• About
  • Login to comment
    • Bluesky
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Archives

A funk resembling a death spiral

Posted by Robin on 9 September 2015 2 Comments

Showbiz perfumery has always been cyclical, with a parade of Hollywood fragrances rising and falling over the years — amid shouts that “celebrity is dead” — depending on star power and results. But the category now seems to be in a funk resembling a death spiral.

— Women's Wear Daily pronounces celebrity fragrance dead, again, sort of. Read more at The (Un)Death of Celebrity Fragrance.

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: celebrity perfumes

Advertisement


2 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. Ede97005 says:
    9 September 2015 at 1:34 pm

    What an interesting article.

    As a kid of the 90’s the only celebrity fragrance i knew of was Elizabeth Taylor and Cher. Everyone else was a spokesperson (most notably for me, Isabella Rosellini for Lancome Tresor) This late Gen Xer never really got into celebrity fragrances, partially because I worked in show business, and celebrities tend to either smell very, very subtly of soap and very expensive perfume/cologne or smell incredibly bad after a day on set. I never wanted to smell like a celebrity.

    Some choice quotes with snark:
    On the fact that celebrity fragrances are NOT the same market as people who usually shop in high end department store:

    asserting that part of the problem is that stores never got the hang of selling to a 15- to 22-year-old customer base. “You don’t merchandise prom dresses next to couture,”

    But what if the prom dresses ARE couture?

    On the belated, half assed reach to South America, an ethnically diverse region that only has speaking Spanish in common (and not even then- Brazil is region largest and most populous country, and they speak Portuguese!)

    “He maintains that the industry has to cast a wider net. South America is fertile territory. “We have to address the Latins,” he said.”

    Salve, boni cives ! Haec nova et unguenti, et Venus in Nubes !

    For the love of Jove, what a provincial and stupid thing to say.

    Thanks for the link, Robin!

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      9 September 2015 at 1:50 pm

      It is true that Macy’s ought to be the “natural” home of higher end celebrity fragrances, but they either don’t do well there or Macy’s doesn’t want them there for other reasons, alluded to in the article (makes the perfume area seem less ‘luxurious’). And the other part of the problem is the fragrance execs pretend the market is 15-22, but in truth, in the US, it’s probably younger than that.

      I really don’t know sales figures, obviously, but Germany also seems to be where lots of celebrity fragrances are launched first.

      Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

3 July ~ damage poll
12 July ~ summer reading poll

Back to Top

Home
Archives
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Books

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2025 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.