Play-Doh Perfume a loser

Perfume as a brand extension did not fare well in 2006 according to a survey by Brand Consultancy TippingSprung.

And Play-Doh perfume was nominated the most inappropriate brand extension with 61% of the vote.

Consumers also turned their noses up at scents from Daytona 500 and rock band KISS.

Ronan Keating Fragrance

Ronan Keating has become the latest male celebrity to create a fragrance range.

The fragrance range, which also includes a female fragrance, is being launched in time for Valentine's Day to target the lucrative gift shopper with all proceeds going to the Marie Keating Foundation – the charity set up by Keating in memory of his late mother who died of cancer in 1998.

The range consists of a female fragrance, Hope By Ronan, which is based upon musk and amber scents and a male scent, Believe by Ronan, based on Sicilian Lemon, Lavender and Clary Sage smells.

Perfume News Samples

Coty has sold off its specialty bath brands, the Healing Gardern and Calgon to New Jersey-based Ascendia Brands.

A plant in India which makes perfume bottles endorsed by British television star Jade Goody has stopped production following the Big Brother racism row.

Carolina Herrera Jnr talks about her career in fragrance in Britain's Telegraph Fashion section.

Clive Owen face of Lancome Homme

British actor Clive Owen will receive £2.5million for promoting Lancome Homme - which will boast products such as plankton-infused wrinkle cream, 'invigorating' cleansing gel and smooth face scrub.

Lancome's roster of 'faces' includes Sir Mick Jagger's daughter Lizzie, American actress Uma Thurman, Spanish starlet Ines Sastre and German beauty Diane Kruger - who played Helen in Troy.

A Lancome insider said they hoped Owen's input would encourage men to be more open about buying skincare products. "The company thinks he's fabulous, he's very manly looking," the source said. "He'll be huge for the heterosexual market. "He's getting a giant fee but the men's skincare market is exploding. Suddenly it's become OK for real men to care about how they look.

Jade Goody's Shhh perfume withdrawn from shelves

The Perfume Shop has withdrawn Jade Goody's "Shh..." perfume from its stores with immediate effect. Goody was ejected out of the CBB house last night. She has sparked an international furore with here bullying and racist comments to fellow housemate Shilpa Shetty, a Bollywood actress.

Goody has amassed an 8 million pound fortune since she was a housemate in Big Brother four years ago.

He perfume Shhh was a top seller at Christmas.

(Why anyone would want to buy Goody's perfume is beyond me!).

Christina Aguilera Fragrance

Christina Aguilera is the latest celeb to sign on to create a fragrance.

The singer has teamed up with Procter & Gamble to create a fragrance line. "I love trying new things in my music and in fashion," Aguilera said in a statement. "To have a perfume of my own is the beginning of an exciting adventure." (Courtesy of MTV News)

Wonder what it will be called? Christina?

Old Spice News

I only just blogged about Old Spice a week or so ago...

Cult actor Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) is the new spokesperson for Old Spice.

The advertising agency resposible for the Old Spice account is trying to lure younger men to the scent with a humorous ad campaign.

A television, print and online campaign with the theme “Experience is everything” will take a cheeky look at modern masculinity as it seeks to extol the virtues of Old Spice as a brand family as well as to stimulate sales of specific products like deodorants, body washes and fragrances...

“Previous generations loved Old Spice and had a more emotional attachment to it,” said Monica Taylor, an art director at Wieden & Kennedy who is one of two creative directors on the account. “I remember my dad using it; it was such a deep, rich brand.” ("Old Spice Tries a Dash of Humor to Draw Young Men", NY TIMES, 8th January 2007)

Scent of Terror

Ever wondered what a terrorist smells like?

A new perfume carrying the "scent of resistance" and celebrating Hizbullah's "divine victory" has been released on the market in Lebanon.

Resistance Perfume comes "exclusively" with a political message and a picture of Hizbullah's secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. A slogan on the perfume box, quoting Nasrallah during a wartime speech made over the summer reads: 'You are the truthful promise ... and I have great faith in you and I promise you divine victory.'

(Definitely one of the stranger perfume launches of the year!)

New perfumes from GAP and Banana Republic

Inter Parfums, which makes and markets top fragrances worldwide as a licensee of top brands including Burberry, Lanvin, and Van Cleef & Arpel, has signed exclusive pacts to produce perfume and beauty products for The Gap and Banana Republic.

Parlux Fragrances sales down

Parlux Fragrances sales were down down 63 percent in 2006. Angry investors in the Fort Lauderdale perfume business smelled failure because of sagging sales and the late filing of a financial report. A shareholder lawsuit has been filed, and one major investor has asked regulators to dump the entire board.

Parlux manufacters and distributes the Paris Hilton and Guess fragrances, among others.

Old Spice

I love the smell of the original Old Spice. It's so manly.

Does anyone wear it anymore? Can you even get the original scent? From what I've read it seems that the fragrance has been rebranded.

There's a great question on the site's FAQ section:

Where's Soap-on-a-Rope, Shaving Mug refills, and the Talc Powder?
Sorry to break it to you, but all these products were discontinued about 10 years ago.

Ah...Soap-on-a-Rope.

I think I bought that for my dad for about seven consecutive Father's Days.