Smells like success

Her first name may mean blue in French, but Azure`Rae Turner’s new passion could have her seeing lots of green in the near future.

The 13-year-old Dale City resident recently started a perfume line called “Azure: The Scent of Flawless.” A self-described girly-girl who wanted to be on television from age 5, Azure`Rae’s new scent had a divine inspiration.

She figured God was as good as it gets and chose a passage from the Book of Corinthians to help market the perfume.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear has heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

An avid churchgoer, her mother, Sharon, at first thought Azure`Rae would not commit to the project, figuring her desire to create a perfume was just a passing fancy inspired by her trips to the mall with her family. Azure`Rae was busy with school and modeling — which she has done for several years.

But Azure`Rae pressed the issue and soon discovered a perfumer online. She and her family then sampled the scents at home to see what worked the best.

Amazingly, all her relatives unknowingly chose her favorite scent, said her mother.

“It just made me feel happy,” Azure`Rae said of the secret ingredients. “It smelled so good, there was nothing that smelled like it.”

After choosing the scent, her family helped her get the perfume trademarked, acquire bottling and packaging companies and design her Web site, www.dreamazure.com. The Web site features professional photos of the Rippon Middle School seventh-grader and her perfume, labeled in cursive script with a red heart at the end of her name.

Azure`Rae’s precocious beauty comes across in these images and recently caught the eyes of Hollywood. This summer she was filmed as an extra on the Mall in Washington in “How Do You Know?” — a 2010 release starring Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson and Owen Wilson. In the scene, Azure`Rae was walking along the grass with a group of students on a field trip.

Azure`Rae said she enjoyed her role and eventually wants to be a movie star. But for now, she wants to concentrate on school and focus on creating other fragrances, as well as a men’s shampoo and soap.

Whatever she ends up doing in life, she’ll give it her best shot. That determination to succeed is a quality her mother has handed down to Azure`Rae.

“Most kids, they are out playing ball,” Sharon said. “She’s doing research, she’s striving for excellence.”

“I want to be a role model for other kids, to show they can do it as long as you are dedicated,” Azure`Rae said.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.