[Editorial] Celebrity Fragrances: What’s the Deal?

In September 1991, Elizabeth Taylor launched what would become, and continues to be, the top-selling celebrity fragrance of all time. While the 2011 figures have not been released yet, I can tell you that in 2010, White Diamonds raked in $61.3 million! Who would have thought that a perfume that you can pick up at your local drugstore while shopping for tampons could do so well?

What is it about celebrity fragrances that make them so popular? Everybody in Tinsel Town seems to have a perfume these days: Jennifer Aniston, Beyonce, Britney Spears and Sarah Jessica Parker. Let’s not forget about the fellas: Antonio Banderas, Carlos Santana, Derek Jeter and the delicious David Beckham have all dabbled in the fragrance industry. In fact, Derek Jeter’s cologne for men, Driven, was the number two top-selling celebrity fragrance for 2010.

The Sweet Smell of Success

So why do so many celebrities get into the fragrance industry? The answer is simple and probably won’t shock you. It’s a moneymaker! Usually a fragrance manufacturer will approach a star with the idea for a perfume line. They are smart and know that a perfume bottle with a celebrity name on it will sell way better than a bottle without.

Consumers love celebrity fragrances because they idolize the star and want to feel like they own something that reflects that star’s taste. Teenyboppers especially go bananas over perfumes created by their favorite pop stars because it makes them feel one step closer to them—like they are spraying the very essence of the pop icon on them (“Oh, Bieber!” SWOON.).

But how involved are celebrities in the creation process? That depends. Jennifer Lopez has to sign off on every aspect of her perfumes, from the fragrance notes, to the bottle, to the advertising. If she doesn’t like it, it doesn’t make it. Others simply come up with an inspiration for the fragrance, then hand it over to the experts to work their magic. The rest? Well, they just sign a release authorizing the fragrance manufacturer the use of their name, then sit back and wait for the paycheck.

Star Power

Once the fragrance is created, the celebrity works to promote it. The power of celebrity endorsement is an amazing thing to see. This was proven recently when a popular pop singer launched her first perfume. The fragrance manufacturer decided not to use boring old (and expensive) print, online or TV advertising. Instead, they worked with the pop tart to create a forty-one second video talking about the fragrance on YouTube. Then, this mega-star sent out a tweet to her millions of followers sharing the video link. In a matter of moments, the video went viral as fans went berserk and excitedly shared the news with their followers. Smart, no?

There is a risk involved with this trend, though. The fragrance could fail. It doesn’t matter how many adoring fans you have, or how awesome the advertising is—if the perfume smells terrible, it’s not going to go far. It might sell initially at its launch, but once that first wave of buyers starts talking about how much it stinks (literally!), word of mouth will start to make sales turn south.

Kit’s Celebrity Fragrance Trifecta

Part of the reason why Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds has done so well for so long is that it stays true to the celebrity fragrance trifecta. That’s a theory I created. The three-pronged formula for a successful celebrity fragrance is simple. There has to be (1) a famous star persona who is willing to endorse it, (2) masses of adoring fans ready to buy it, and (3) a perfume that smells so good that people actually want to wear it.

For instance, let’s talk about Kim Kardashian’s fragrance collection.

KK [Editorial] Celebrity Fragrances: Whats the Deal?

Kim Kardashian Eau de Parfum is a woody floral that has notes of indolic jasmine, tuberose and gardenia. Tonka bean, jacaranda wood and sandalwood finish off the fragrance. It appeals to ladies who love to be stylish and make a grand entrance.

KK Gold [Editorial] Celebrity Fragrances: Whats the Deal?

Kim Kardashian Gold Eau de Parfum has an alluring aroma with a sexy summer twist. It encapsulates Kardashian’s fascinating life of glamour and success. Notes include bergamot, grapefruit, pink pepper, jasmine, rose, violet, patchouli, sandalwood, amber, benzoin and musk.

