Kim Kardashian, in case you didn't know, is a "TV star, entrepreneur, model, actress, and trendsetter", in addition to being "one of the world's most idolized women". So says Sephora, where Kardashian's eponymous debut fragrance recently launched and is reportedly a top seller.
Kardashian said she wanted "something rich and creamy and sexy, but still youthful";1 what she got was a big white floral, very similar to the recent Mariah Carey Forever, which of course was very similar to Marc Jacobs for women. Kardashian's effort, developed by perfumer Claude Dir, is lusher than Forever, and heavier on the tuberose (the notes: crisp notes, mandarin, honeysuckle, orange blossom, jasmine, tuberose, gardenia, tonka bean, jacaranda wood, vanilla orchid, musk and sandalwood). In the early stages, it's very similar to Michael by Michael Kors with perhaps a dollop of Michael Kors Very Hollywood to lighten things up a bit.
Michael, in the far dry down, tempers all the sweet white floral with warm, incense-y woods; Kim Kardashian is brighter and sweeter, with pale woods and lots of vanilla musk. If you need a white floral, it's worth a shot, and I do prefer it to the watery Forever, but if you're willing to spend a little more and do without the celebrity backing you could certainly do better.2
When I reviewed Forever, I noted that we didn't get all that many straight-up white florals in the celebrity genre, but perhaps I spoke too soon. If this is the next big thing, I'll take it over pink fruity florals, but please: I think we're covered on the tuberose-gardenia front for now.
Kim Kardashian by Kim Kardashian is available in Eau de Parfum, in a 10 ml rollerball ($16, above left) or a 30 (above right, $35), 50 or 100 (above center, $50-65) ml spray.
1. Via Women's Wear Daily, 12/17/2009.
1. Try the aforementioned Michael by Michael Kors or Marc Jacobs, or Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia. If you're ready for the big guns, there's Robert Piguet Fracas, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle. For a lighter tuberose, try Diptyque Do Son, for a sweeter gardenia, try Jo Malone Vintage Gardenia.
Hey, if this is a “Fracas for Beginners” for the twenty-something set, I’m all for it. I mean, many of us reading here already would look to those you listed in your footnote, but this is priced well for a large market, and its target demographic certainly could (and does) do a lot worse. I’ll be curious to sniff this or snag a sample just for the heck of it. It sounds as if Michael is more sophisticated and with a bit more depth and base?
Incidentally, I complimented a woman in line about a week ago on her delcious perfume and it turned out to be EL Tuberose Gardenia. It packs a wallop and is not my personal style, but it really smelled lovely on someone else.
The thing is that it’s pretty darned strong! So it’s not for beginners in the sense that it’s easier to wear, IMHO, only in the sense that it’s got a more modern feel. And it’s got a dismal re-buy rating at MUA at the moment, so not sure it’s pulling more people into the fold.
A tuberose/gardenia for beginners would probably be something like Kai, right? (Which I still like)
I’d certainly call Micheal more sophisticated — but no harder to wear than Kim Kardashian, I don’t think. Every time I try Michael I’m surprised all over again by how much I like it. I think Tania Sanchez calls it “vile” in PTG 🙂
Speaking of tuberose, have you sampled any of those new Histoires? I really like L’Animale (very rich and deep) but I was also surprised how very nice La Capricieuse is as well (not cloying, but not watery or insipid either).
Just got them, going to try them this week!
Let us know what you think… I am curious about Moulin Rouge (are there other new ons besides that one?)
There’s the Moulin Rouge + 3 tuberose scents.
I believe the phrase “industrial drain cleaner” may have been used.
(I don’t recall ever smelling Michael.)
I recently bought Michael at a discounters and since then I have also grown like like it more and more. I will definitely give this a sniff when I see it at Sephora (it is exclusive there right now, no?). It sounds decent, and it looks like I am developing a thing for tuberose 🙂
I think it is exclusive right now. If you already have Michael, going to be surprised if you like this better.
Is it KK you’re calling “pretty darned strong” or EL PCTG?
