Fragrance - Beauty Collection Blog

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

February 21, 2012 By Kathleen N. Leave a Comment

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.

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.

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

Filed Under: Beauty Trends, Curator Corner, Fragrance

[Review] Fragrances: We Heart Coach Poppy

February 13, 2012 By Kathleen N. Leave a Comment

Delicate floral notes of jasmine, freesia, gardenia and water lily are blended with crisp, cool cucumber. This is then topped off with sweet creme brulee, decadent whipped marshmallow and sugary candied rose petals. Warm sandalwood, cedarwood and vanilla round out the unique eau de parfum.

Sounds gorgeous doesn’t it? It is! Coach Poppy is so complex and contains so many layers. When I first sprayed it on, I couldn’t stop smelling myself trying to detect every layer. What makes this fragrance so special is the way that it seems to change the longer you have it on your skin. The fragrance starts out with a burst of floral notes that are bright and sparkly and not at all overpowering. During the next whiff, you notice a sweet creaminess. Creme brulee and marshmallow entice your senses and make you drool. Finally, you feel the warmth of the sandalwood, vanilla and cedarwood wrap around you. To. Die. For.

Also, the bottle is so pretty! The perfume has a delicate pink hue and is contained in an adorable round glass bottle, which is topped with a golden ball etched with tiny hearts and the words “Coach Poppy.” All of this cuteness is finished off with a tidy red bow tied around the neck of the bottle. I love looking at in on my vanity, and feel glamourous holding it in my palm while spritzing it on.

Originally, Coach Poppy was exclusively sold in Coach boutique stores, but in July 2010, the vibrant fragrance was launched in department and beauty stores. Beauty addicts and fragrance fanatics alike have been snapping up this fresh, young fragrance ever since. It’s not surprising since the lovely bottle contains a spectrum of scents packed into one perfume. Coach Poppy is universally appealing, and that is a hard quality to find in a fragrance.

I am completely in love with Coach Poppy and know that you will fall in love with it too. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, you should start dropping hints now! Or maybe you should treat yourself this Valentine’s Day? You deserve it, after all! I have my eye on Coach Poppy Flower, Coach’s second fragrance for the collection.

Now if you will excuse me, my husband is sleeping. I need to go put headphones on his ears and play my recorded Valentine’s Day wishlist on repeat. Subliminal messages while sleeping seemed the easiest way to go. What? I have to cover all of my bases, and this way he doesn’t feel “nagged.” It’s a win-win for everyone!

So tell me, beauties … are you dying to try Coach Poppy? Have you already?

Product: Coach Poppy Eau de Parfum

Price: $65.00

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

Filed Under: Fragrance, Reviews

Battle of the Fragrances: Kai & Leila Lou

January 4, 2012 By Kathleen N. Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but I have been hearing an awful lot about Kai and Leila Lou. For years, I have seen these brands in the press, read numerous articles in glossy magazines penned by beauty editors raving over them and have heard celebrities using the word “obsessed” to describe their devotion to these two wildly popular brands. Look them up on Beauty Collection’s website and you will see that both Kai and Leila Lou’s perfume oils have five star ratings and dozens of comments left by happy customers singing their praises.

I am going to dissect these two brands for you. Let me put them head to head, through numerous tests and judge them on multiple factors. I will describe the fragrances in detail, chronicle every pro and con about the formulas, and track performance of each product. Afterwards, you can take my data and use it to help you decide if one of these (or both!) fragrances is right for you. This all sounds super scientific doesn’t it?!

So for each brand I reviewed the perfume oil and a bath and body product. For Kai that was the Bathing Bubbles and for Leila Lou it was the Body Lotion. Let’s do this!

Kai

Kai creator Gaye Straza struggled for years to find a perfume that agreed with her, After a lot of frustration, Straza decided to make her own fragrance. Kai Perfume was inspired by her frequent vacations to the tropics in her youth, and the white exotic flowers she discovered and fell in love with during these trips. Kai’s delicate scent is intensely floral yet simple and elegant.

Kai Perfume Oil

I was super excited to get my hands on this perfume. For years I have been curious about it because of how popular it is. When you smell it in the bottle it smells so floral. Definitely not in a Grandma way though.This is a modern floral that starts with Gardenia but ends with a tropical smell. I can’t place it though. It just reminds me of the beach. The air and the sand, plants and sea. It’s all there. The tiny glass bottle is a has a roller ball applicator making it a cinch to apply and highly portable for touch ups. After application, it dried down into a creamy floral, and some Tuberose leaked out. The fragrance lasted throughout the day and when I went to bed at night, I could still smell it on my wrists.

