TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.4*
Why: One reader says, "it's like granny perfume that has been sitting on the dresser for 40 years. Very strong. Not for me." Another agrees saying, "classic doesn't always mean great. It's definitely a strong scent that is good for anyone over the age of 50, I wouldn't say 'grandma' because this is an old scent, but it's something that the older ladies probably used when they were teens." Another woman says, "I received it as a Christmas gift and tried it, but had to give it away because I couldn't handle it. I love the packaging — it is always so elegant. I just can't handle the smell."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.3*
Why: Women say this fragrance is "BOOOOORING! Cannot recommend this scent unless you really don't want to be noticed. If you're the wallflower type and want to stay that way, Baby is for you. Not an unpleasant scent, just no fun." Many readers say it smells just like baby powder. Weird. "This fragrance is pleasant and soft, but it smells just like baby oil or baby powder. I realized that buying J&J baby oil would've been so much cheaper. I got tired of it after a week of daily wear because it's a one-note wonder. Save your money and buy something more intricate and complex that you'll enjoy for months."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.7*
Why: One reader exclaims, "Ew!" Another says it is "the nastiest, cheapest smelling perfume you have ever smelled." One woman says, "This is the worst smelling perfume ever! When I smelled it, I literally gagged! This is a horrible perfume and smells worse than the old lady perfume I call Ralph Lauren." One reader says, "I am a huge Mariah fan, so I had high hopes for this one. When I tried it, it smelled overwhelmingly sweet, but not in a good way. It is a strong burnt marshmallow-smelling fragrance."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8*
Why: Readers say, "first off, I love the fake ring on the bottle. Secondly, I was not looking for this perfume — it found me. I love the scent because it suits me and I don't get the perfume headache with the scent. It lasts all day on me." Another says, "This smells soooo good! I think I've found a new favorite scent." One person tried a sample and liked it so much "I went and bought it. Definitely a keeper. Lasted all day and worth the money. Love the bottle too." One woman couldn't be more ecstatic saying, "I am in absolute love with this scent! It's so girly and sweet. Baby Phat did a good job with this one."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.7*
Why: One reader admits, "I wear this almost every day now. My husband bought it for me last Valentine's Day and I honestly laughed. I'm a bit of a fragrance snob and I mistakenly figured this would be something I'd rarely use. What a great surprise! It's so feminine with a twist. It's florally and [has] a hint of spice all at the same time." A reviewer recounts, "a friend of mine was wearing this fragrance and I noticed it right away. Normally I can't stand perfumes — they always seem too strong, too flowery, or just unpleasant, but I LOVED this one." Another reader says, "My husband can't stay away when I wear this and to me that's the real measure of any fragrance." Readers say it's "difficult to describe" and "must be experienced."
Perfume pop quiz: Who created the celebrity fragrance model? (Cue the "Jeopardy" theme song.) Give up? Answer: Elizabeth Taylor in 1988 (source). Yup. Nowadays, literally everyone and their mother has their own perfume (or line of beauty products), and you can't pick up a magazine or drive down Sunset Blvd. without seeing a scantily clad starlet, spooning or straddling her life-size, eponymous fragrance. So the question is then, do all of these celeb perfumes stink or are some shockingly wearable?
We'll spare you the trouble and headache of trying on 47 different fragrances — because our readers already did the nose work for you. While some women "only bought this because it was Gwen Stefani's" (or one of their other favorite celebrity's) other reviewers were "a little nervous to buy something with Britney Spears' name on it" (or felt skeptical about a tween star's perfume), but were pleasantly surprised to discover that "it smells good enough to justify admitting in public that I wear a Britney Spears scent." One woman confesses that she is "not a big Paris Hilton fan, but I could bathe in" her perfume. Another reviewer gushes about Hilton's scent saying, "I could drown myself in this perfume and still not get tired of it." Bathe and drown? Wow, that's some pretty hyperbolic language there, ladies. As for the worst ones, a reviewer who is "a huge Mariah Carey fan... had high hopes for this one" but it "smelled overwhelmingly sweet, but not in a good way." And other readers found some of the stars' fragrances to be "BOOOOORING!" or "like granny perfume that has been sitting on the dresser for 40 years." Ouch.
But of course, the true litmus test for an overwhelming amount of our reviewers is this: Does the boyfriend/finance/husband/significant other think it smells good? If so, readers dab it on twice a day; and if not, it pretty much gets thrown to the dogs. And not to take two steps back in the feminist movement, but one woman sums up the overall sentiment of most reviewers by saying, "my husband can't stay away when I wear this, and to me that's the real measure of any fragrance."
