London - These days, it seems every famous name has their own perfume. But the allure of smelling like your favourite star could be waning.
Beauty giant Elizabeth Arden has blamed a decline in sales of celebrity scents – particularly those of pop stars Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift – for a 28 percent drop in revenue.
Bieber, who last week pleaded guilty to charges of careless driving and resisting arrest, had launched three perfumes by his 20th birthday in March this year.
His most recent scent, The Key, is a “fruity floral” mix of pink jasmine and sweet osmanthus blossom. It promises to “channel Justin’s authentic voice that inspires his millions of dedicated fans to believe – to believe in themselves, to believe in their connection with Justin, and most of all, to believe that their dreams will come true”.
Meanwhile 24-year-old Swift’s scent Wonderstruck, and its follow-on Wonderstruck Enchanted, is also creating big losses for Elizabeth Arden despite being on sale in the UK for just £13.50 (about R250).
The American singer says her products capture “the moment when you instantly feel a connection to someone, but then there’s that feeling of being completely enamoured – enchanted”.
Sadly, not enough people have been enchanted, with the company – which is cutting 175 jobs because of the slump – saying: “The decline in sales of celebrity fragrances, particularly the Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift fragrances, was steeper than anticipated.”
Each year, more than 500 celebrity perfumes are released into an already highly saturated market.
Elizabeth Arden also owns the brands of Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston and Mariah Carey, and other celebrities with their own perfumes include the Beckhams, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, One Direction and most of the cast of The Only Way Is Essex. - Daily Mail