Will L’Oréal lure men into Enza’s boudoir?

Enza Supermodel wasn’t asked to be the new fourmillion- dollar face of L’Oréal Paris (Scarlett Johansson, that bitch!) but fab thinks she’s worth it. We asked the local media icon to try out a new product in L’Oréal’s high-end Kérastase line. It’s a frosted-glass spray bottle that says, “Brume à tissu [‘fabric fog’] by Laura Tonatto,” an Italian perfume designer who – her website purrs – created “a primary fragrance representing Kérastase style and philosophy throughout the world.” But is this just a verbose way of saying it’ll make your clothes smell good, even if you don’t?

It’s a product one assumes Enza would need – having two sets of differently gendered clothing – but Enza says no. “I’ve started getting away from men’s clothes – no more T-shirts, just ladies’ jackets, ladies’ jeans. It was when I got my breasts, about two years ago.” This big step was a long time coming. “I started doing drag at 18 but I knew even before then that I wanted to transition,” she says. The name “Enza Anderson” comes from “my old boy name, Enzo” and from pioneering Toronto drag queen Danny Love, who, upon seeing Enza in a blond wig, announced, “You look like Loni Anderson!”

Enza agrees to sample the fancy clothing freshener in her own apartment, laying out dresses near her collection of wigs and her cluttered makeup table. Her first sprays are cautious but she’s immediately impressed. “It smells nice,” she says. “I really like it.” The scent is very light, with a freshness that Enza dubs “Febreze: The Next Level!” The Kérastase spray, she explains, “has that springtime appeal, unlike Febreze, which has a very chemical smell.” This new product, she announces, “is the eau de toilette of fabric!” Still spritzing, Enza is now downright giddy. “I’ll put some on my bed,” she squeals. “You want to draw a man to the scent, a sexy scent for those romantic nights. I tried it with perfume but it was too overpowering and it lingered. If the man was married, he was in big trouble!” By this point, she’s gone through nearly half the bottle (“I’m so addicted to it!”) but the room still smells like light rain.

Enza could have used the spray during her climb to fame, when she worked nights cleaning Woody’s, one of the busiest bars in town. “Let’s just say it would’ve added a touch more aroma than the beer and urine,” she groans, “but it was no smellier than any other bar.” Since those grimy days, Enza has run for mayor (finishing third), become a correspondent for Naked News and established a column in the free daily Metro. “The best part is that Metro has half-a-million readers on the subway – they sit on my face every morning!”

“The B-Girlz once said to me, ‘Enza, you’re a media whore!’ and I said, ‘No, I’m a media slut. A whore gets paid and I’m not making any money!’” Enza smiles, adding, “Now, I’m a media whore ’cause I’m getting paid!”

More information on the fabric freshener will be available at www.kerastase.com and www.lauratonatto.com. Read Enza’s column at www.metronews.ca.

scott dagostino