Catch a whiff of an interesting fragrance emanating from a hot chick or dude passing by at Coastal Grand mall and chances are they'll smell like Beyonce or P. Diddy.
Well, not literally, but the pleasing fumes wafting in the air could be one of Dillard's top-selling celebrity fragrances: Beyonce Diamonds by Georgio Armani and Sean Jean's Unforgivable.
Celebrity fragrances are the latest push by Hollywood's rich and famous actors, singers, rappers, entertainers and celebutantes to remain rich and famous via diversifying their business interests. In recent years, many celebrities, including the aforementioned Sean "P. Diddy'' Combs, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani have launched clothing labels, and then followed the lead by established clothiers, such as Calvin Klein, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Armani and Versace, by getting into the perfume/cologne industry.
It seems there's no end to the celebrity fragrance trend.
Anyone with an ounce of fame is trying to capitalize on the niche, from Donald Trump to Donald Duck. Even the Magic Kingdom has jumped on the bandwagon too as there is a Donald Duck cologne for boys and Daisy Duck perfume for girls.
But what's the appeal?
Do people really want to smell like Gwen Stefani, David Beckham or the rapidly-falling-from-grace Britney Spears?
"They think that star is wearing that fragrance - not necessarily that they are, but most of the time it's 'oh if Britney smells like that, I want to smell like that'," said Shawn Pitman, fragrance specialist at Dillard's at Coastal Grand mall in Myrtle Beach.
With the clock furiously ticking away until your Valentine's Day date (it's today, stupid, er, we mean Cupid), we decided to take eight celebrity fragrances for a test drive - four for him, and for her - in order to recommend quick and easy V-Day gifts for all of you last-minute shoppers out there.
"Any fragrance is a great gift for Valentine's Day,'' said Pitman.
But if your girl's been a fan of J. Lo since she was an "In Living Color" Flygirl or your boyfriend admires Derek Jeter's game, then a celebrity fragrance by either of those two pop culture icons for Valentine's Day comes off as gift with a personal touch, and says "you really know me.'' Okay, it's not like an 18-karat necklace engraved with your lover's name, but we're talking 11th hour shopping here, so give us a break.
With sample bottles supplied by Dillard's at Coastal Grand mall (except for Derek Jeter Driven and David Beckham Instinct), our Editor, Art Director and students from Professor Lisa Yessick's Journalism 304 class at Coastal Carolina University tested the following celebrity scents to see which ones will make your honey smell sweeter and which ones will make your sweetheart offend the olfactory like a cheap whore or posturing pimp.
Follow our nose, we always knows.
- Kent Kimes, Editor, with additional reporting by Abby Sink, Art Director. - Photos by Scott Smallin, Staff Photographer
FOR HER
Beyonce Diamonds by Georgio Armani, $49.50 for 1.7 ounces, available at Dillard's
This perfume was so strong when I put it on, I thought I had made a mistake trying it out, but after a few hours (approximately 2.5 hours, this is also about the time I asked some people for their opinion of it) it calmed down and actually smelled nice - warm and seductive, yet elegant. I still had it on when I went to the gym, and after a 45 minute step class, and my body temperature rising and falling, it still smelled nice. Before working out, I asked a couple of gym patrons for their opinions of this scent. "I love it - it's smooth and sexy,'' said Tiffany Dawkins. "It's nice - it's subtle and it wasn't a slap in the face when you walked up to me,'' said Alex Falzone.
A very wearable scent, I can see me wearing it out for a nice dinner with my husband or to a fancy party. Beyonce Diamonds would be a perfect gift for Valentine's Day, not only making the woman wearing the scent feel like a powerful, sexy woman, much like Beyonce, the fragrance's namesake but also making the man in her life feel lucky he is the one getting to take this great-smelling woman home.
