The Reluctant Princess

I have resigned myself to the fact that I am a princess. I don't mean that I'm difficult to deal with, or that I have to have things a certain way or I'll throw a temper tantrum (hush, Mom). I mean this in quite the literal sense. I am a princess. Not only that, but a specific one, apparently.

You see, I was eleven when Disney's Beauty and the Beast came out in theatres. That was always my favorite fairy tale, and I absolutely loved the movie. I had bangs that had a terrible cowlick, thanks to a beauty school (God, I hope she decided to) drop-out, and was really self-conscious because they split down the middle. Well, Belle's did, too! Everyone noticed and thought I looked just like Belle (not hardly), and I even got stopped in the mall a couple of times, just so the person who stopped me could comment on the resemblance. I ate it up.

Fast forward a decade and a half, and I'm a struggling New York actor. I've been in the city a month, and get my first role--Beauty, in a non-Disney children's musical of the fairy tale. I wore a tiara and fell in love with the Beast every day for three whole months. Unfortunately, it didn't pay very well, so when it ended, I came home instead of going back to New York.

My very first day at work as a voice-over artist, I met this really cute guy. Six months later, I'm standing in a bridal shop, about to try on a wedding dress. The last thing I wanted was a costume. I've worn so many wedding dresses onstage, I didn't want to look like the actress playing the bride. I just wanted to be me. The first dress I tried on was the dress.

"OH--you look just like Belle!"

Yep, that's the first thing my Mom said when she saw her darling daughter in her wedding gown. The bridal consultant agreed. Great...

The day of the wedding finally arrives, and I throw on my dress (quite literally--it was one crazy day) and run to where the photographer has set up. It's the first time any of my bridesmaids have seen me in my dress.

"OH--you look just like Belle!"

I give up. At that time, I totally didn't see it. Sure, it had a pick-up skirt, but it was ivory, no little sleevelets, and lots of embellishments and a train. And yes, I had my mostly brown hair half-up, half-down with a tiara, but it was really more of a headband and made of gold flowers. Oh, and I had a veil! Did Belle have a veil? I don't think so!

Last year, after almost two years of marriage, Thomas and I took a vacation to Disney World. I love the cute shops on Main Street, and was in one, looking at some figurines. Thomas came up behind me and pointed to a figurine of Belle, but one painted with watercolors so the colors were all very sheer. Her dress looked almost, dare I say, ivory.

"Hey, Erin! That looks just like your wedding dress."

Oh. My. God. It did. I finally saw it. Seriously, if you tacked some little sleevelets onto the bodice, it's the same dress. Oh. My. God.

We're getting ready to trek back to the Magic Kingdom in a few months, so when I saw this, I just had to laugh. If I ever win the lottery, I guess I'll have to pick one up.

Photo by Dooney and Bourke

This is from the Pop Princess Collection by Dooney and Bourke. Don't you just love the little cameo sillouettes of the princesses? This is a slightly more grownup way to show off your princess status than, say, wearing a tiara in the park. Not that I'd ever do that. I mean, that would be silly. Right? $220.00, disneystore.com (so yeah, no kidding with the winning the lottery comment).

Also, in case you were wondering, I'm still going through all my samples. Today, in honor of the first Disney Princess, I decided to try DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum spray. The full-size bottle is shaped like an apple, and the perfume is made with notes of American apple, so it seemed fitting for Snow White.

From Sephora:

A modern feast for the senses. Served in a sleek metal and glass apple bottle, this juicy fragrance combines the scent of apple with a sophisticated blend of exotic flowers and sensual woods. Like the city that inspired it, Be Delicious celebrates individuality with refreshing spirit.

Notes:American Apple, Cucumber, Grapefruit, Candid Magnolia, Tuberose, White Muguet, Rose, Violet, Sandalwood, Tender Skin Accord, Blonde Woods, White Amber.

Style:Free-spirited. Refreshing. Unique.

Perfume reacts to your body's chemistry, so it's different for each person. For me, I'm not getting any apple. I am getting a lot of the Magnolia and Tuberose, which, sadly, I seem to be allergic to. Oops. Be Delicious, on me, is mainly floral, but after several hours of wearing it, I can detect a little cucumber. Obviously, since it's making my eyes burn and water, I won't be able to wear it again, but I'm not averse to trying another DKNY scent, just one with fewer flowers. One ounce retails for $40 at Sephora.com.

So hey, I have the dress, the handsome prince, I occasionally talk to birds, and have an aversion to an apple. Maybe I do need to track down a tiara. Hmmm...