This sparkling, clean & pure ‘Eau’ expresses an ambivalent sensuality, free of gender, age & time. Get ready to experience the true essence of Gaga.1
Eau de Gaga is the second fragrance from Lady Gaga, and it launches without the extensive hoopla that surrounded Fame, her debut perfume. We do have the usual promises — "dangerously daring" and "dynamic and vibrant", says "Haus Laboratories",2 the entity that purports to produce the fragrance (with a little help, perhaps, from Coty) — but this time they've eschewed gimmicks like black juice that sprays clear, and Lady Gaga (unless I missed it) did not say any crazy stuff about blood and semen. Other than a few little flurries of excitement on Twitter and Facebook, the launch has been relatively low key.
The fragrance is relatively low key too. It does start with a show of spirit, in the form of a burst of lime and bergamot, but once that settles down, it's a relatively calm rendition of Earl Grey tea, accented with "hermaphrodite white violet" and "instinct leather".3 There's some creamy-powdery floral, a bit of herbal green, plenty of violet leaf, some very clean patchouli, and some very clean wood. The later dry down has a spicy edge to add some warmth, and the leather, while hardly strong (or animalic) enough to crack a whip, does a reasonable job of keeping Eau de Gaga from being too clean and pure.
Eau de Gaga leans more masculine than feminine,4 and the lasting power is quite good.
Verdict: We don't see a lot of unisex celebrity fragrances, and as near as I can tell, that's the "dangerously daring" aspect of Eau de Gaga. Indeed, I would think it was dangerously daring in terms of sales, so kudos to Lady Gaga and the folks at Coty for giving us a celebrity fragrance that isn't all lollipops and marshmallows, and that comes in a bottle that wouldn't embarrass an adult.
As for the juice itself, it's well done, and likewise wouldn't embarrass an adult. Still, the most unusual thing about Eau de Gaga is that it's from a celebrity and it isn't all lollipops and marshmallows. If it was from a designer brand, it wouldn't likely warrant much comment. Victoria at Bois de Jasmin called it a "21st century CK One", which is apt enough. She liked it more than I did, though, so do see her review.
Lady Gaga Eau de Gaga was developed by perfumer Ursula Wandel; it is available in 30, 50 and 75 ml Eau de Parfum.
1. Quote via Haus Laboratories. The term "ambivalent sensuality" is used in many of the press materials.
2. Quote via Haus Laboratories and Haus Laboratories at Facebook respectively.
3. Q&A with Ursula Wandel at Little Monsters Official.
4. As did Comme des Garçons + Pharrell Williams Girl.
That bottle is really elegant and grown-up, and the notes sound like things I would like — if only they had turned the leather and violet up to 11, I would be standing in line to get this!
If it sells (which I admit I don’t see as very likely) maybe we’ll get an “Intense” flanker?
Same bottle as Signature for her by the Beckhams, only in Black…
Yeah, but it’s not like the Beckhams came up with that bottle either…it’s a pretty basic design.
According to Wickapedia (and my vague memories of Dr. Arnold’s lectures in 9th grade biology), most flowering plants are hermaphrodites.
But kudo’s to whomever thought of that as a marketing idea. Even if it has not inspired me to buy the scent, it at least inspired me to refresh myself on “Alternation of Generation”
Actually a violet-tea scent sounds cool.
I’m thinking they were worried violets sounded too feminine? Although violet leaf has now started to automatically make me think “man cologne”.
Oh, dear. I love violet leaf, and I’m probably sending out more manly vibe than I intend. Actually, I don’t want to send out any manliness. Whoops!
That might make a neat poll. What notes do perfumistas read as masculine, or at least tilting a fragrance toward that end on a spectrum?? (And what notes are uber feminine?)
That’s a good idea for a poll.
But there’s nothing “inherently” masculine about violet leaf. It’s just how frequently it is used this way. Ditto with tobacco…Tabac Blond today would probably be a men’s fragrance.
I don’t think that too many guys who are worried about the femininity of violets are going to be reassured by suggesting that they chose a fragrance derived from hermaphrodites.
Haha haha omg this.