Kim Kardashian’s perfumes not only smell gorgeous, but describe Kardashian and her lifestyle, and make the consumer believe that they too can be stylish, successful and glamorous simply by owning the perfumes. Kardashian has done her part to endorse these perfumes to her millions of fans, and it paid off. Both KK and KK Gold follow my trifecta theory, and for that reason, they have been wildly successful.

How do you feel about celebrity perfumes? Which ones are classic fragrances, and which ones are chintzy moneymakers?

Product: Kim Kardashian Eau de Parfum

Price: $35.00 to $65.00

Purchase: All Beauty Collection locations as well as beautycollection.com

Product: Kim Kardashian Gold Eau de Parfum

Price: $65.00

Purchase: All Beauty Collection locations as well as beautycollection.com

“Facial for Your Hair” Cocktail: What’s Your Mix?

MaryPergoda1 300x284 Facial for Your Hair Cocktail: Whats Your Mix?

Mary Pergoda

Greetings, everyone! It’s Hair Princess Mary from j.f. lazartigue, sending well wishes to you all. I would like to give a big thank-you to everyone who participated in the Beauty Collection Facebook Party on Wednesday, February 1. I had a great time chatting with the Beauty Collection Facebookers, and I’m looking forward to our next party.

I write this post from the salon at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, where they feature our j.f. lazartigue “Facial for Your Hair” treatments. I can still remember having my first “Hair Facial Cocktail” 15 years ago. Afterwards, I was walking down Madison Avenue in New York City and wondering whose hair was on my head—it felt and looked so amazing! My over-processed, fine, feathery, blonde hair had never looked better.

Now I make sure to treat myself to a j.f. lazartigue “Hair Facial Cocktail” at home every week! You can, too. Here’s how.

What Is a “Facial for Your Hair?” 

For more than 40 years, hair designer Jean-François Lazartigue has been the innovator in the world of hair products. Inspired by skin-care lines with facial products made of the finest ingredients, Mr. Lazartigue developed hair-care products with amazing ingredients that fix the integrity of the scalp and hair—and, in a number of cases, prevent hair loss. With development and repeat success, the four-step “Facial for Your Hair” was born.

The “Facial for Your Hair” is simple to achieve and fits into every lifestyle. With these four easy steps, we can all find time to treat our luscious locks:

1. Prep your hair. It all starts with a dry hair spritz. A little Disentangling Instant Silk-Protein Spray will help your pre-shampoo hair-treatment mask work better and is also wonderful for heat protection. It prevents tangles after shampooing and infuses your hair with silk.

JFL Disentangling Facial for Your Hair Cocktail: Whats Your Mix?

2. Choose your mask. Repair, heal, and protect your hair with a pre-shampoo treatment mask. Apply the mask before you wash your hair to maximize its healing and preventive powers.

Make sure to use the mask that best fits your lifestyle. Start by treating your tresses with our best-selling, once-a-week Pre-Shampoo Shea Butter Mask. A big tablespoon is all you need, and you’re set for the week. The Pre-Shampoo Shea Butter Mask should stay on for at least two hours or may be left on overnight for the ultimate “Facial for Your Hair” treatment . 

When time is not on your side, we have two 10-minute express masks that are gentle enough to use as often as you likeFirst, our Moisturizing Mask infuses moisture to all types hair and is also great for a dry, itchy scalp. The second option—and my favorite quick-fix—is the Soy Milk Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Mask for dry, delicate hair. This mask adds strength, volume, and vitality to finer, more delicate hair. As someone who shampoos daily and is always on the go, this is a must for my travel cosmetic bag.

JFL SoyMilkMask Facial for Your Hair Cocktail: Whats Your Mix?

3. Shampoo. Rinse out your pre-shampoo mask, then follow with the shampoo that complements your mask. For example, if you use the Moisturizing Mask, go with the Moisturizing Shampoo. Remember to always shampoo twice every time you wash your hair for a healthy shine (see last week’s post on achieving healthy hair).

JFL MoisturizingShampoo Facial for Your Hair Cocktail: Whats Your Mix?

