Of scent and silver screen sirens

By Ashley Kowalewski

Film buffs rejoice! The chances of you running into your favourite celebrity at a Yorkville restaurant increases greatly this weekend as the Toronto International Film Festival gets underway. Surveying the impressive list of movies set to debut at TIFF, we turn our attention not just to the screen but to the festival’s leading ladies. And since we’re obsessed with fragrance, we’ve let star wattage (and talent) inspire us: Here, an overview of the actresses who will be gracing the silver screen this year and who have also scored a fragrance contract as of late. For fun, we’re also suggesting a few A-listers who we believe deserving to walk away with the next leading role as a muse for an A-list perfume house. Chanel, Dior, Guerlain…are you listening?

WHO’S GOT IT
Julia Roberts: The award-winning actress with the award-winning smile has been a favourite ever since she dazzled audiences in Pretty Woman, so when Lancôme penned a deal with the star to front the elegant floral gourmand La Vie Est Belle, we couldn’t have been more thrilled. Her noteworthy roles in My Best Friend’s Wedding, Erin Brockovich and Mona Lisa Smile have us excited for her return to the screen in the female-driven drama August: Osage County (above), based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tracy Letts.
Lancome La Vie est Belle EDP, $95 (50 ml), www.lancome.ca

Jennifer Aniston: Over the last few years Aniston has proven herself more than just a gorgeous head of hair; she actually has a knack for comedy, being thoroughly entertaining in recent flicks such as Horrible Bosses, Just Go With It and most recently We’re the Millers. Aside from starring in the upcoming comedic crime flick Life of Crime, the former Friends star also has a perfume claim to fame: She’s had her own fragrance since 2010. Did you know? Her self-titled debut spritz has notes of citrus, rose water, jasmine, violet, Amazon lily, musk, amber and sandalwood and is a sunny fresh floral, concocted to match this California girl’s beachy roots.
Jennifer Anistorn EDP, $44 (50 ml), www.sephora.com

Keira Knightley: The British starlet has made her mark in Hollywood playing iconic roles in some pretty amazing period pieces (Anna Karenina, Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and King Arthur—and arguably even the action-packed Pirates of the Caribbean franchise). A long-standing face for Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, Knightley’s acting cred as a sweet-faced, fierce femme made her an apropos choice given her deft balancing of femininity with a no-holds-barred acting approach. The fresh oriental Chanel spritz has orange, bergamot, rose and jasmine absolute, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla and musk. Knightley is back btw this year at TIFF for the release of Can a Song Save Your Life? (above), where she plays an aspiring musician, discovered by has-been producer, played by Mark Ruffalo.
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP, $138 (100 ml), www.chanel.com

Scarlett Johansson: Johansson is known for her beauty. She exudes sexiness and it really works for her, whether she’s fighting bad guys in the comic book flick The Avengers or seducing King Henry VIII in The Other Boleyn Girl. Her pouty lips and come-hither eyes have won her more than just consistent work in Tinsel Town. Starring alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt (above) in the anticipated flick Don Jon (he actually wrote and directed the film as well) , Johansson plays Jersey girl Barbara (and JGL’s love interest) in what is outlined to be a comedic account of one guy who falls for a girl but has a hard time letting his porn addiction go. While we have no doubt that Johansson’s striking good looks will help her convince her guy to go clean, perhaps a spritz of her contract scent Dolce & Gabbana Desire (juicy notes of mandarin, lychee and bergamot; softer floral notes of lily, tuberose and jasmine; and sultry musk and sandalwood define the scent) will help hold his attention.
Dolce & Gabbana Desire EDP, $139 (75 ml), www.dolcegabbana.com

WHO NEEDS IT
Sandra Bullock: Bullock is a chameleon: entirely believable in a serious dramatic role (like The Blind Side, Murder by Numbers and A Time to Kill) and hilarious in a slapstick comedy (thinking of gems such as The Proposal, Miss Congeniality and most recently The Heat, with the ever-funny Melissa McCarthy). Pairing her sense of humour with an enviable calm, we’re leaning to Dior Addict Eau Fraîche. It would be a great scent for the brunette to rep. The fruity, fresh and woody perfume marries with Bullock’s approachable but grounded persona perfectly. And of course she wouldn’t want to be without a pretty spritz while walking alongside George Clooney, her suave co-star in in the upcoming romantic sci-fi thriller Gravity (above), on the season’s red carpets.
Dior Addict Eau Fraîche EDT, $80 (50 ml), www.dior.com

Julianne Moore: The fiery redhead has starred in countless style adverts before, namely through her contract with Bvlgari for its handbags and accessories, but we hope the brand taps the 55-year-old actress for a fragrance. The sultry floriental perfume, Jasmine Noir, would match Moore’s intensity and other-worldly beauty. Until then, we can watch Moore light up the screen alongside Scarlett Johansson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Don Jon at TIFF and as Margaret White in the newest adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, in theatres this October.
Bvlgari Jasmine Noir EDP, $85 (30 ml), www.en.bulgari.com

Meryl Streep: With her talent, beauty and smarts, we’ve long wondered why this Hollywood legend hasn’t yet been signed by the likes of Chanel, Dior or Hermès for an iconic perfume. While Prada seems an obvious choice given her role as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, something along the lines of Guerlain’s legendary Shalimar would likewise be a good fit—based on Streep’s unassailable grace and powerhouse persona—not to mention her rumoured love of the scent. Streep stars in the upcoming dramedy August: Osage County as Julia Roberts’ recently widowed and slightly dysfunctional mother.
Guerlain Shalimar EDP, $113 (90 ml), www.guerlain.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: FILM IMAGES SUPPLIED BY TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX IN TORONTO

We hope we inspired you. What’s your favourite film and fragrance link-up? Let us know. Comment here or Tweet us @TheWhaleTheRose! We’d love to hear from you.