The KK. But so is the EL. I wouldn’t consider either of them “entry level scents” for young people, in other words, since most young people are not accustomed to strong white florals.
And just to clarify, when I said “Fracas for Beginners” I didn’t mean that this would naturally be to young womens’ tastes, but that the fact that it’s fronted by KK and having a big launch might make them think it’s okay to wear big florals. It’s like that chicken-egg question of whether taste drives popularity or popular “cachet” drives taste. Maybe with any luck this will encourage younger women to be more daring with their fragrance choices. I guess I always have hope!
Gotcha!
Oh yes, I nearly emptied a local coffee shop the first time I wore it. That PCTG is powerful stuff. I won’t do that again.
I like it better dabbed, I think. Or after a couple hours. But it’s a great scent!
I tried this on Friday and it is so strong.Tuberose is a very tricky note to work with and if its not blended just so it is almost unbearble.I think PCTG was too heavy hitting as most of the EL fragrances.I think Kim Kardashian’s fragrance is just right with the Tuberose.Its blended very tasteful not loud like the EL one.Which is simply too strong and offensive.
I have a sample of this and I agree it’s similar to Michael in the beginning, but doesn’t have the warmth in the drydown. I didn’t get the vanilla musk from this though — I just gots LOTS of tuberose (a difficult note for me anyway). I prefer it to pink fruity florals too — but I’ll happily pass on this one!
It’s a darned strong shot of tuberose. Forever made more sense to me as a business decision.
What bothers me about celebs going the perfume route is that I read somewhere that perfume is top of the list for most profitable endeavors. Is it really all about the money? Absolutely not, but for some I’m thinking it might be. And it’s hard to get that bit of trivia out of my head. And I really do not like tuberose. Maybe I’m crabby since it is STILL snowing!
But that’s why everyone else does it too…why any different if Kim Kardashian does it than Marc Jacobs?
Luckily the snow here stopped, and we only got a couple inches. Still have a good 2 or 3 feet on the ground though!
Zzzzip. That went by me. How did we get on to Marc Jacobs, darlin’ R??
Marc Jacobs just an example…meant no different (to me) if a designer makes a fragrance for money than if a celebrity makes a fragrance for money.
Gotcha. I guess I was getting into the whole Michael Kors comparison and so MJ kinda threw me for a second there. You know. Elderly brain cells (mine, that is. 😉 )
This wasn’t bad, and was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t another fruity floral, but I definitely prefer ELTG and Fracas.
Yep.
If Ms. Kardashian is “one of the world’s most idolized women” then I’m one of east central Florida’s hotttest accountants. 😉
Hyperbole aside, sweet white florals generally aren’t for me, but good for her for not going the fruitchouli route.
LOL — yeah. On both counts.
I’m sure that I’ll give it a shot the next time that I’m in Sephora, but I’m pretty well stocked with this genre – I already have both EL Tuberose Gardenia and Marc Jacobs, as well as my favorite cheap thrill gardenia – Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia. It definitely sounds like one could do worse – good for her for going for a more grown-up scent and not heading down the fruity floral, fruitchouli, or cotton candy road.
I love Tahitian Gardenia! I just discovered this, of all places, at our one regional Wegman’s (a cross between regular grocery store and Whole Foods). I’m like when did they get Pacifica in a grocery store?!? I was stunned at how pretty and fresh it is, and I rarely like tuberose fragrances. I got this little set with solid perfume, lotion, etc, for like $25. Can’t fight with that! I’m waiting to bust it out in spring.
They carry Pacifica at Whole Foods (organic grocery store) and Borders (book store) here. When I found it at Borders, I was pretty surprised.
I was just going to mention Borders…ours has it too.
Lucky people. I’ve been in a Wegmann’s once, while visiting my SIL in NoVa. Have never even seen a Whole Foods, or a Borders – which is sad, because someone gave me a Borders gift card for my birthday and I suppose I’ll have to use it online if I use it at all…
Sorry, no more whining about living in the sticks. We *can* see stars out here, and there’s no traffic.
