Search Forum

Weekly Discussion #11: Celebrity Scents. Let's analyze.

Weekly Discussion #11: Celebrity Scents. Let's analyze. 9 years ago
I am reviewing a celebrity scent tonight because of a request form a Forum member, so these types of scents are on my mind.

Some people scoff at these scents, touting that they are cheap and synthetic, others feel that they are equally as good as their more expensive counter parts are unjustifiably given a bad wrap.

I am in the middle. There are some celebrity brands that I adore (ie. Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna) and other lines I avoid (ie. Brittany Spears, Taylor Swift). I tried to sit and really understand why I find some of these scents so polarizing and others not so much. I think I have come to a conclusion.

It has nothing to do at all with quality (except perhaps for Fame) but everything to do with taste. The celebrity lines I find most offensive are all part of the sweeter, candied fruitchouli genres. I believe because I already have a rather negative feel for this genre, in general, I am less forgiving of any synthetic or cheap undertones that they might have. Perhaps I am more sensitive to the failings of these lines because I wouldn't be interested in them to begin with.

For example, I do not like the scents put out by Nicole Richie, Hillary Duff, Brittany Spears, Taylor Swift, etc.

I love and own all the scents by Elizabeth Taylor and Madonna.

Are the Elizabeth Taylor and Madonna scents really all that different in quality from the others, and It's just my personal taste, or is there really a difference in quality?

Also, I'd like to discuss the overall "celebrity scent" idea. Are they just scents for the masses, like the cheap fluff novels of literature, with no plot, or real talent in their creations? Do you feel that there really isn't a place for these scents in "real" perfumery? That perhaps they give this art form a bad rap? Maybe you feel that they are only good for people with no "real" appreciation of the art of perfume? Conversely, do you feel that all scents (even cheap mass media ones put out for those with no appreciation of their olfactory nerves) have a place, even if it tarnishes the overall "art" of scent creation?

Men please chip in with the examples from the men's side of the house!
9 years ago
I fully agree with you that after all it´s purely a matter of taste. Same as with movies, literature, music or outfit styles and as with all fields in which humans roam with their personal view there will be highly discussed differences Smile Jerry Cotton vs. Dorian Grey, so to speak Smile I think someone should write a novel letting both meet and solve a crime case Smile

Sorry, I am drifting away from your interesting topic.

Celeb scents are often scoffed at. True. I admit I have sinned with vanity, too, thinking that my exquisite taste cannot be at all represented by something as tacky as a Rihanna scent :-/ I admit this kind of thinking is foolish and certainly not fair and I have already made a big exception from my priniciple.
I own Dita von Teese´s "Erotique". When I decided to purchase this scent I began to analyse why I was willing to do so. I came to the conclusion : I like Dita. And maybe I was also sold for that sleazy but yet appealing perfume name (please don´t judge me *g*). And maybe also the very alluring low price made me think no harm can be done in buying the stuff and seeing how much I will like it in the long run.

"Erotique" is a deadringer for Comme des Garcon´s "Wonderwood". Two different price levels, niche vs. celeb. Ouch. What a sacrilege of holy niche perfumery ! To even dare comparing these scents.
I do, nonetheless. I once owned "Wonderwood" and sold it because it caused me terrible migraines. With an issue like that the actually beautiful scent did nothing for me.
"Erotique" did not make my head hurt and it smells very nice. Unlike other celebrity perfumes it is pretty unsweet, almost masculine. The bottle is no piece of art but OK. I am not a bottle collector anyway.

"Erotique" showed me that I can move away from my sometimes biased views. Owning and wearing this scent did not ruin my perfume wardrobe nor did anyone come up to me saying, "Oh no, she´s wearing THAT celeb stuff again."

Admitted, I am not so much anymore into fruity-floral-musky stuff like Lancome´s "La vie est belle" (which is, IMHO, the perfect scent caliber for a standard celeb scent) and so Dita´s scent was different from the start and hence attractive to me.
Maybe very young buyers are more susceptible to celebrity merchandise and so the Rihanna-Madonna-Heidi Klum-juices are directed with emphasis on this particular peer group.....older brawls like me appreciate some good old Opium and Poison and terrorise their surroundings with that *lol* Smile

I forgot to mention another one I have dearly loved since teen age : Gabriela Sabatini. She may not be a celebrity anymore but in the 80s she was one of THE tennis stars. Guess we can count her in this discussion. Not a floral-fruity one either.....she got me hooked over decades with a woody-floral composition.

Are expensive niche houses always better than cheapies ? Hmmmmm.............................hmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmm...........................hmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmm...............no. I came across some pretty stinky niche scents worth a small fortune. One thing is for sure : I will never ever have "Woman X" on my skin as long as my nose is alive. Go figure Smile

And psssttt : I have always had a liking for Elizabeth Taylors "White Diamonds" but please do not tell anyone Smile
9 years ago
Fascinating discussion. My pennyworth is that it is probably not worth judging them by genre. They are a group that is unashamedly aimed at the teen or late teen market and therefore will have an abundance of the chemical sugary fruitfest that perhaps is best avoided in general...
however...
These are serious perfumes from the angle of their creators desiring them to be of mass appeal, mass acceptability and massive profitability. Not much really that isn't general to most of the perfumery world except perhaps the uber niche creators who are after the artistic angle only.

Having ascertained that big money is usually behind the creation, it therefore follows that the big money can usually afford a decent perfumer. It should therefore follow that actually if you can disregard the probably dreadful brief, that there may indeed be the occasional perfume that really ought to be rather good. If no names and no bottles were attached and we were all blind testing, the results might be rather surprising.

In the good old days, the likes of Coty, Dana and even good old Avon, were very much of this genre and we look at some of them as the goddesses of vintage now. I'm thinking Coty Emeraude here.

Keep your perfumista minds open if you don't want to miss the gems. They may be few and far between, with hideous names and bottles to boot... but between us all .... we will find them ....
Notify about new comments
Display posts from previous:
Forum Overview Perfumes by Note, Accord, Genre Weekly Discussion #11: Celebrity Scents. Let's analyze.
Jump to