Scentsational

Celebrity fragrances lead the boom in the number of new perfumes

By LaMont Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Crass commercialism never smelled so good.

	New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter's cologne, Driven, is being marketed by Avon. Click photo for larger image.

Before long, it just might be easier to name celebrities who don't have a namesake fragrance than those who do. As the definition of celebrity broadens, so do the number of those who want to cash in on fleeting fame with what may be the ultimate vanity product.

This year, baseball great Derek Jeter and romance novelist Danielle Steel are among famous faces who made their first forays into fragrance. It's possible that Driven, Jeter's grapefruit-and-spice-infused cologne offered through Avon, could rival the commercial success of scents by former NBA great Michael Jordan.

As for Steele, success with her floral-Oriental Danielle could spur other literary greats to wade into the increasingly crowded fragrance waters. One can only imagine what concoctions might be cooked up by horror-meister Stephen King or Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling.

Upward of 350 new scents were launched in the United States this year, almost one every day. That's a pace consistent with the past few years, but almost double the number introduced just a decade ago, said Rochelle Bloom, president of the New York-based Fragrance Foundation.

Hanae Mori's Magical Moon Click photo for larger image.

Celebrity fragrances are fueling the growth. They began decades ago with stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Cher, said Bloom, but only recently have they begun to compose a major segment of the $6 billion U.S. industry.

"There have always been celebrity fragrances," she said. "They come and go. But about four years ago, when Jennifer Lopez launched her own, that kind of resurrected the whole fragrance category. There have been many successes and failures, but they have brought new customers to the fragrance arena. Sales had been flat, but celebrity fragrances have added glamour and brought younger customers."

This year saw no shortage of star scents, from athletes and authors to A-list actresses. Sarah Jessica Parker capitalized on the popularity of "Sex and the City" with the successful debut of Lovely last year, and this year the fictional women of Wisteria Lane aimed for the same success with the launch of Desperate Housewives Forbidden Fruit. It's an alluring fragrance with notes of peach, spicy pepper, passion lily, woods and, of course, red Rome apple and wisteria.

	Fire Island's Bond No. 9 Click photo for larger image.

Paris Hilton and Kimora Lee Simmons, two highly influential fashion trendsetters, also launched new fragrances. Hilton's Heiress, her third women's scent, smells sickly sweet. However, Simmons' Baby Phat Golden Goddess is a sultry mix of florals, caramel and vanilla flower patchouli with a faux yellow diamond ring on the bottle's neck.

Meanwhile, Simmons' husband, humanitarian and hip-hop guru Russell Simmons, launched Phat Farm Atman for men. All proceeds benefit an HIV/AIDS initiative in Africa and other programs that support human rights, health, arts, education and economic empowerment.

That's part of a trend. Other new fragrances benefit charities with a portion of sales, such as Original Santal by Creed (United Nations High Commission on Refugees) and The Scent of Peace by Bond No. 9 New York (UNICEF).

Fashion designers continued to be strong players in the fragrance industry. Betsey Johnson, Badgley Mischka and Matthew Williamson debuted their first scents -- all three for women -- while Sean "Diddy" Combs introduced Unforgivable, a men's cologne that is one of the year's best-selling.

Russell Simmons' Phat Farm Atman Click photo for larger image.

Also of note is the return of the unisex fragrance. We say "return" because the earliest known fragrances were single-note florals worn by both men and women. In fact, thanks to gourmand notes and more ambitious development, it is unclear in many cases whether a scent is intended for men or women.

"People are paying more attention to being really creative in fragrance," said Bloom. "Perfumery is coming back. Five years ago, people were really copying other people's fragrances, so everything started to smell alike and there was not that much distinctiveness. Now people are going back to the art of perfumery and creating some very rich and wonderful scents."

Store shelves are crowded with personal fragrances, leading Ms. Bloom to suspect that the market may have reached the saturation point. 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."

For now, the fragrance-buying public is the big winner. With more options than ever, even folk who can't afford a Juicy Couture leather tote at $825 can own a slice of the luxury brand with its new fruity-floral, creme brulee-infused perfume.

To help you sort through all of the selections, fashion editor LaMont Jones picked his favorites for the fifth consecutive year. There are dozens of exemplary fragrances, but here are his Top Ten for women, Terrific Three for men and Fantastic Four for both genders.

Women

Midnight Rain by La Prairie. Beguiling and unforgettable, the enigmatic little sister of last year's phenomenal Silver Rain combines cashmere woods, mandarin, guava and musk with plum flowers, pomegranate, white lily and vanilla orchids. Warning: likely to provoke a torrid romantic encounter; $135 at Saks Fifth Avenue and shoplaprairie.com

	Kimora Lee Simmons' Baby Phat Golden Goddess Click photo for larger image.

Stella by Tocca. Inspired by the fashion brand's scented candle, this eau de parfum is delightfully feminine, from first whiff to drydown, with tantalizing notes of blood orange, spicy lily, white freesia and wild diamond orchids; $68 at Sephora and tocca.com.