Mals – aside from being in willy wonka style bedazzlement at how fancy a grocery store can get… I don’t actually think you are missing much. Aside from the spectacular cheeses and pastries…. they don’t call it “whole paycheck” for nothing. And you can go into Wegmans “just to get some milk” and come out $100 less and forgetting the milk entirely! Hey, I was just there to get some organic tea since I was in the neighborhood, and I walked out with Pacifica set and three bars of smelly soaps!
I don’t know. I drive 40 minutes to shop at Wegmans (every so often, mind you, not every week) and it’s well worth it. The cheeses, the niche chocolates, the fabulous health food section, the meats! It’s all wonderful, except the oddly lousy deli.
Whole Foods is about the same distance but although I do love the store I never make a special trip just to go there — but happily I’m getting a closer WF in 2010.
Awww… I miss Wegmans. I moved to Chicago years ago, and happy as I am with Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, I’d trade ’em both for a Wegmans.
I love Tahitian Gardenia, such lovely stuff. I noticed my Borders has it too. Pacifica really is a nice line, and reasonably-priced too.
And they have such cute packaging too. Aren’t cheap thrills fun?! 😉
I have to look and see if I’ve tried that one. Pacifica is a great “cheap thrills” line either way!
I don’t know. I own and adore Fracas, am anxious to try the Histoires tuberose trilogy, and would almost rather try Tubéreuse Criminelle or Carnal Flower before this. There was an option for a Kim K. sample when I placed a Sephora order, but there was also another option for TF Black Orchid, which I had not tried, so I chose the latter.
The rollerball option is great, though, and I might be tempted to pick it up in that size and price range just for sampling purposes. If I don’t end up wearing it, my daughter would probably love it. Thanks, Robin, for the review. I was curious given I tend to love white florals.
Black Orchid is a better scent, not surprisingly. I think there’s really no need for this unless you’ve got to have KK’s name on it.
I have no idea who this lady sitting in a loop in her underwear is, and I that furry (feathery?) pink thing is hilarious, but the notes do not sound half bad… at least for the tubey *ho* that I happily am!!!
I’ll test it if it crosses the pond (which I doubt).
By the way, Robin, I feel a bit offended… 😉
you didn’t mention beyond love!!! I know, the price point, the key and everything… but it is a great tuberose for beginners… and non beginners!! Oh, and just to digress a little further, I finally managed to try Kai and I find it very simple and really very nice jasmine-tuberose-gardenia mix!
Zazie, consider yourself one of the world’s most fortunate women for not knowing who Kim Kardashian is. Even I, who am passionately pro-trashiness, believe that KK represents everything that is wrong with American society today. She is O.J. Simpson’s GODDAUGHTER, for God’s sake.
I liked those honeysuckle topnotes, but this is pretty much the only celebrity perfume that I would not buy out of principle.
Ah, thank you. Now I know why she’s “famous”.
Does not seem to be famous in the Land Downunder, but maybe she’s in some fame loop I’m not familiar with!
Tuberose…funny, Michael Kors was the one that started my re-awakening from the big Mitsouko sleep a few years ago.( I knew I’d always had a soft spot for lush white florals, but did not really connect the dots until I started reading blogs.)
Now tuberose has me fully in its spell! To the point I’ve had to discipline myself not to buy everything that gives it a mention! I’ve got a big note at the top of my ‘must get full bottle’ page…”You do NOT NEED any more tuberoses, you have Fracas, Criminelle, Carnal…but I just know I am going to give in to Beyond Love, Tubereuse Couture, even Narcotic Venus…not a matter of ‘if’…just ‘when’!!
And then there are the ones with it as a note…no, don’t go there…
I totally relate!!!!
I love and wear many other notes, but there is nothing that excites me as the mention of some lush white floral in general and tuberose in particular… 😉
Except TC, which I haven’t tried, I love and worship every tuberose scent in your collection… so I think you HAVE to try Beyond Love – it is simpleer but delightful and in summer it just beats anything else.
