The late R&B princess Aaliyah is being honoured with a tribute fragrance.
Aaliyah by Xyrena, was developed in collaboration with the singer’s brother Rashad Haughton and her mother Diane, to honour the singer who died tragically in an plane crash in 2001.
According to Xyrena, a company which refers to itself as “olfactory rebels”, this fragrance is “a true aromatic tribute inspired by actual fragrances Aaliyah wore. Aaliyah by Xyrena is unisex but leans masculine, as Aaliyah favoured traditional men’s scents in line with her signature, sexy tomboy image. The formula is also a hue of black which was Aaliyah’s favorite color. Aaliyah by Xyrena has base notes of vanilla, sandalwood, amber, and jasmine; middle notes of black pepper, violet and leather; with top notes of mint, lavender and mandarin.”
There are concerns that this is a crass attempt to cash in on Aaliyah’s legacy, but Xyrena CEO Killian Wells insists the development of the fragrance was a joint effort. “From day one we worked with Aaliyah’s estate to ensure that every aspect of this release met their approval. They appreciated that we wanted to create a fragrance that was really about Aaliyah, not just a generic scent with her name on the bottle.”
“Rashad provided us with a handful of colognes that Aaliyah frequently wore which we then used as inspiration, pulling notes from each that worked well together to create an entirely new formula.”
The fragrance is scheduled for release next month, and 5% of the sales will be donated to the Aaliyah Mermorial Fund.
Reaction on social media to the news of this tribute fragrance has been mixed, with some showing support for the family’s new endeavour, while others have accused them of cashing in on Aaliyah’s name. And, of course, there were some off-colour jokes about the perfume smelling like jet fuel.
A Twitter account dedicated to the star included a post by an excited fan, who is looking forward to the fragrance's launch:
@AaliyahHaughton Pre-Ordered my bottle of #Aaliyah's first official fragrance by @Xyrena Can't wait 2 smell it! 💗 pic.twitter.com/tM1U5hY9xi
Entertainment Reporter