celebrity perfumes: 30 posts

After months of media buzz, Lady Gaga Fame has finally been launched.  You probably know by now how this celebrity perfume thing works.  Some celebrities—like Sarah Jessica Parker—get down and dirty in the design process, vetting the concept, going through the mods, arguing for dirtier musk, losing argument for dirtier musk, announcing that next time things are going to be different.  Then there are those under whose noses you presume a scent strip has passed, but who have not attended that endless cycle of developmental-phase meetings.

Lady Gaga appears to be of the assertive former type.  Early reports had it that the singer wanted her perfume to be based on blood and semen.  These notes, which might seem shockingly brave, are not new: Etat Libre d’Orange has already done both in Sécrétions Magnifiques.  But as happened with Parker’s dirtier musk, these notes didn’t make the final cut.  Instead, Fame, billed as “the first ever black eau de parfum,” contains “pulverized apricot, crushed heart of Tiger Orchidea, and tears of belladonna.”

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Justin Bieber is a young and very pretty singer, songwriter, and actor who has had a double platinum album, three singles in the Billboard Hot 100, and who has gotten involved in the fragrance industry.  Taylor Swift is a young and very pretty singer, songwriter, and actor who has won a Grammy for Country Album of the Year, for Best Country Song, and for Best Country Solo Performance. Ms. Swift has also gotten involved in the fragrance industry.

What is striking about their fragrances, Justin Bieber Someday and Taylor Swift Wonderstruck, is the similarity of the ad copy and the resemblance to Britney Spears Fantasy, a fruity, frothy thing that, as much as it might seem impossible, broke ground in this category.

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American reality star and designer, Nicole Richie, is prepared to launch her own perfume Nicole. It will be presented in September 2012, in time to compete with Lady Gaga whose fragrance Fame Black Fluid comes out around the same time. Nicole was inspired by her mother who liked to layer oils and lotions. “I have a very traditional Southern mom — you never left the house without lotion. Over her lotion went oil and perfume — she was very put together from head to toe. It wasn’t just a one-dimensional smell — there were many different layers,” said Richie during an interview with WWD.

Nicole was created by perfumer Steve DeMercado of Fragrance Resources. It includes notes of “succulent blackberry and Seville orange, has a heart of golden amber, Moroccan rose, lily of the valley and papyrus, and a drydown of sensual cashmere woods, sandalwood, sugared patchouli and vanilla absolute.” Of the Art Deco inspired bottle, Richie said that she wanted it to represent different layers of a woman.

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So, the debut perfume from singer Lady Gaga doesn’t smell of blood and semen. Yes, I know, you’re very surprised!

Although Lady Gaga promised that her debut perfume will smell like an “expensive hooker” or “blood and semen,” Fame : Black Fluid, smells like “tears of belladonna, crushed heart of tiger orchidea with a black veil of incense, pulverized apricot and the combinative essences of saffron and honey drops,” according to Lady Gaga’s twitter account. Via WWD and Lady Gaga’s twitter updates.

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“Madonna has no patience for stupid people,” said expert perfumer Stephen Nilsen, at the recent London launch of the popstar’s debut perfume [Madonna Truth or Dare]. But as the veteran “nose” discovered, she doesn’t make it all that easy on the clever ones, either… “She told me she wanted white florals, and she loved the ‘addiction’ accord I created,” – a blend of vanilla, caramel and amber. But it was hard to schedule face time with the busy performer, essential when trying to peg a client’s tastes and establish a common vocabulary.”

Apparently, Madonna has no patience for IFRA either. You can read about that and more in a fun Guardian blog article written by Katie Puckrik (she is the author behind Katie Puckrik Smells).