I’m not much of a fan of Narcotic Venus and tuberose couture (they’re not bad, but…)… I’ll be curious to hear your impressions! maybe on a random thursday poll? 😉
I didn’t know who she was either (is that HER in the loop?). I discovered this in a magazine sample thingy and thought, ‘hmm not entirely horrible at all’, which at this point I suppose is a compliment.
sarahbeth, yes, that is her. She is a stunner (half Armenian), and I do appreciate that she is a somewhat “curvy” girl in the sea of Hollywood sticks.
Wow. I actually think this ad is original and striking, and she is a beauty in the full sense. Probably not a fragrance I could pull off at all.
Her being OJ’s goddaughter is her fault.Lets all hate on her.Wow I don’t understand the hate for this woman.I don’t know her personally like you do.But, she is very beautiful and her fragrance is amazing.I don’t know why your hate is directed at her what did she do to you?
Look, she’s a celebrity, and she’s selling a fragrance based on that. People can like her or not like her as they wish, based on whatever they know about her — that’s how it works with celebrities! Some people admire her, some don’t, no sense in arguing about it.
lovetosmell, perhaps I should be more clear. KK is OJ Simpson’s goddaughter because her father is the late entertainment lawyer Robert Kardashian, one of the attorneys responsible for allowing OJ to walk. Many celebrities are famous simply for having a famous parent (and I am honestly not much of a fan of any of them), but I think that KK’s claim to fame is particularly tawdry. Yes, she is a very beautiful woman, but frankly I do not see what she has contributed to society (besides this rather average perfume, of course).
Zoiks!!! I knew about Robert Kardashian being one of OJ’s lawyers but I didn’t know Kim was his goddaughter! >>>shudder<<< I, too, appreciate a little trashiness which is why I'll watch the first season of anything on the E! channel, so I am familiar with the show. And I thought it was bad enough that the mother & daughters were supporting Joe Francis (Girl Gone Wild scumbag) while he was in jail! blech
Since I do not have a Sephora near me I won't be smelling this out of the bottle any time soon, but the scent strips my sister keeps ripping open in my magazines were headache-inducing enough for me to purge them from all my magazines and carry them straight out to the trash. Michael by Michael Kors was so hissy the last time I tried it, it was like wearing a rattlesnake around my neck. I just don't think I will ever like a perfume-version of tuberose or gardenia since I smelled the real things in Hawaii. Heavenly.
Tuberose is generally a huge no-no for me, but I do like Kai… so that must be the ultimate gateway. 🙂
Zazie, you’re absolutely right: Beyond Love is a great scent, and would be a perfect starter tuberose but for the price. I didn’t think of it!
Tubey *ho*!
Hey, I’m happy to see another white floral too. Of whatever ridiculous ilk.
I tried this on my lunch on paper. Right out of the gate it did smell like Michael Kors-and it’s gotten very sweet (approx 2 hours out now). Not for me as I already have a big bottle of EL’s PCTG-but it’s a nice gateway tuberose.
Yeah. They really needed a darker base to tone down the vanilla sugar.
I’m crazy in love with the black bottle–it reminds me of Lanvin. Since I’m still exploring the great classics (and loving the journey!) I usually ignore celeb-u-scents, but I’m going to make a point to try this one. I think it sounds neat!
Hope it will work for you!
I was really trying to back off of celebrity fragrances.But, this one to me is a keeper its a very wearable white floral and doesn’t give me a headache.The bottle is stunning and tastefully done.Yes, its a celebrity fragrance but there are some good ones out there and this is the really good one.
A tuberose fragrance in a black and pink bottle? I’m almost wondering if Ms Kardashian wears Fracas and so asked for something similar but with her name on it.
Kardashians are little know in UK so I’m not sure if it’ll even make it here but it sounds like I won’t be missing out on much what with a plethora of other tuberose scents. On top of what’s already been mentioned there’s also Diptyque’s Do Son (fairly simple tuberose, nothing fancy) and Black Orchid Voile De Fleur which I remember as being rather pretty and not too full on.
Really doubt this will get int’l distribution, but who knows.
No, this one doesn’t smell like Fracas.Its not even similar to Fracas.