The thing that I find most interesting about this fragrance is that even though it is a floral it is never overpowering. I have never met a floral perfume that I liked. I always felt like it entered the room before me and left way after I did. Plus I always felt like it was in my mouth or my husband was coughing and gagging, swiftly evacuating the bedroom after I sprayed myself. But not with Kai. Delicate is a great word for it. Delicate, floral and creamy

Kai Bathing Bubbles

Kai’s nourishing bubble bath is packed with moisturizing Vitamin E rich Argan Oil and naturally cleansing coconut and sugar derivatives which will leave your skin soft, supple and glowing. Your bath and skin will be fragranced with the same floral scent as Kai’s perfume oil. Personally, I loved the Bathing Bubbles. I actually used it as both a bubble bath and a shower gel. The formula did leave my skin feeling extremely smooth and hydrated and the scent was gorgeous. Not too strong but just enough so that the scent lingered on my skin throughout the day. The bottle is fairly large (16oz) and will last for some time.

Leila Lou

This irresistible fragrance was created by Rosie Jane Cosmetics. The light perfume oil is made with 100% essential oils. Leila Lou was meant to capture the alluring scent of freshness and innocence. With notes of Pear Blossom, fresh cut grass and Tangerine, the scent is unique, modern and clean.

Leila Lou Perfume Oil

I am new to this brand but have heard loads of positive things about tit since I started blogging for Beauty Collection. According to Leila Lou’s website, there are only three stores that carry the line in my state and I don’t frequent any of them, so I am not surprised I have never seen it. The glass bottle is slightly larger than Kai’s, but it’s the same roller ball style. When you smell Leila Lou straight out of the bottle you smell a clean scent that is mixed with a fruitiness. It smells really good! Once applied, it dries down and becomes more complex. You can smell floral behind the clean fruit smell. It’s a beautiful mix of fruit, floral and a soapy clean. The only thing that really bothered me about this oil was that it didn’t last long enough. Kai definitely beat Leila Lou in terms of performance but the brilliant thing is that the bottle is totally portable making it easy to reapply when needed.

Leila Lou Body Lotion

Leila Lou’s light body lotion contains 100% essential oils and naturally hydrating ingredients. Shea Butter, Sunflower Seed Oil, Jojoba and Coconut Oil moisturize your skin while the scent of Leila Lou’s perfume oil fragrances your skin. Even though this was a very light formula, I loved the lotion. I used it all over my whole body and it kept me moisturized throughout the day. Layering the lotion with the perfume oil did help with the staying power of the fragrance.

Overall I am in love with both fragrances. They both have their own special qualities. The thing the I found unique about their coordinating bath and body products was that the fragrance translated well and the formulas were phenomenal. Too many times I have been disappointed by a perfume’s matching lotion or shower gel. Either the fragrance isn’t the same as the perfume or the formula is terrible. Drying lotions is the number one problem I find with perfumed body products. These did not disappoint though. I would highly recommend both brands and feel like they are universal scents. If floral based fragrances scare you, give Kai a try. It’s a fantastic perfume to ease into floral scents. Leila Lou was my favorite of the two. The clean scent is as perfect for day as it is for a night out.

So….have you tried either of these brands? What did you think? Do you have a favorite?

I hope all of my sweet readers have a happy and safe New Year! Thank you for your support in 2011, stay tuned to see what Beauty Collection brings you in 2012. It’s going to be beautiful!

Product: Kai Perfume Oil

Price: $49.00

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

Product: Kai Bathing Bubbles

Price: $36.00

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

Product: Leila Lou Perfume Oil

Price: $38.00

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

Product: Leila Lou Body Lotion

Price: $28.00

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

Filed Under: Bath & Body, Fragrance, Quotes We Heart, Reviews

Tokyo Milk Round Up: Subtle Scents for Day and Night

October 19, 2011 By Claudia C. Leave a Comment

Created by Margot Elena, Tokyo Milk is a brand of perfumes, soaps, lip balms, candles, and accessories that catches the attention of many with its adorably detailed packaging and unique scents … So if you are wooed by pretty little objects, read on, and find your next new obsession.

You can best describe each of Tokyo Milk products as mini vintage-inspired pieces of art. (Almost too pretty to have to toss) Having a different style of art for each scent, Tokyo Milk‘s beautiful packaging along with unexpected note pairings, create wonderful gifts for a friend, a sister, or even your co-worker. You really have to see the detail in the packaging though. I mean, c’mon, look at packaging! B-E-A-utiful! Wouldn’t this look nice on your vanity? I think it would nice on mine!

Each of the products in the Tokyo Milk line have a fun combination of scents that leave those you keep near wondering, what are you wearing? Allow me to share my top three that I am most in love with.