4. Condition. Lastly, use the conditioner that complements your hair mask. This finishing touch seals in all the benefits of your hair facial treatment—giving you the shine and luster needed for the most beautiful hair in the world every day.

Tip: When using a conditioner, never start with your scalp. Apply the conditioner to your ends instead, and comb the conditioner through your hair while you’re in the shower. This a great tip for those with finer hair who have always felt like conditioner leaves their hair without volume, and it will detange all hair types.

 

JFL MoisturizingConditioner Facial for Your Hair Cocktail: Whats Your Mix?

Beauty Collection has everything you need for your own “Hair Facial Cocktail” mix—and it gets better. All j.f. lazartigue products are 20% off this month, so it’s a great time to stock up.

Want to know which mix is right for your hair? Just ask me below! Remember the j.f.lazartigue, and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Enjoy your week!

Get Healthy Hair with j.f. lazartigue

Editor’s note: We are excited to welcome guest blogger “Hair Princess” Mary Pergoda, national promotions director for j.f. lazartigue, who will be sharing her hair-care expertise with us on the blog for the next few weeks. Catch Mary in person today at Beauty Collection West Hollywood and tomorrow at Beauty Collection Calabasas. This month, all j.f. lazartigue products are 20% off—so don’t forget to stock up!

MaryPergoda 300x284 Get Healthy Hair with j.f. lazartigue

Mary Pergoda

Winter is a great time to take care of your best fashion accessory: your hair. Hello, I am Mary Pergoda (aka, Hair Princess Mary), national promotions director for j.f. lazartigue. For the past 15 years, I have engaged, enlightened, and empowered people all around this planet to have the most beautiful hair in the world. With all of the lotions and potions we use to keep our skin the best it can be, we often forget that it all starts at the top of our heads. For the next few weeks on the Beauty Collection blog, I will share a few helpful tips on how you can achieve the most beautiful hair in the world!

Start with Shampoo

To keep your hair healthy, the first step is to shampoo. Most importantly, you should shampoo twice every time you wash your hair. The first time gets rid of the yucky stuff—dirt, bacteria, pollution, etc.—and the second time treats your luscious locks.

Some of you might be saying, “But I already shampoo once every day—isn’t that enough?”  Trust me, that second time is what counts. I know firsthand, as I am a frequent shampooer who colors every three weeks. If your hair is fine and delicate, that second shampoo will add the life and lift you’ve been dying for. Or, if you need moisture to get rid of the unruly, puffy-head look, that extra lather and rinse will make your hair sleek, shiny, and smooth.

SoyMilkShampoo1 Get Healthy Hair with j.f. lazartigue

Remember to use the shampoo that is geared specifically to your own hair type—not to your friend’s hair. If you have baby-fine hair, go with the j.f. lazartigue Soy Milk Strengthening Shampoo, which is gentle enough to use daily. Those with thicker, more unruly hair who don’t shampoo as frequently should try our Shampoo with Shea Butter. No matter which shampoo you choose, don’t forget to use conditioner for a healthy shine.

Take Your Vitamins

What about feeding your hair? The answer is j.f. lazartigue’s Revitalizing Hair Vitamins. Life is crazy—we’re being pulled in so many directions and maybe not taking the time to watch our diet. Day-to-day stress, medication, and heredity can all add up to vitamin deficiencies that show in your hair, skin, and nails. j.f. lazartigue has the most amazing vitamins to counteract these factors and get you back on track. Revitalizing Hair Vitamins are based on energizing plant extracts, keratin, cystine, and methionine, as well as vitamins A, B, and E.

RevitalizingHairVitamins Get Healthy Hair with j.f. lazartigue

For optimal results, follow these four steps:

  1. Take six vitamins a day for the first month.
  2. Take four vitamins a day for the second month.
  3. Take two vitamins a day for the third month and going forward.
  4. Bump your regimen back up to Step 1 at the change of the seasons.

Through Beauty Collection, j.f.lazartigue offers a buy-two, get-one-free special pack—so you can get the six packs you will need to start for the price of four. Trust me, you will be hooked!