This is a total rip off of Cacharel’s Lou Lou. TOTALLY!!!! There isn’t a genuine bone in that girl’s body.
I don’t know anything about her outside of her perfume, so can’t comment!
I hate Lou Lou but I love the Kim Kardashian fragrance.So if that smelled like Lou Lou then I would know.
I smelled this… and ran down the wall to douse myself in Infusion d’Iris. Pretty ad, though.
LOL!
Oh my goodness really Infusion d’Iris is a headache in a bottle to me.
Isn’t Dior Poison a classic over the top tuberose?
You could call it one, sure! But it isn’t a white floral — I don’t think of it as primarily a tuberose scent, even though it has tuberose.
You’ve been reading The Guide, haven’t you? 😉 Yeah, that’s crazy talk – Poison is Industrial Accident at the Cough Syrup Factory, with a dash of tuberose, to me.
“industrial accident at the cough syrup factory” lol..priceless!
Hi! I’m new to your site. Very new to perfume, still lurking around trying to make heads or tails of everything : )
This fragrance is actually totally sold out at my local Sephora. While I was there shopping for some blush the other night 3-4 people must have come in asking for it within 15 minutes, from teens to 40-somethings.
The gal working at the register gave me a sniff from the tester, I wasn’t too fond of it (I’m beginning to suspect I don’t like ‘white florals’ at all, really.)
Hi and welcome!
That’s impressive. I really didn’t realize she was such a big name.
Neither did I! But at the same time I’m not surprised.
As far as the fragrance goes, after rummaging through the archive of perfume reviews, I can see how this perfume offers a lot of qualities that many people look for in a scent, eve though it wasn’t for me. I suppose the true test is how it sells over time?
Yes, and one of the truisms about the celebrity category is that it does not get loyal customers…
Most idolized woman?
Yeah. Sure. Whatever ad copywriters. She wouldn’t even be in my top 100 moviestars/singers/models idolized list (which has nothing to do with my female world leaders/peace makers/religious figures/scientists list – which BTW is really who we should be idolizing, not someone who dances around in her underwear. Okay, getting off my pedastal)
go ahead and stay on that pedestal….you are 100% on target! Anyone idolizing KK has an alarming paucity of priorities!
But see the comment just above yours — the stuff is selling like hotcakes! So she apparently has plenty of admirers.
Just a little caveat…has everyone forgotten about Jo Malone’s Tuberose? It is a wonderful carnal, Earthy, creamy contribution/interpretation of this wonderful, creamy, carnal, Earthy, sensual flower. I am a guy who loves and wears tuberose fragrances; they can be worn by anyone if applied sparingly and if one know’s their own body chemistry. Jo Malone Tuberose is a superb scent.
I’ve been testing a series of tuberose scents for a review series on my blog (18 tested, 13 reviews written) I actually thought the JM was a little thin, and wouldn’t have called it earthy or carnal. But then my tuberose preference is for florid, not restrained – if I’m gonna wear tuberose, I want it lush. I can see a guy really rocking a white floral, but I can also see that he might want it a little toned down, as in the Jo Malone scent. It IS a very nice presentation, just softer than I wanted.
I did not forget it, just not a favorite of mine — fresher than I like my tuberose, personally, but glad you love it!
‘One of the world’s most idolized women.’
Really now?
I’m not surprised it’s selling well what with the way Sephora is promoting it. I was sent a sample a few weeks ago w/ an order and found it detestable.
I was fortunate enough to not know of this woman until about a year ago when I stumbled across her ‘defending her curviness’ which I’ll give her that at least. I don’t watch reality TV so I don’t keep up with the shenans of faux celebrities.
Oh I don’t know — I don’t think Sephora can promote anything into best-seller status if people don’t want the product.
Oh how I wish Tubéreuse Criminelle would move to the export group just long enough for me to get a FB…. Since we got MuscsKK, I guess it’s not completely unrealistic to hope, right?
I’m still hoping!
Checking my list of top 100 most-idolized women.
Nope, not on there.
Not even in the top 1,000,000.
