Fame...I'm Gonna Live Forever

"What a heavy burden is a name that has become too famous." ---Voltaire

Today I want to talk about a few celebrity endorsed perfumes I have tried. Honestly, I don't care whose name is on the bottle. It doesn't matter if I love them, hate them, or have never even heard of them. What I am interested in is the juice inside the bottle. I don't get swept up in the marketing hype. I just want to know; does it smell good or not? I know that many times the celebrity whose name graces the product has had some input into what oils will be added but just as many times they have little to do with the fragrance besides posing for an ad photo. The following are the celebrity endorsed perfumes I have tried and a few thoughts on them:

WITH LOVE by Hilary Duff

I was excited to try this one because the notes included saffron and cocobolo wood. I imagined a warm, complex spicy fragrance that would be right for fall. Perhaps I got a bottle that had gone off or something, but I was very disappointed. Instead of the creaminess I had hoped for, I just got pineapple. It's not even listed in the notes but that was what I smelled. Like one of those fruity drinks they serve at tiki bars. The drydown was all vanilla. Bleh.

CURIOUS by Britney Spears

Gorgeous bottle! The magnolia is great (Miss Spears chose this because it reminded her of her childhood in Louisiana), but ultimately the pear and vanilla notes made it too sweet to wear. I love to use it as a linen spray on my sheets though, it makes my room smell deliciously girly.

RADIANCE by Britney Spears

Another gorgeous bottle, but the juice itself was cloying and heavy. It reminded me exactly of Charlie Red, which has always made me feel sick. Very strong and powdery. Reminded me of those aerosol deodorants from the 80s. Big fail.

COVET by Sarah Jessica Parker

I've written about this one before. I believe it has been discontinued now. The notes combination sounded interesting..wet grass, lavender and chocolate, among others. It just smelled strange to me, like a men's cologne. It was an interesting scent but not one I want to wear on my person. It also did not last long, which I suppose is for the best in this case. I will have to try her other scent, LOVELY, as I have heard better reviews of that.

GLOW by jLo

A fragrance that I have gone 180 on. When I first tried it, I could not wait to scrub it off and often listed it in my Most Hated category. I thought it smelled like cheap soap from a hand dispenser in a public restroom and could not imagine anyone liking it. That was 4 years ago. When I decided to write about celebrity fragrances, I took a deep breath and sprayed on some Glow, so I could get all the disgusting nuances just right for the review. How surprised was I that I really like this now! How had I never noticed the wonderful honeysuckle note before? It's true that on initial application it has a soapy, clean laundry smell. I was too quick to wash it off in the past. This time I let it settle in and dry down for a couple hours. It doesn't really smell like perfume, just soft and girly....like the sweat from a fairy princess. Hee hee. I'm glad that I gave this another try as it is perfect for days when it is too hot for regular perfume but you still want to smell great. The bottle is still cheesy and awful looking though.

PARIS HILTON by Paris Hilton

Again, I don't judge a perfume by what I think of the celebrity whose name is associated with it. If I did, I would never have smelled this because I don't think very highly of Miss Hilton. She's famous for.....um....being famous? Being the granddaughter of a mogul? Having a sex tape? Whatever it is, I'm not impressed with her at all but this scent isn't bad. Apple, peach, freesia...just a light, fruity inoffensive summer fragrance. Pleasant and happy, a good work perfume. It does smell exactly like Ralph by Ralph Lauren though, so not very unique. Also, the bottle is atrocious.

HARAJUKU LOVERS G by Gwen Stefani

My friend made me try this on at Ulta in downtown Chicago. She thought it was funny that it was called "G" (my real first name starts with G). I probably wouldn't have tried it myself, as the bottle looked just like one of those dashboard bobble heads....not very sophisticated. It smells so good! Coconut and lime mostly, with hints of apple, jasmine and a creamy sandalwood base. In my mind I am at the beach, covered in coconut suntan oil and sipping a pina colada. It's summertime in a bottle and has featured heavily in my rotation this season.

HEAT by Beyonce

Corny name, I wouldn't want to tell anyone what I was wearing because I would have to bark out "HEAT!". It's sexy though, like sweet almond oil and musk. I was surprised how much I liked it and how long it stayed on my skin. It's a gourmand type, which basically means you want to eat it. It's a bit heavy, so a light hand is a must when applying. Miss Knowles said that she put a great deal of thought into the creation of Heat, and I think that shows. It is spicy, warm, perfectly balanced, sexy without being over the top, and lasts all day and all night. I may purchase a full bottle of this!

Let me know if there are any celebrity fragrances that you have tried and what you thought. I love feedback and hearing about what my dear readers are wearing.