Halston Unbound (For Women)

The one intriguing aspect about Halston Unbound (the feminine version. I have yet to find the courage to try the pour homme one) is that someone actually thought it would be a good idea to make women smell like sad, wan flowers. Unbound is a pale aquatic floral. There is nothing in this chemical lily-of-the-valley/synthetic carnation blend that evokes the work of Roy Halston who dressed the Studio 54 crowd in sexy, perfectly draped dresses. I would bet good money that neither Liza Minnelli nor Joan Collins would be caught dead wearing Unbound.

Halston Unbound was created by perfumer Patricia Bilodeau for Elizabeth Arden. I suspect it is another victim of endless focus groups full of nameless and faceless people who supposedly want to smell "clean", "fresh" and remain nameless and faceless in a crowd of people who smell like nothing. Oddly enough, this nothing is quite persistent on my skin, leaving a drydown that is more like a floor cleaning solution than a feminine perfume.

Halston Unbound is available online. One can buy it by the bucket and still pay under $10.

Art: Pamela Sukhum- Crying For Van Gogh