Sira des Indies by Jean Patou. From the same house as the legendary Joy comes this provocative scent inspired by India. Ingredients such as ylang ylang and banana creme harmonize with vanilla, sandalwood and India's fabled red champaca tree blossoms for olfactory opulence; $90 and up at Sephora and Saks.

Tom Ford Black Orchid. After teaming with Estee Lauder to modernize two of the beauty brand's classic scents, the influential fashion designer introduced his own creation. The signature eau de parfum is a sexy, smoldering blend of fruits, florals and woods combined with black currant, black truffle, black gardenia, incense, vetiver and vanilla; $90 and $135 at neimanmarcus.com.

Tutti Kiwi by Guerlain. By the venerable brand that grew from alchemy to the height of French luxury, Tutti Kiwi is part of Guerlain's exquisite Aqua Allegoria fragrance line. It's a fresh, vibrant melange of mandarin, rhubarb, vanilla, kiwi and frosty lemon sorbet; $49 at Sephora.

Missoni by Missoni. A scent of a different stripe for a fashion house known for its chic and colorful lines. It's confident and romantic, with whispers of Italian lemon, magnolia petals, bitter orange and Gianduia chocolate; $60 and up at Sephora and Saks.

Donna Karan Gold by Donna Karan. The iconic New York designer turns out fragrances faster than you can say "DKNY." While they're always remarkable, this has the greatest potential to unseat her top-selling scent, Cashmere Mist. Gold's seductive aroma is propelled by Casablanca and calla lilies, white clove, golden balsam and gold pollen; $45 and up at Ulta, Macy's, Boscov's, Saks and Sephora.

Lily & Spice by Penhaligon's. You'll inhale few perfumes as extravagant yet as light and nuanced as this winner. The nose that created this entrancing blend of white lily petals, brown patchouli and saffron should be insured; $85 and up at penhaligons.co.uk or 1-877-736-4254.

Bath by Bobbi Brown. The makeup guru's latest scent is modern and clean, but don't let the spare apothecary-style bottle fool you. The spa-fresh eau de toilette rises above the mundane with white lily, sandalwood, water hyacinth, orange flower and aromatic sage; $40 at Saks and bobbibrown.com.

Magical Moon by Hanae Mori. Don't laugh when you hear that it was formulated according to ancient lunar calendars. Just luxuriate in the ethereal, eclectic blend of a laundry list of aromatics, from night-blooming osmanthus, porcelain rose, sugar cane, cotton flower, coconut milk, white musk and white sandalwood to red cedar, incense, pineapple pulp, guava nectar, orange flowers and pink berries; $65 and up at select Macy's, Sephora and Saks stores. A portion of sales go to education charities.

Men

Terre d'Hermes by Hermes. Every few years, someone introduces a scent so sexy that it's almost criminal. This year, that would be Terre d'Hermes. It's almost animal with notes of flint, pepper, vetiver and Atlas cedar, but it's tamed by hints of orange, grapefruit, bay rose and geranium; $90 at Saks and Sephora.

Antidote by Viktor & Rolf. A distinctive cologne that is robust yet restrained. Hints of sandalwood, white cedar and black pepper are balanced by infusions of bergamot, mint leaves and French lavender; $65 and up at Saks.

Burberry London by Burberry. A refined, elegant fragrance that wears as handsomely as a cashmere sweater. Tobacco leaves, mimosa flower and oak moss evoke a stroll in the woods while leather, port wine, cinnamon leaves and black pepper lend an air of sophistication; $47 and up at Macy's, Boscov's and Saks.

Both

Gaultier2 by Jean Paul Gaultier. A strong musk base is tempered by amber and vanilla, making this eau de parfum at home with blue jeans or formalwear. And it lasts all day without giving the wearer -- or anyone else -- a headache; $55 and up at Macy's and Sephora.

Fleurs de Gardenia by Creed. When you have 226 years of experience under your belt, it's hard to come up with a loser. But Creed does more than get by with this limited-edition standout, a captivating concoction of ambergris, peony, Italian jasmine, Florentine iris and rare gardenias from Miami, Asia and French Polynesia. Plus, the juice is housed in a winter-white leather atomizer; $250 at Saks.

Blue Agava & Cacao Cologne by Jo Malone. An eclectic blend of notes makes this scent splendid, from mouth-watering grapefruit, lime oil, red berry, cinnamon and chypre cocoa to agava flower, orchid, white lily, geranium salt and vetiver; $50 and up at Saks and jomalone.com

Fire Island by Bond No. 9 New York. To spritz this on is to be instantly transported to a Mediterranean beach -- or the scent's New York namesake -- on a lazy summer day. Cardamom, ozone and tuberose power this all-occasion fragrance while hints of sparkling neroli, white musk and skin musk give it a sensual twist; $120 and up at Larrimor's, Saks and bondno9.com

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