THE SCENT OF CELEBRITY
Are celebrity fragrances the Wham! posters of 2012?
I’ve opened my mail and landed in teenage heaven.
Sitting in front of me on my desk is a rather large pink, purple, gold and white box with the words “Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend” emblazoned across it.
Now, either JB’s girlfriend is very tiny or I’m being sold something … a concept, an idea, a feeling.
Nicki Minaj is also here with me. As is Taylor Swift.
Yes, welcome to the world of celebrity fragrances. A burgeoning industry that has me pondering the question: is owning and wearing your fave celeb’s fragrance the 2012 equivalent of pinning a poster of George Michael above your bed in 1984?
See, I know that my teenage daughter will go nutso for the Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Enchanted (it’s out next month). She’s already gone through a bottle of the original. She’ll love the cute charms hanging off the side of this bottle. It will be a case of love her music, love Taylor, I MUST love the fragrance too.
Then she’ll get around to actually smelling it.
I also know that she’ll think the Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend pink and purple spirals encasing a heart-shaped bottle is kind of clever but there is no way she’d be caught wearing it (she’s almost 16 and kind of missed the JB train when his hair do first arrived on the scene a few years ago).
Not sure what her reaction will be to the Nicki Minaj Pink Friday scent. It’s, well, very Nicki. Pink hair, bustier and a fragrance described as an “intoxicating floral musk”.
Not to be outdone, Lady Gaga also has a fragrance – is it wrong that when I first heard this, I thought of raw meat?
But if you thought the world of celebrity fragrance was squarely aimed at the next generation of fragrance lovers, you’d be wrong. JLo has been churning out fragrances for years; as has Britney Spears and Sarah Jessica Parker. All are big sellers.
And if celebrities aren’t actually putting out their own fragrances (with the help of the associated cosmetic houses), then they’re endorsing designer scents.
| Page 1 of 2 | next >> |
24 Responses to this article
-
Jodie aka Mummaducka October 25, 2012
Oh Nikki, I am so with you in the George camp, he could sell anything! But the others just do nothing for me. They do however still get my cash as daughter likes a few of these. I know brad is with Chanel, but do the others pair up with fragrance houses or just go it on their own?.
-
Jodie aka Mummaducka October 25, 2012
Just re read and saw that some are paired up. Is it on the packaging? I just don’t think they make that very clear at all.
-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
In the cases that the fragrance is actually named after the celebrity, the celebrity has worked with the cosmetic company to “create” it. So with the Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj fragrances, they’re with Elizabeth Arden. Lady Gaga’s fragrance is with Coty.
… then you have the celebrity endorsement or ambassador like Brad Pitt for Chanel. They’ll just appear in their advertising.
-
-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
Love George
-
-
Melinda @ ShopMeChic October 25, 2012
That Chanel and Brad Pitt ad is the worst! Have you seen the parody version done by SNL? So funny!
I love celebrity gossip and reading my dose of trashy magazines however I am not swayed by celebrities to purchase perfumes.
-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
So, so funny Melinda!
-
-
Steph October 25, 2012
There are some fragrances like Chanel No 5 that don’t really need celebrity endorsement, as they’re so iconic! I usually stay away from the celebrity ‘created’ perfumes, mainly because as their celebrity wanes, the perfume is discontinued
.
There are two fragrances which bring me back in time whenever I smell them- Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris and Jazz. Whenever I smell them, I’m reminded of my final year at school in 1988 and the boy upon whom I had the biggest crush!-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
I’m right back there in 1988 with you! Except it was my dad with the Jazz!
-
-
Lisa October 25, 2012
I love Michael Kors by Michael kors and I do like Lovely By Sarah Jessica Parker,and most Estee lauder ones ,and I love Flowers By Kenzo,I am a perfume whore ,yep that is right I will admit it,anything floral is something I like as I hate green and woodsy fragrances,they just are not me and give me Chanel No19 I prefer that over No 5 and if a fragrance has tuberose in it I will try it.I do think Nikki that the celeb fragrances are marketed for the teenage wearer.
I wore Dior’s Dorissimo on my wedding day and that brings back memories,it is like a bunch of white flowers and very intoxicating.-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
Definitely the celebrity perfumes are aimed at the teenage market – my daughter who I thought would poo-poo them, loves them.
-
-
Lauren October 25, 2012
My aunt gave me Kate Moss’s perfume, which I wear on special occasions. I wore it on my first date, so that’s what I remember whenever I wear it.
-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
That’s the power of a fragrance – it can mark a moment in time forever.
-
-
Sarah October 25, 2012
I wear L’Eau d’Issey: “Lotus, Rose, Lily and Precious Woods. An aquatic floral with a woody trail.” – it’s just flipping heaven. But yes, I had Spice Girls Impulse body spray – and even though you can’t find it today, sometimes I will get a certain smell from something and the memories come flooding back. Mostly of the absolute mania I felt about those ladies (and kinda still do?)
-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
Haha Sarah … yes, as someone else said, the danger of falling for a celeb fragrance is that the celeb power might wane and so then the fragrance.
-
-
anne louise October 25, 2012
Red Door reminds me of everything nasty that was ever invented. Ugh!!
-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
The good the bad and the ugly!
-
-
Min October 25, 2012
Something the Kardashians are good at its perfume.
The perfume called Gold smells wonderful and I get alot of compliments when wearing it.-
Nikki @ Styling You October 25, 2012
Will have to check it out!
-
-
ellenni October 25, 2012
i have never bought celebrity fragrances. i am addicted to french perfume and my all time favourite is kenzo flower which was a limited edition. supposedly it is being rereleased as kenzo red soon. down to my last 3 bottles! bought as much of it as i could when i heard it was finishing.
-
Thea October 26, 2012
I adore Diorissimo! The French have it all over the American companies for creating timeless, classic, sophisticated perfumes. Another favourite is Chloe Narcisse – apparently discontinued but available at the discount perfume places. I keep 3 backup bottles! (It is my everyday everywhere scent, and the one that wins me compliments). The one I can’t abide is Diesel; it is acrid and instant migrain material! Perfume is like wine – use a little, the best, every day.
-
Margot October 26, 2012
My S-I-L gave me Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci for my birthday. Not only is it beautifully bottled, but it smells divine. I love Brad Pitt but would not buy Chanel No 5 because of him. It is such an old lady scent, I suppose that is why they have enlisted him.
-
Rhoda October 26, 2012
Fidji by Guy Larouche. Subtle and feminine. Apparently there’s a new version that isn’t nearly as nice though.
Most of these modern celebrity perfumes are too strong and cloying to my nose.
-
JM October 27, 2012
I wear Chanel, not for its celebrity-ness… but because I first inhaled glorious Chanel No 5 when I was quite small and my now 99 year old aunt was wearing it. It reminds me of her – always will.
-
Mrs Woog October 28, 2012
I adore Christian Dior. And he never released a single x