– Abby Sink, Art Director
Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, $65 for 3.4 ounces and $49.50 for 1.7 ounces, available at Dillard's
"Loveliness is everywhere. A touch, a face, a memory, pink, pearls, a song, a sexy shoe, a kiss, candlelight, a white orchid, a girl, a woman, a dream, a scent. You only have to look." Sarah Jessica Parker's own description of her fragrance Lovely almost brings the essence directly to you. The vintage fragrance Flacon became Parker's inspiration in creating a delicate, timeless scent for women of all ages. On Parker's website, www.sarahjessicaparkerbeauty.com, she writes that, "I really wanted it to be sexy and not to come into a room before the woman who was wearing it." This subtle scent achieves Parker's goal. The layered scents of cedar and wood are met with notes of creamy orchid topped with fresh mandarin and rosewood with hints of lush lavender and crisp apple martinis. Lovely's everyday use gives beauty to a normal day and elegance to an evening out. Lovely is an appealing scent to the opposite sex, too. Although men in their early 20s attached the fragrance to more mature women, men in their 30s enjoyed the impression it left. Lovely makes a great gift. Valentine's Day is celebrated by showing the people you care about how much they mean to you. Nothing shows how lovely someone is better than a bottle of Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely.
– Erin Heaney, for Weekly Surge
Mariah Carey M, $62.50 for 3.4 ounces or $52.50 for 1.7 ounces, available at Dillard's
With an interesting combination of marshmallow and floral scents, M by Mariah Carey is one of the many celebrity designed perfumes to hit the market in 2007. Soft and musky, the scent passes for everyday wear, but M would be more appropriate on a romantic date. The whole time I was wearing M, it had me thinking "dessert"; maybe that was due to the marshmallow ingredient. My first impression was that this perfume was a little strong. My roommate's first comment was that she would prefer it on someone older, because the scent seemed mature. "I still enjoy young fruity perfumes, and this is not one of them," she said. Other women my age, 21, thought the perfume was just "alright." When I wore it out on a Friday night, all my close male friends found M to be overpowering, but apparently it still drew them to me. After about 15 minutes, one of my friends even said that the longer he stood next to me the more he liked it. My boyfriend, on the other hand, told me he thought I smelled like his mother. Mariah Carey has had many misses on the red carpet, but her perfume has a chance. Like most other celebrity scents on the market, M is right in the range of affordable perfumes. But if you're looking for a great Valentine's perfume for your honey, you better stick to her favorite scent, instead of letting this bottle collect dust on her vanity.
– Megan Perrault, for Weekly Surge
G
low After Dark by J. Lo, $56 for 3.4 ounces at most department stores; available at Dillard's
Jennifer Lopez's Glow After Dark by J. Lo Eau De Toilette spray hit the shelves after December, and after wearing it for a weekend out, I can honestly say it has an appropriate title. A fan of J. Lo's perfumes, I thoroughly love the enticing new scent. It's most definitely a winter perfume, as it is a bit heavier than a spring scent, yet as soon as I put it on I was reminded of a beautiful Cabo beach and a festive atmosphere. It has a bit of a floral scent as well, along with the signature style of Lopez herself. It will certainly warm up any boring, cold night. I would definitely recommend this fragrance for more special occasion, as it is marketed with a "girls' night out" feel. I feel this scent represents J. Lo's fashion sense and style, complete with a sleek bottle design and decorative accessories.
The title speaks for itself on the matter of sex appeal. Bringing out the fashionista in every woman, I believe the perfume would be appealing to the male species, and would make a great gift to that stylish Valentine of yours. As for me, I'll be wearing this perfume out more than once this season.
– Maegen Sweat, for Weekly Surge
FOR HIM
David Beckham Instinct by Coty, $2o.83 for .5 ounces, available at Wal-Mart
Instinct is the cologne and David Beckham is the name. Just like the creator, this spicy, sultry and seductive cologne is definitely a head turner. I had many ways of describing it but mostly it struck me in an intriguing way. The cologne is very exotic and reminded me of a woody scent with a touch of fruity spice. Every time my friends and I took a whiff, the scent intrigued us enough to come back for more. Instinct's lingering, but not overpowering, scent makes it appropriate for everyday use. The only reason why you would only use it for special occasions is because of the cost. A small 1.7 oz. bottle of Instinct will run you about $45 and a 2.5 oz. about $55, according to list prices. But don't let the price discourage you, we found a .5 oz. bottle for basically $20 at Wal-Mart. This cologne is totally appealing and definitely recommended as a gift. It is also very diverse. This cologne is ageless and is suitable for men of all ages. When you consider the high profile name you are dealing with and the amazing smell you will get, you will think it's money well spent. David Beckham is amazingly beautiful; his scent is nothing but the same.