Laughing at the frailty of masculinity.
Ha, good point!
Kudos for her to make something not the norm for celebrities. It sounds test worthy. I like tea!
It’s arguably test-worthy, but doubt any perfumistas are going to freak over it. Or another way to put it, maybe not so worth going out of your way for.
For people who are less familiar with perfume, and maybe this younger generation that never smelled CK One anyway, maybe that’s where its audience will be.
Is it just me, or does that photo resemble a young Tori Spelling?? That’s who I thought it was, before reading.
Hey, it really does.
I tried a quick spritz of this recently and found it quite pleasant. I hope it does sell as id rather smell this wafting from 16year old girls than the sickly sweet dreck they do waft…
Strangely for a new release though, i also see it at the discount chemists already…
I have not yet seen it in the US at all…but maybe just not online? I don’t shop enough in “real” stores.
I think I liked it more that you but less than Victoria. I think it very well done indeed especially for the price – I saw it last weekend at my local discount chemist for $35 for 50mls, and for Australian prices, that’s practically a give away. I predict Eau de Gaga will find a place in many a perfume person’s collection if they have not already got the spicy, masculine-leaning tea part of their collection already covered off (or even if they have). But the mainstream buyer – those who expect lollipops and marshmallows in celebuscents – may be startled at how low key it is, and I do wonder how well Eau de Gaga will sell. Still, presumably the folk at Coty know what they are doing …
Maybe Coty knows what they’re doing, or maybe they aren’t investing as much in promotion because they aren’t expecting big sales. Which might also explain the delayed distribution.
I don’t really know why Fame didn’t sell. I mean — I didn’t think it was any good, but many not very good celebrity scents sell fine, so I wonder if she just doesn’t have the sort of following that translates into perfume sales? So was wondering if this was meant to reach out to her male following? Or, I’m way overthinking, and she just wanted to do a unisex.
I wonder if perhaps the industry is slightly backing off pop stars as fragrance brand leaders, because of potential image concerns and market oversaturuation.
Although mega-marketing giant Taylor Swift is safe, I am sure that there are at least a few parents less likely to give their kids Justin Beiber scents than there were a few years ago. If Mom and Dad are not going to fund these, then the price has to be within kid’s allowance territory
Not a fan of Gaga and didn’t like CK One either. I will pass. Enough said.
Done!
This went to the discount self here in Canada already right next to a Fame giftset both priced at 19.99$. Underneath was Art Pop her last cd for 1.99! Of course no tester. The girl in cosmetics said none of it was moving. No disrespect to GaGa fans.
Where did you see it? I don’t know that I’d buy it, necessarily, but I’d certainly try it. I didn’t hate her first scent: I just thought it was pretty much the same as everyone else’s.
Good to know, thanks.
Really don’t want to experience the true essence of Gaga.
Ha, $ saved then.
I like Fame and I liked Art Pop! When I find this, I am willing to spritz and sniff. The notes sound interesting, and since hitting that oh so fun age of perimenopause or pre peri, or hell.. hormones freaking out, scents… who knows what they will end up smelling on me.
Yay, hormones
I liked this well enough but couldn’t help wishing for some more oomph. As it is, it’s much better than a lot of stuff on the shelves.
Agree with all of that!
I know this is an old post, but I would like to clarify, for what it’s worth, that Gaga never said Fame was supposed to smell like blood and sperm. It was a much earlier respons to a question like ‘if you had your own fragrance, what would it smell like?’ But comments like that tend to stick around I guess.
Still haven’t tried Eau. I wish the leather note was stronger than reported. Still, I quite like CKone, even though it gets a bit too sweet on my skin. It’s better on clothing, worn like a more interesting version of fabric softener.
Eau Parfumeé i love, but it’s very fleeting and I’m not so fond of the concentrate, which also gives me a rash.
I never spoke to her personally and it isn’t hardly worth spending much time disputing now, but I would have to disagree…she mentioned it several times in 2011 while she was in the process of developing the scent with Coty but before the name had been announced.
https://nstperfume.com/2011/02/22/the-blood-is-sort-of-primal/