STYLE FRAGRANCE CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Natalie Wood on the beach in Malibu in 1956; the eau de parfum Natalie; Natasha Gregson Wagner with her mother in the early ’70s.
SPLENDOR IN THE BOTTLE NATASHA GREGSON WAGNER DEBUTS THE FRAGRANCE SHE CREATED TO HONOR HER MOTHER, ACTRESS NATALIE WOOD, AT WHITE’S APOTHECARY. BY CHRISTINA CLEMENTE
For most of her life, actress Natalie Wood’s signature fragrance was Jungle Gardenia. Now, to help keep her mother’s legacy alive, Natasha Gregson Wagner has introduced a modern rendition, fittingly called Natalie. The gardenia-imbued perfume is available at White’s Apothecary in East Hampton and Southampton, where Wagner will appear on
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July 8 and 9 to talk about the scent and her mother. Here she gives Hamptons a sneak preview. How did the idea to create a perfume in your mother’s name come about? My dad had thought about doing a tribute fragrance to my mom in the ’80s, and then Elizabeth Taylor came out with White Diamonds and that was the end of that. After
the birth of my daughter, Clover [in 2012], I wanted to become more involved in perpetuating my mom’s legacy. How is Natalie a take on your mom’s signature scent, Jungle Gardenia? Jungle Gardenia is a very heavy fragrance; it has a more synthetic smell. I worked with perfumer Claude Dir to create a natural gardenia, the way
it would smell in the backyard—crisper. How does the scent embody your mother? My experience with my mom was with somebody who was very joyful and had a joie de vivre about her. I wanted something that would make me feel that lightness. Why did you decide to partner with White’s Apothecary? I think one of the things
that touched [the Rosses, the founders of White’s] is that this is a motherdaughter story, and they’re a motherdaughter business. I love that continuity. I’m really excited and feel like it’s a great fit. White’s Apothecary, 81 Main St., East Hampton, 324-0082; 18 Hampton Road, Southampton, 287-2900; whitesapothecary.com
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY EARL LEAF/MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES (WOOD); SKYWING/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (GARDENIA); BY ART ZELIN/GETTY IMAGES (GREGSON WAGNER)
“MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY MOM WAS WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAD A JOIE DE VIVRE ABOUT HER.” —NATASHA GREGSON WAGNER