Everyone wants a piece of the perfume industry. That may have to do with scent triggering memories so effectively, or maybe it stems more from the lucrative business side. Three new scents by celebrities have spritzed onto the market with varied reaction.
Queen Latifah sought to capture a state of mind with her debut fragrance, Queen ($49 for 1.7 oz at macys.com.) The eye-catching red bottle contains a stand-up-and-take-notice scent. Steve DeMercado, the perfumer behind JLo’s Love at First Glow, Marc Jacob’s Blush, and others, collaborated with the Queen herself to bring about this larger than life perfume.
The top notes of golden tequila accord, Italian bergamot, and Mediterranean Mandarin cover the mid notes of baie rose, jasmine noir, cognac, and Moroccan coriander. It finishes off with Indonesian patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla absolute, tonka absolute, Egyptian incense, and musk. This scent completely bowled me over, but in all fairness, I’m a roses and lilac wallflower sort of girl. If you have a personality to carry it off, why not take this olfactory embodiment of confidence out for a spin?
Everyone’s favorite party girl, Paris Hilton, sings her song to lure us to the perfume counter where we’ll find her latest fragrance, Siren ($45 at macys.com.) Honorine Blanc worked alone to create this sugary, fruity scent. It’s not unpleasant, just misnamed. The term ‘siren’ conjures images of danger and mystery, but the top notes of mandarin, apricot, and frangipani do little in that vein. Honeysuckle, coconut orchid, and water little hold the middle ground, while vanilla beans, sandalwood, and creamy musk make up the bottom. Siren has a studied innocence about it that feels odd with its vixenish name and its namesake as well. We love Paris (or love to hate her) for her brazen escapades, not her girlish naiveté. But if it’s girlishness you seek, go on and slather on Siren.
I’ve already reviewed Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Love ($49 at macys.com), but of the recent crop of celeb scents, it’s still my favorite. Like Queen Latifah, Simpson worked with the perfumers – a whole slew, as opposed to just one – to give us goji leaf, peach blossom, bergamot, and pink champagne, followed by lotus, peonies, plumeria, jasmine, and Turkish rose. The final notes of amber, blonde woods, musk, and patchouli leave the wearer with a light, flirty scent that never overpowers. As I confessed above, I’m a sucker for flowers. Simpson has me where she wants me – online, extolling the virtues of her scent. (You’re welcome, Jessica.)
You can have it any way you want it – bold, sweet, or ladylike – thanks to these ladies and the experts behind them. Partake of them as you will, depending on your mood and preference, and enjoy!
