Bottled Seduction - Alyssa Hertzig

BODY AND SOUL(Continued from page 147)for a few really down days, he did. “Itwas the best thing I could have done formyself,” Ricks says.Of course, Ricks was not withouther inhibitions. She recalls the first nightwith another man she became engagedto, an Argentinian named Armando. Hewas an MBA student and considerablyyounger; she met him playing tennis in theHamptons. “I wore a T-shirt to bed,” sherecalls. “The first time we were together,he took it off and said, ‘This is ridiculous,’and he kissed my scars.’ I never felt loveimmediately as I felt it for him.” They weretogether, on and off, for three years, butRicks ended the relationship in January.“He was young, he should have his ownchildren, and I couldn’t give him that.”In less than a year, Ricks will celebratefive years of being cancer-free. For a yearafter finishing chemotherapy, she wason Herceptin, a drug that interferes withHER2-receptor cells and is thought to stopthis particular form of cancer cell fromgrowing. Now she takes tamoxifen, a pillthat disrupts the effects of estrogen on thebody. Like many premenopausal womenon the drug, she continues to have her periodand none of the ill effects of estrogenreduction: Her skin is fine, and as far aslubrication and libido goes, as she says, “Iknow I sound like Rainbow Brite, but I’vehad no negative side effects down there.”Ricks has made some concessions toher cancer. She gets her blood drawnevery three months to check for cancermarkers, and she wants to have a fullbodyscan, though her oncologist doesn’tthink it’s necessary. “I still wake up in themiddle of the night,” she says. “Withoutthe distractions of my three full-timejobs—the business, the philanthropy,motherhood—the fears come back.”But right now, it’s daytime, it’s sunny,and Ricks is getting ready for a meetingat the Freeman Navigation Institute,of which she is now chairman. She isdressed in a formfitting yellow Missonioff-the-shoulder dress. Currently single,she wants women facing breast cancerto know this: “I love my breasts morethan before the reconstruction…and Iswear I’ve never felt so sexy in my life.”And that house in the Hamptons? “Itore it down,” she says. “I rebuilt everything.Now I have my dream home.” ◆BOTTLED SEDUCTION(Continued from page 263)daily spritz of perfume about as muchcare as their morning swipe of deodorant,but fragrance needs love, too. “Thinkabout what you’re going to be doingthat day and how you want to feel,” saysBrosius. “The right perfume makes a difference.”Fragrance shouldn’t be relegatedto the medicine cabinet or stuffed intoan overflowing drawer—get it out in theopen. “Seeing your favorite perfumes isfeminine and personal, and helps createa feeling of ritual,” says perfumer MandyAftel of Aftelier Perfumes. “The wholeexperience of perfume is enhanced by abeautiful bottle.”Spritz based on mood or occasion. “Iwouldn’t wear the same thing on a datethat I would to a business dinner, so I don’tchoose the same scent,” says Hennessey.“Fragrance can complement what you’rewearing—or how you’re feeling.” Whatworks for everyone can differ, but in general,citrusy and fruity fragrances are uplifting,spicy notes are energizing, and floralsare ideal if you’re feeling seductive, saysperfumer Jane Hendler, cofounder of AjnePure Botanical Academy. Says Meredith,“If I’m feeling dreamy or romantic, I’llchoose something with heliotrope, butif I need energy, I like a lot of cedar andherbs, like Le Labo Santal 33.” Fragrancealso has the ability to conjure powerfulmemories and emotions. Every year on heranniversary, Khoury wears Estée LauderPleasures, the fragrance she was developingwhen she met her husband. “It was thefirst thing he ever complimented me on,”she says. “I have such an emotional connectionto it.”Never go without. To perfume lovers,the thought of skipping scent is nearlyas unappealing as forgetting to wearshoes. “Fragrance is such an importantpart of my life, so I don’t feel fullydressed without it,” says Karen Adamsof Sniffapalooza, who carries rollerballsof her favorites in her bag. The diehardseven wear fragrance to sleep: Some switchto a sexy perfume that the husbandloves, others dab on coconut scents thatcall to mind a tropical vacation, and somesimply view the evening as an extra eighthours to spend with their favorites. “Ichoose fragrances that I want to smell allnight long,” says Meredith. “The rightperfume can lead to amazing dreams.” ◆Allure/October 2011 299