These days, getting close to your favourite celebrity is easy - just spritz on a scent made by him or her.
The trend for celebrity perfumes took off in the early 1990s when Elizabeth Taylor released her fragrance, White Diamonds. It remains a bestseller today, coming in at No. 1 on Forbes' 2011 list of top-selling celeb perfumes.
Hoards of celebrities - from Britney Spears to Beyonce and, yes, even Jersey Shore's Snooki - have since jumped on the bandwagon. Last year alone saw Katy Perry, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian joining in with their own scents.
In Singapore, and worldwide, one of the biggest sellers in the celeb category is Sean John's Unforgivable, first launched for men between the ages of 18 and 35 in 2005.
"There are millions of men taking my lead, and I have to take them to the promised land of sexy," the rapper, also known as P Diddy, told the New York Daily News then of his scent, which features notes of lemon, bergamot, sandalwood, and more.
His Unforgivable fragrance - now available for women, too - sold with taglines like "made US$18 million (S$22 million) in sales in the United States in 2010, according to Forbes".
Celeb fragrances are often a way to reach out to the younger consumer, since they are typically not overly expensive, often coming in well under $100 per bottle.
Marketing tactics include the use of social media, said Ms Chillie Por, senior category manager at Nuance Watson at Changi Airport, which brings in a selection of celebrity scents.
When Rihanna launched her Re'l Fluer perfume in 2010, she put out a one-minute video that quickly made the rounds among her 4.5 million Twitter followers and 30 million Facebook fans, said a Forbes report.
"Celebrity fragrances are more like a cult, appealing to a certain group of followers," said Ms Geraldine Chua, 27, product manager at Luxasia, which brings in scents from Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker and pop singer Spears.
She noted that such fragrances are an easy sell, since Singaporeans themselves are tech-savvy celeb-watchers, finding news on celebs from various media channels.
"Though celebrity fragrances represent less than 1 per cent of our total fragrance sales, our annual (sales) projection for celebrity fragrances is around $1.2 million," said Ms Por.
"Arden has plans for Taylor Swift this month, and Coty has added a number of celebrities, such as upcoming iconics Lady Gaga and Madonna," she added.
Which means, get ready for more.
Latest Scents
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EMPRESS
Sean John's new fragrance for the modern woman, Empress is the female counterpart to his best-selling men's scent, I Am King.
A crisp, fruity, floral fragrance with top notes of key lime pie, mandarin imperial, starfruit and imperial french berry that promises to inspire.
Where: Available exclusively at SaSa stores.
How much: From $65 for a 30ml eau de parfum.
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LOVE AND LIGHT
Love and Light by Jennifer Lopez is the newest release in her popular collection.
Expect to be hit by its sparkling, floral, woody scent.
It is a romantic fragrance with top notes of mandarin, pomegranate and red currant.
Where: Available at SaSa and all major department stores.
How much: From $64 for a 30ml eau de parfum.
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HOMME
Described as fresh, modern and masculine, Homme is David Beckham's new scent.
Belonging to the woody-spicy family, it exudes an aromatic fragrance of citrus, ginger and pine, with a hint of fiery pepper.
Where: Available at SaSa, BHG stores and Fragrance Gallery in Watsons stores.
How much: From $35 for a 30ml eau de toilette.
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LILABELLE
This is Kate Moss’ delicate new fragrance, inspired by her nine-year-old daughter, Lila.
A pretty, soft fruity “floriental” fragrance with top notes of osmanthus flowers, juicy mandarin and dewy freesia, it boasts a rich and modern quality.
Where: Available at Fragrance Gallery in Watsons stores.
How much: From $39 for a 30ml eau de toilette.
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REVEAL
Reveal is the third scent in Halle Berry's collection.
It oozes glamour yet remains natural and easy to wear.
With top notes of juicy peach, honeydew melon, mimosa flower and red berries, this fragrance is pure and elegant.
Where: Available at Fragrance Gallery in Watsons stores.
How much: From $39 for a 30ml eau de parfum.
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