When you ask a woman -- especially a beauty editor -- for her favorite perfume, you expect to hear names like Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, and Chloé -- not Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, and Paris Hilton.
It's not that we have anything against these celebs, but there's something so cheese-tastic about buying and wearing a fragrance that has a celebrity's face plastered all over it. And yet, the celebrity fragrance industry is booming.
Elizabeth Taylor was the first to cash in with her celebrity perfume, and since then the fragrance industry has become a major revenue source for Hollywood. Take Paris Hilton. She's made $1.5 billion dollars from her perfume collection so far, and she's coming out with fragrance No. 15 this summer. Clearly there's a market for the products, but who are the women shelling out their hard earned cash for these celebrity fragrances?
Now, before you start raising those eyebrows, hear us out. While we may not proudly display these celeb fragrances on our vanities, the truth is that a handful of these perfumes actually smell good. Sure, you could argue that some of these celebrities don't have any business in the limelight -- let alone the perfume industry. But one way or another, they've created scents that a lot of us love to wear. Want to see the 11 celebrity fragrances the TotalBeauty.com editors secretly spritz on every day? Who knows, just like us, you might end up needing to find a good hiding spot for one of these.
"I'm embarrassed to admit it, but my favorite celebrity fragrance is Dawn by Sarah Jessica Parker. It's kind of ridiculous to wear something with your name, but I really do love the scent. When it launched, an editor I was working with at the time gave it to me as a joke. I sprayed it on and actually liked it -- and I got so many compliments that I brought it home. Now, whenever I wear something else my husband can tell and asks why I'm not 'wearing the Dawn.' It's a fresh blend of vanilla, violet, and citrus -- scents I always love -- so it shouldn't be so surprising that I love this fragrance, despite its name." -- Dawn Davis, New York Editor
"I tried this because I was looking for a vanilla-scented perfume that didn't smell like a bakery. And even though I was thoroughly embarrassed to buy it, I can't deny that whenever I wear it I get compliments. I just never reveal what I'm wearing." -- Paola Gonzales, Senior Graphic Designer
"I'm mortified that I love this perfume. Not only is it a celebrity fragrance, but it's a country star's celebrity fragrance. I hate country music. So I find it super ironic that a huge country star makes my favorite celebrity perfume. And the fact that Tim McGraw has a same-name companion cologne (can you say cheesy?!) should put me off the stuff even more, but it doesn't. It's light and fruity without being too sweet -- it just smells clean and fresh. Top notes are peach and grapefruit, and base notes are cucumber and sandalwood -- a really awesome blend for an everyday scent." -- Meghan Rabbitt, Executive Editor
"I'm not going to lie: When I wear this, I'm afraid that I'm going to attract 16-year-old boys. That said, it makes me feel like I'm a carefree teenager all over again. Once I got over the ugly packaging -- the bendable lip attachments at the top of the bottle are really tacky -- I was able to admit that I really like the scent." -- Christine Lee, Editorial Intern
When you ask a woman -- especially a beauty editor -- for her favorite perfume, you expect to hear names like Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, and Chloé -- not Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, and Paris Hilton.
It's not that we have anything against these celebs, but there's something so cheese-tastic about buying and wearing a fragrance that has a celebrity's face plastered all over it. And yet, the celebrity fragrance industry is booming.
Elizabeth Taylor was the first to cash in with her celebrity perfume, and since then the fragrance industry has become a major revenue source for Hollywood. Take Paris Hilton. She's made $1.5 billion dollars from her perfume collection so far, and she's coming out with fragrance No. 15 this summer. Clearly there's a market for the products, but who are the women shelling out their hard earned cash for these celebrity fragrances?
Now, before you start raising those eyebrows, hear us out. While we may not proudly display these celeb fragrances on our vanities, the truth is that a handful of these perfumes actually smell good. Sure, you could argue that some of these celebrities don't have any business in the limelight -- let alone the perfume industry. But one way or another, they've created scents that a lot of us love to wear. Want to see the 11 celebrity fragrances the TotalBeauty.com editors secretly spritz on every day? Who knows, just like us, you might end up needing to find a good hiding spot for one of these.