Revitalize Your Scalp

Okay, I hear you saying to yourself, “I never take vitamins. What about me? How can I feed my hair?”

Well, guess what? j.f.lazartigue Intensive Scalp Revitalizer is like putting a multivitamin directly on your scalp. It is a powerful regenerator that stimulates and strengthens your hair. We strongly recommend this treatment for new mothers who are experiencing hair loss, and it is perfectly safe for those who are breastfeeding.

IntensiveScalpRevitalizer Get Healthy Hair with j.f. lazartigueTo get results, take 1 ampoule of the Intensive Scalp Revitalizer every other night (the night before shampooing) for three months. j.f. lazartigue offers a buy-two-get-one-free special pack, available at Beauty Collection. Together, the Intensive Scalp Revitalizer and Revitalizing Hair Vitamins make for a powerful rock-star team.

Don’t Miss This Special Offer

This month, all j.f. lazartigue products are 20% off at Beauty Collection. This offer includes special packs and large sizes—so stock up now!

I will be back next week with more tips on how to achieve the most beautiful hair in the world.

A Cut Above: What Makes Your Hair Stylist Great?

Stylist 300x205 A Cut Above: What Makes Your Hair Stylist Great?“Life is too short to ever have a bad haircut,” my mom said one day after we both came back disappointed from our regular salon. Inspired by this new mantra and a friend’s glowing review, we booked our next appointments with Mark Taylor—then at The Gates in San Marino, Calif.—and we were so glad we did!

Taylor is an artist. In just one session, he shaped my limp locks into a dynamic bob with wonderful movement and layers. For the first time, people actually stopped to ask me who cut my hair. During the next decade, Taylor’s precision cuts were an essential ritual before every big occasion, making me feel beautiful for my graduations, job interviews, and, of course, my wedding day.

Taylor is so wonderful that I didn’t hesitate to follow him when he went over to Ecco Salon in South Pasadena. And, for the first couple of years after I moved across town, I gladly commuted the 30 miles in L.A. traffic for his expertise.

A great stylist inspires that kind of loyalty. Earlier this week on Facebook, we asked you to share how long you’ve been seeing your hair stylist—and the overwhelming majority of you said you’ve been going to the same person for years, even decades. In Kim Darker Meldrum’s case, the tradition continues into the next generation: “I’ve been with Eddie for 16 years. He did my hair for my wedding and now cuts my daughter’s hair.”

Excellent results certainly bring us back to the same chair time after time—but, as you can see from Kim’s story, there’s more to it than that. It’s equally about the personal relationship. As Rachelle King points out, a good stylist also has to be a good listener: ”I love my hair stylist Robert G at the Robert G salon in NYC, he listens, and has a great sense of humor…been seeing him for three years and running!” A great stylist makes you feel both beautiful and valued.

The Trust Factor

For people like me who don’t have super hair skills, it’s a must to find a stylist we can trust—and often that trust goes even further than professional expertise. An hour sitting in a stylist’s chair is the opportunity to talk about everything under the sun, and many of us do. Not only do we trust our stylists with our hair, but we open up to them about our lives as well.

It’s no surprise, then, that so many of your Facebook responses included the words “friendship,” “trust,” and even “love.” Take this observation from Brittany Venuto: ”If it wasn’t for [Angie], I would have never tried new things. She had me trust her and to me that was a big deal. I can talk to her about anything and she has no judgment about me or anything I tell her.”

Trust—whether professional or personal—takes time to build. No wonder changing stylists can be so upsetting! Some of you mentioned you just haven’t had luck finding the right stylist yet—which leads me to the next question. For those of you happy clients out there, how did you find your current stylist? Sound off below, and have a great hair day!

Skincare by the ages

Dermalogica did this frankly awesome series of videos in late summer, 2011 on Skincare By The Ages.

They’re a must-view, check out the one for your age range!

Skincare for the 20-Something

Skincare for the 30-Something

Skincare for the 40-Something

Skincare for the 50-Something