The Smell of Celebrity

The boom in celebrity-inspired fragrances is booming and there’s no sign of the trend disappearing.

In fact, it seems almost unusual for a big-time celebrity to not have a scent. The fleeting and fickle nature of celebrity nowadays means that cashing in quick requires a finger in many pies - fragrance being a very popular and potentially lucrative one.

Celebrity fragrances are fueling the growth in perfumes launched each year - more than 350 in the US alone in 2005 . Celebrity fragrances are nothing new - decades ago with stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Cher launched their own scents but only recently have they begun to compose a major segment of the $6 billion U.S. industry.

According to industry experts, Jennifer Lopez’s foray into the fragrance market four years ago signalled the ressurection of this fragrance category. Sales had been flat, however celebrities lending their name to fragrances has enticed consumers that ordinarily would not spend in this market.

Now, along with celebrity peers like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Sara Jessica Parker, people like best-selling author Danielle Steele and even television series Desperate Housewives have entered the arena.

It’s not necessarily a good thing though.

Rochelle Bloom, president of the New York-based Fragrance Foundation says in an article in post-gazette.com that store shelves are crowded with personal fragrances. She predicted that the weakest scents will fade into oblivion, adding that some celebrities need “a reality check.”

Their entries have been “great for the industry” in terms of exposure, she said, “but it’s a little scary when you see people adding their names to fragrances and you wonder who is their audience. Everyone thinks they’re a Jennifer Lopez. Everyone who has their five minutes of fame wants a fragrance. But regardless of your name, in the end the juice has to be good.”