range and selection to please most. We have been taken with their premiere scent called Portrait of a Lady. It's considered our choice pick because of the name and it's amazing aromatic mixture of spice, wood and patchouli. Even more than the fragrance, I love the product presentation and packaging-- a modern art experience of simplicity, class and clean line. While visiting the store, being a bit overwhelmed by the choices, having sampled all, I finally settled on, Iris Poudre and Lipstick Rose. The two scents are very different, Iris Poudre is spicey and strong, the other, soft and subtle. Depending on my mood of the day I think I'd be covered either way.
We left Frederic Malle and headed down Rue de Rivoli to the Champs Elysee, taking in the Christmas Market, a crepe and vin chaud along the way. The dense snowfall and ambient festive lighting made for a picturesque backdrop to our evening. We carried on to Avenue Montaigne, window shopping at the high end designer boutiques. We ducked in and out of a few stores, seeking a photo op of the original Chanel boutique at 31, Rue Cambon, where Coco Chanel herself once lived in an apartment upstairs. The store was stunning as one would expect and renovated in more recent years from its original state.
We made it back to the hotel for 8pm to join the rest of wardrobe for our final group dinner of the year in my honor. Nearby was the Bercy Village where we found a satifying and charming restaurant with a rustic setting. We laughed and ate, reflecting on this past year and our newly established friendships. It was a great time. Uncertain of my status within the group going forward, my friends chose to surprise me with a gift, it was none other than Portrait of a Lady, now deemed by us, the tour fragrance. I will enjoy and treasure it for its significance and the memories it conjures up. What a better place to be given parfum than Paris,...I LOVE IT!!!