🙂
I stopped by Sephora today and tried this and, I have to admit, if I wasn’t already well-covered in this category…. I would buy it. It’s a nice white floral and doesn’t smell like it’s only $35 an ounce.
It’s a good price, true.
OMG- I cannot stand the packaging . I like the KK picture but awful bottle. The perfume itself doesn ‘t sound bad. I like Michael by M Kors and of course Fracas. Will try, will try …open mind and all that jazz but I still. don’t .like. that .bottle……
If you don’t like the bottle, I’d stick with Michael Kors — it’s a better scent anyway.
This is very strong! I like the fact that it’s a bit different but you can’t spray too much!
Agree!
I found this on some website about her ripping off other designers…they were furious about some dress she copied from Fendi, and stated that “her double-K logo was stolen from a Houston jeweler called Korcula. The company’s creator, Lindley Bertin, sent Kardashian a gold necklace bearing their own logo, a gold double-K symbol, as a gift back in 2008 since she thought Kim would enjoy a pendant displaying her initials. Kim was photographed wearing the necklace. But she liked Korcula’s double-K so much, she decided to use the logo as her own on her perfume bottles. She even filled up gift bags with double-K swag at the Bebe/Kardashian fashion show last week. Now there is a pending lawsuit. How did Kim think she’d get away with copying someone else’s work?” I haven’t tried to scent to comment on it, but am I too snooty and snobbish if I say I just wouldn’t want to have to say, “It’s Kim Kardashian” if someone were to ask me what I was wearing?
To each his own…it’s a rare designer who has never been accused of ripping off someone else’s work. And in perfume — wow, if you avoided all perfumes that were riffs on existing fragrances, you’d have almost nothing left to smell. Not sticking up for Kim Kardashian, who I couldn’t care less about, just saying this is not a big issue to me. Here’s a funny case where Marc Jacobs stole a design for a scarf and had to pay out:
http://www.thelocal.se/10260/20080304/
And here is someone suing Chanel:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6569403/French-fashion-designer-accuses-Chanel-of-copying-one-of-her-patterns.html
lighthousebeauty.com has a 1oz edt of it for sale. $35. Same as the edp 1oz. I think I may prefer it in an edt. The edp was strong! : )
Thanks, I might prefer it in EdT too…but still doubt I’d feel the need to own it!
Ok so I tried the Kim K edt and it is still a MONSTER! I thought it would be much lighter but I didn’t find it light at all. My poor mom was my test dummy and she nearly passed out w/ it on! Sorry mom! Hope you love me still! LOL! She literally went to the restroom to scrub it off! It didn’t work very well. My poor mommy. LOL! : )
Oh, poor mommy indeed, LOL!
a talentless attempt in an overcrowded market place.
I’ve always liked the Michael Kors perfume but never bought it cause i felt there was something missing. KK is so similar to MK but with more depth, exactly what i was looking for yay
Here’s Kim K’s new Gold fragrance. I’ve grown to enjoy her 1st. Here’s hoping this one’s a good one. : ) http://store.kkfragrance.com/gold-1oz-eau-de-parfum-2
Here are Gold’s notes. : ) http://kkfragrance.com/inspiration/gold/
Thanks, just posted!
What is this?! Will she sell anything for dough?! Too random if you ask me! Haha! : ) http://store.kkfragrance.com/kim-kardashian-tractor-trailer
LOL…that is SO random that I can’t believe it’s real! I’m going to add it to a collector bottle post. Awesome.
She has a new one on her fragrance site called Glam. Is it wrong of me for liking the bottle done up in pink and that I’m looking forward to it? Haha!
Looks like another flanker to Kim Kardashian! Could be fun, who knows. I think her next pillar is still True Reflection, & thought it was coming soon so surprised they’re sneaking another one in first.
So KK Glam’s finally out. I NEVER found True Reflection. Weird. : /
https://www.perfumania.com/shop/new-arrivals/kim-kardashian-glam-for-women-by-kim-kardashian-eau-de-parfum-spray_195064.1.html
Thanks, as always!