– Kira Connie, for Weekly Surge
Sean John Unforgivable, $55 for 2.5 ounces on seanjohnfragrances.com, and $75 for 4.2 ounces, also available at Dillard's
Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is known all over the world for his unique style and impeccable fashion sense. Although it sounds like a Clint Eastwood movie, Comb's Sean John brand fragrance Unforgivable lives up to his reputation completely. It's a fresh, cool scent that stimulates the senses yet doesn't overpower. Unforgivable smells almost like the clean smell you have when you get out of the shower, only without the flowery-soapy smell that guys don't want sticking to them after they towel off. This scent is suitable for everyday wear; but it wouldn't be out of place on special occasions either. The key to this cologne's success is the subtlety of the aroma. It makes a woman want to come in close for another smell without driving her away like you just used it as a body wash. I asked my girlfriend what she thought of it, and she actually liked it more than the cologne she bought me for my birthday last fall. A tip for all you ladies looking for last-minute Valentine's gifts: look into Unforgivable, your man will love it, and it won't break the bank. But take heed: you may have to work a little harder at keeping ladies away the next time you hit the town.
– Joey Haug, for Weekly Surge
USHER for Men, $65 for 3.4 ounces, available at Dillard's
Usher, the performer, is known for his great fashion sense - rocking his notorious blazers, designer jeans and flashy bling around his neck and in his ears - but unfortunately his sense of style did not transfer over into the scent of his new cologne for men. In 2007, singer, producer, composer, film and television actor Usher launched a new cologne for men, appropriately named USHER. A person's scent can be a deal maker or a deal breaker, so deciding which one of these fragrances to make your own, or to buy as a gift, is a big deal. One spray of USHER, and five days later the smell is still wafting through my apartment. Men wanting to make a statement in their everyday lives or on a big night on the town will make a statement wearing USHER, all right, but probably not the one they're going for. The only statement made would be for the people around you to stand at least 50 feet away or be prepared for a strong, musky scent most human beings wouldn't care to endure. Perfumes and colognes are always a big hit on Valentine's Day, but don't buy USHER for your man unless you secretly have it in for him, or if you really want to keep the other girls away from him. If the flashy bottle catches your eye in the store, keep browsing. USHER is not a keeper.
– Samantha Levinson, for Weekly Surge
D
erek Jeter Driven Eau de Toillette Spray, $26 for 2.5 ounces, available via Avon representatives
Is your special dude a huge N.Y. Yankees fan? If he bleeds pinstripes then he'll surely love All-Star shortstop Derek Jeter's foray into the celebrity cologne market. Still, we can't help but think of how many of Jete's teammates must make fun of him in the locker room for having his own brand of smell good. I mean, can you imagine a Jason Giambi cologne (it'd probably smell like grease, steroids and garlic) or A-Rod cologne (it'd probably smell like whatever you wanted it to smell like, but be the most expensive on the market)? Indeed, Driven is kind of non-eventful, and it smells like something you've smelled before. But, it's also not overpowering, so that's a good thing. And it's clean smelling, as opposed to being overly fruity or musky (although Avon's website says it's a "blend of chilled grapefruit, oak moss and spice"), so overall it's a pleasant fragrance. In an unsolicited smell test my wife commented that I smelled nice after I put a bit of Driven on my neck and chest several hours before she sniffed me. So there you have it, Driven, much like Jeter himself, can certainly attract women. It's not flashy so we'd have to say it's a winner because maybe it has all of those intangibles that sportscasters rave Jeter possesses.
- Kent Kimes, Editor
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