On-the-Go Solid Perfume

Tokyo Milk’s solide perfume in sugar plum makes my mouth water just reading the label. Peach, candied mango with white tea? (which I consider juicy and delicate at the same time) Sold. The perfume comes in a little glass pot, housed in a cute matchbox; sprinkled with glitter to accent the art. Perfect for keeping in your purse in lieu of your perfume bottles or mini atomizer.

Warm and Exotic All-in-One

If you know me in real life then you know I would live in a coconut if I could. I am obsessed with coconut scents. I’m talking for home, bath and body. If there is a coconut version of something, I have probably already tried it. Coconut is one of those scents that can be made very light or very strong depending on the formulation; in either case, I just love the smell and will take it however it comes. It’s even better when paired with vanilla, which comes in a strong second place of my most favorite scents. Tokyo Milk’s Let Them Eat Cake No. 11 Parfum is simply irresistible to me. Coconut is paired with a white musk and warm vanilla orchid. I think the name says it all. Let everyone else eat cake– I want this perfume.

Feel Drop dDead Sexy with This Parfum

How cute is the cross and skull bones? It almost makes me think of a vintage bottle of perfume that would be found on The Black Pearl ( you know, Pirates of the Caribbean). Tokyo Milk’s Drop Dead Sexy No. 06 gives off a sensual scent with white orchid, deep vanilla (yippee), and Exotic Wood. For anyone who loves white floral scents, this one’s got your name all over over it! Just be sure to spritz at the neck and chest and your all set.

It’s so easy to find yourself saying that you want all of them after reading their names and descriptions. After another look through the Tokyo Milk Store, I find myself adding other “necessities” to the list. Decisions, Decisions…

Until next time Beauties!

Product: tokyo milk petite parfum solide – sugar plum

Price: $18.00

Locations: At all Beauty Collection Locations and BeautyCollection

Product: tokyo milk parfum – let them eat cake no.11

Price: $28.00

Locations:  At all Beauty Collection Locations and BeautyCollection

Product:   tokyo milk parfum – dead sexy no.6

Price: $28.00

Locations:  At all Beauty Collection Locations and BeautyCollection

Filed Under: Fragrance Tagged With: dead sexy no.6, let them eat cake no.11, new scents, Parfumarie Curiositie, perfume, solid perfume, Tokyo Milk

Classic Fragrances Never Go Out Of Style

October 10, 2011 By Kathleen N. 1 Comment

I don’t know about you, but I have many fragrances that I have bought or was gifted many years ago that I still wear today. These were not trendy fragrances that catered to a passing trend or season. My beloved fragrances have stood the test of time and are still superstars in my fragrance collection.

Choosing a new fragrance can be hard enough without worrying if your choice will stand the test of time and become your favorite go to fragrance. To help you discover a new scent, I have selected three different fragrances from Beauty Collection’s stock and will discuss what makes them classics.

$fracas Classic Fragrances Never Go Out Of Style$

Fracas Eau De Parfum

Created in 1947, this beautiful fragrance is one of the most coveted fragrances of all time. Lush and floral, the perfume opens up with Tuberose that mingles with Jasmine, Gardenia and Bulgarian Rose. It then deepens with Sandalwood, Vetiver and Musk. A signature fragrance for those who want to leave an unforgettable impression.

Tom Ford Black Orchid Eau De Parfum

Bring your sexy back with a spritz from this black bottle. Introduced in 2006 as Tom Ford’s first fragrance, Black Orchid has skyrocketed in popularity and become a classic in just five short years.Seductive and decadent, Noir Gourmand Accord is balanced by Patchouli, Incense and Vetiver. Vanilla adds creaminess to warm Balsam and smooth Sandalwood. The glamorous bottle will transform your vanity and make you feel like an old Hollywood starlet. Black Orchid’s velvety scent will make you feel as sexy as the man who concocted it, my celebrity crush, Mr. Tom Ford.

Kai Eau De Parfum

Kai hit the market in 1999 and was instantly loved by celebrities and fragrance fanatics everywhere. A bestseller year after year, the intoxicating fragrance has classic written all over it. Fresh and light, the fragrance wraps you in lush Tropical Gardenia and White Exotic Flowers transporting you to a tropical Island. Perfect for day and night, this irresistible fragrance is one you will reach for over and over again.

So….tell me Beauties. What is your signature scent?

Product: Fracas Eau De Parfum

Price: $85.00-$120.00

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

Product: Tom Ford Black Orchid Eau De Parfum

Price: $95.00-$138.00

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

Product: Kai Eau De Parfum

Price: $76.00

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

Filed Under: Fragrance Tagged With: black orchid, classic fragrances, classic perfumes, fracas, kai, tom ford