Debunking Celebrity Scents
August 9th, 2007
Roja Dove, a fragrance connoisseur and founder of the Haute Parfumerie at Harrod’s, calls a spade a spade in his interview to CNN on the subject of celebrity scents. Let me just tell you he’s a man after my own heart, and if I don’t visit the Haute Parfumerie some time in the next year or so, I’ll never feel complete.
Just this for today. Please stay tuned for my review of Tuberose Gardenia by Estee Lauder coming Monday (that I’m co-posting with Marina at Perfume-Smellin’ Things). Happy weekend!
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized
12 Comments
1. Flora | August 9th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Great find on that video, Ina! Quite revealing stuff from a real perfume expert. I am glad CNN found him to talk about it, and not another celebrity!
2. Judith | August 10th, 2007 at 7:09 am
Great video. And I’m ready–lets all go to London and visit Lee–and RD!!
3. Elle | August 10th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Very interesting! Loved how he commented on the lack of character the scents have and how the person who will spend the least amount of time on a celebrity scent is the perfumer.
4. Victoria | August 10th, 2007 at 8:45 am
From what I have seen, I have to disagree that the perfumers spend the least amount of time on celebrity fragrances. In fact, it is quite the opposite, as these are very important projects. However, the thing is that the celebrity fragrances tend to be targeted towards the teen market, which is by its nature very reluctant to embrace new and interesting trends. Teens just want to blend in, to be like everyone else.
5. minette | August 10th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
yes, he did a nice job explaining how the business works – and made his point about celebrity scents clearly and inoffensively. he does better on tv than does chandler burr – who seemed totally out of his depth when he did that segment on the today show.
i’ve met roja – at a guerlain event – and he is just the way he comes across on tv – knowledgeable without being snooty. and i think he wore that shirt or one like it to the event here.
6. greeneyes | August 11th, 2007 at 10:09 am
I might be the minority on this one, but I wish they’d at least called out SJP as not doing the usual celebrity thing. I make a distinction as a consumer and a perfume lover, and I think both of her fragrances are well done. But still, I did have to ask myself as I listened to the interview, would I think that if I didn’t like SJP? What if they were just “regular” perfumes? Lovely is so close to NR for Her EDT, so there’s that…
7. Ina | August 12th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Flora, I’m glad CNN talked about it at all! We need more coverage like this.
8. Ina | August 12th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Judith, let’s! Next year! I’m all for it.
9. Ina | August 12th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Elle, amusing, isn’t it?
10. Ina | August 12th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Victoria, nice to see your feedback. I do believe these projects are important.
11. Ina | August 12th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Minette, you met him? How fun! I’d like to be able to pick his brain (and nose! ha!) a little.
12. Ina | August 12th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Greeneyes, most of celebrity scents I’ve smelled aren’t really that bad, and, to be honest, I don’t find SJP scents any superior. They’re all nice, to some degree or other. However, not complex or outstanding. Very much mass appeal. I think that’s the point he’s trying to make.