HOW TO SAVE A MARRIAGE
PLEASURE COMES IN A PINK BOTTLE!
SCENTUAL HEALING
Do you know what Agent Provocateur means? At first glance, it looks like ‘Agent Provocative’ or ‘Agent who provokes’. Its accurate translation is actually ‘a person who makes (or provokes) someone else into doing something bad or illegal, which then causes them to be punished’. Before I knew the exact meaning of Agent Provocateur, I assumed it had sexual connotations; maybe it does.
You may have heard of the Agent Provocateur brand. It is a brand that, since its launch in 1994, has made a huge impact on the fashion, perfume and sexy lingerie industry. It has in fact revolutionised the image of, dare I make the comparison, the sex shop and made it more mainstream and socially acceptable. The concept is based around the idea that products like sexy lingerie, sexy accessories like whips and masks, body potions and books for sensual enhancement, no longer have a smutty or sleazy association. Agent Provocateur has very successfully managed to fuse the world of fashion and design with the world of sensual enhancement products and perfume, and come up with a unique image and concept.
The brand was founded by Joseph Corre, son of famous fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, and Serena Rees in 1994. The husband and wife team believe that sex and sexy lingerie are no longer sleazy and they have certainly managed to turn things around with their ever so tastefully and beautifully designed product range. Their dream was to provide beautifully designed, high quality lingerie with a creative flair to arouse both wearers and their partners.
The inspiration for the brand’s image, from the design of its boutiques around the world to its publicity material, gorgeous porcelain bottles of perfume and even the lingerie itself, comes from female images of fifties screen goddesses, eighteenth century boudoirs, the Renaissance, even with Victorian touches also apparent. Inside the boutiques, one finds the most erotic and sensual yet sophisticated accessories and lingerie, including rhinestone studded whips and collars and strip poker sets!
I have been quite familiar with the Agent Provocateur perfume range for a few years now, since I knew it when I was still living in the UK. It was one of the very few fragrances that I flipped for. Already acknowledged as a modern classic, it kicked up quite a stink in the then stagnant fragrance industry. It was winner of the Fifi 2001 award for Best New Female Fragrance with Limited Distribution. Imagine my sheer delight when I clapped eyes on the products as I was strolling through Debenhams. I haven’t moved so quickly in years!
The products and packaging design simply scream decadence and class. The lingerie and accessories are not distributed here in Cyprus, but who needs sexy underwear, when we can buy sensually fragranced candles, sexily fragranced massage oils, two in one box of tricks containing ‘lip plumper’ and ‘nipple balm’ and perfumed bath delights that smell so sensual they’re downright naughty? The Agent Provocateur signature fragrance range (namely, their first ever one) includes sexy, silky body oils with aphrodisiac effect natural essential oils, scented candles to die for and a ‘Body Glamour’ sensual skin lotion that I would sell my sister for.
I have to tell you about this body lotion, as it is like no other I have ever tried. First of all it smells like the A.P. signature fragrance, which would have been enough to make me a happy girl, it also contains skin conditioning precious oils and leaves the skin in the most beautiful condition, but what does it for me is the ever so subtle mysterious ‘glow’ that it imparts the skin, and none of that tacky glittery gold sparkle either, I’m talking the tiniest red flecks which are barely discernible to the naked eye, in a smooth lotion base which also has an unusual but very flattering hue to it. You really need to try it to see for yourself! (If any men are reading this, if you want to reawaken your lady’s desire for you, get her an A.P. product.)
And of course there’s the actual signature fragrance itself. ‘Emotionelle’ and ‘Maitresse” were the fragrance ranges that followed A.P. and a look at the visuals used to promote these ranges will show the inspiration behind the whole concept that is Agent Provocateur.
You don’t have to have a partner to use the scented candles or body oils, they are so divine, in fact you may want to keep them for yourself! The quality of ingredients in products such as ‘Bubble Luscious’ or ‘Body Glamour” and their sensual oils are such that they are skin treatments in themselves.
The product range has quite an exclusive distribution so can only be found in certain stores, namely SHISEIDO shops, DEBENHAMS in Limassol and Nicosia, FACE cosmetics shop in Larnaca, KATIA ANTONIOU pharmacy in Paphos. For other stockists call: 25-591539
