eDiets Lifestyle

Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Beyonce, Jessica Simpson, JLo, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Sarah Jessica Parker and Elizabeth Taylor are among the women who have ventured into the fragrance business.

While some celebrities help pick ingredients or design the bottle, others just slap their name on a smell and pass it along to the consumer. Why are perfume companies so eager to slap a picture of Beyonce on their bottles? Because it's a smart strategy.

"Building a fragrance brand name from start, without any affiliation, is a very expensive proposition," says Candace Corlett of WSL Strategic Retail, a New York City consulting firm. "A much quicker route to sales is to borrow a star's identity."

According to those who track fragrance trends, there are 138 celebrity fragrances currently on the market. Apparently, this is a record. Whose fault is it that 138 celebrities think that you should smell like them? I blame Elizabeth Taylor. Her "White Diamonds" has grossed more than $1 billion in sales since 1991 and has been the flagship for celebrity fragrances.

Now that you know there is a wide array of famous people you can smell like, how do you choose? For my nose's sake, I only reviewed a few, so if you don't find a celebrity you want to smell like, don't worry -- there are plenty more.

Tommy Hilfiger's True Star has enlisted Beyonce as the spokeswoman. It has a floral scent with "nuances of sweet pea, honeysuckle and toasted wheat grains." True Star has a fresh, sexy smell and is quite bootylicious.

J.Lo was not satisfied with only one fragrance, so she created several -- Glow, Still, Miami Glow, Live and her newest, Love at First Glow. Glow came first and is a subtle, sexy, clean and fresh scent with fruity undertones. Next came Still, which possesses an intriguing blend of white pepper, sake, bergamot, orange flower, rose, jasmine, freesia and honeysuckle. Miami Glow is a floral scent that let's you know the party's on! It even comes with a chic Miami charm bracelet. Live was created for the versatile woman, so it includes fruity and musky notes. Her newest, Love at First Glow, is innocence in a bottle, with essences of vanilla, peach and jasmine. Pick your poison and head down to South Beach.

Curious by Britney Spears tempts the senses with, "Louisiana magnolia touched with golden Anjou pear and dewy lotus flower." Don't fret if this doesn't sound like you or you're allergic to golden Anjou pear, because her other fragrance, Fantasy, is touted as a "magic love potion," with the scents of ripe fruits, cupcakes and musk. Caution: May cause hair to fall out. Just kidding!

Paris Hilton's perfume (ingeniously named "Paris Hilton") has the scent of "frozen apple with mimosa blossom." It had a citrus aroma and smelled great, if you want to smell like a strumpet who's been boozing and bed-hopping for the past month. Just like spending the night with Paris, you'll spend the next day burning your clothes and trying to wash off the smell.

Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely is probably the best of the bunch. It's a traditional female fragrance and has been compared to Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds. Lovely even garnered accolades from Oprah, making Oprah's Favorite Things: Holiday 2005. It appeals to an older, more sophisticated crowd because that's what Parker's known for and includes patchouli and lavender, with top notes of fresh mandarin and crisp apple martini. If Oprah likes it, it must be good.

If you've had enough sex in the city, and you're feeling a little bit country, then get ready for Shania by Stetson. Shania Twain has lassoed a deal with Coty Beauty's Stetson brand to create a four-product women's fragrance line. Yee-haw!

Choose the one that fits you best, but remember: Just because your favorite celebrity has her own fragrance doesn't mean you necessarily want to smell like it. Smell ya later.

Shawn McKee graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in journalism and has written for the Broward and Miami New Times. He smells nice.

Labels: beauty, celebrity, cosmetics, fragrance, perfume, style