While countless celebrities are the face of today’s fragrance campaigns, many forget that there are still stars who have their own best-selling fragrances. While everyone has their own opinion about them, celebrity fragrances were a big deal in the late 90s and 2000s. From Lady Gaga to Jessica Simpson to Beyoncé, many of us look up to these superstars, almost like “OG influencers.” If they advertised it, fans would buy it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to splurge on the perfume designed by their idol? I still remember topping off my velour tracksuit and Uggs (Motorola cell phone in hand, of course) with a spritz of Britney Spears’ Fantasy before college. What a time!
Whether you support your favorite celebrity or genuinely love perfume, there’s no doubt that the fragrance industry has developed over the years. Celebrity skincare and beauty lines have taken center stage. With the recent popularity of Y2K style, should we expect celebrity fragrances to take a turn as well? Considering that celebrities and Generation Z influencers like Billie Eilish and Addison Rae are launching their own lines this year, we can’t help but wonder. In the meantime, we’re going to embrace the nostalgia of it all by sharing our top-rated celebrity fragrances - old and new - on the market.
1. Fame by Lady Gaga
Have you ever seen a black fluid fragrance? Well, Lady Gaga introduced us to one of the first in 2012 for all her little monsters [fans]! Inside the avant-garde bottle is a black liquid that becomes invisible when suspended in the air, for the pleasure of men and women. The components of the fragrance are: the crushed heart of a tiger orchid with a black veil of incense, pulverized apricot and combined essences of saffron and honey drops.
Buy: Fame by Lady Gaga
2. Jennifer Aniston by Jennifer Aniston
Next up is Jennifer Aniston’s first fragrance, Jennifer Aniston (formerly Lolavie). Introduced in 2010, the Friends star wanted to create a fragrance that reflected herself that other women would want to wear, and focused on finding the right notes for the perfect balance. Besides the sophisticated bottle, you can enjoy top notes of citrus and rose; middle notes of lily, jasmine and violet; base notes of musk, sandalwood, and amber. You’ll love this beachy, breezy scent during the warm season, just like California Jen!
Buy: Jennifer Aniston by Jennifer Aniston
3. Killer Queen by Katy Perry
Killer Queen by Katy Perry was definitely a Dark Horse for us. It’s a perfect fall scent that aims to “bring out the power in you.” The pop star launched this fragrance with the release of her album “Prism” in 2013, and women have been swearing by it ever since. The red jewel-like bottle contains key notes of woodland fruits, dark plum and bergamot accords. Not only does the bottle give your vanity a little edge, but the musky yet sophisticated scent will make you feel so powerful.
Buy: Killer Queen by Katy Perry
4. Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker
Like her character Carrie Bradshaw in SATC, Sarah Jessica Parker wanted to create a scent that would be “very sexy yet undeniably classy” to be worn by all generations. SJP entered the fragrance industry with Lovely in 2005 - the best time to do it. With a combination of sweet citrus, rosewood, cedar, apple martini, orchid, amber and white musk, we can’t get enough of this charming scent.
Buy: Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker
5. White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor
A spritz (internationally) since 1991, Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds is one of the top selling early celebrity fragrances. Although the British-American actress passed away in 2011, her fragrance empire continues to be one of the most successful franchises today. Taylor paved the way for the fragrance industry, motivating other celebrities, like Paris Hilton, to launch their own lines. White Diamonds is a mature, floral fragrance encased in a diamond-encrusted bottle. Top notes include aldehydes, bergamot, neroli, orange and lily. The product was even inducted into the Fragrance Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 2009, so trust us on this one.
Buy: White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor
6. Fancy by Jessica Simpson
After conquering her own clothing and shoe brand, it’s no surprise that businesswoman Jessica Simpson owns one of the best-selling fragrances in the world. When Fancy was launched in 2008, this sweet vanilla fragrance quickly became a staple for many young women (seriously, that smell brings back so many memories!). After millions of bottles sold and a decade later, Fancy has really stood the test of time compared to other Simpson fragrances. Inside the rose gold-accented bottle are notes of apricot, pear, red berry, caramel, gardenia, amber and sandalwood.
7. Glow by JLo
Let’s Get Loud for #8 on our list! We know that Elizabeth Taylor was one of the first celebrities to have her own perfume, but Jennifer Lopez started the era of celebrity fragrances like no other. She was the first “big” celebrity fragrance or model, if you will. After the singer launched Glow in 2002, a wave of inspired celebrities began creating their own fragrances. So it’s no wonder that JLo’s fruity, refreshing scent, presented in a blinged-out bottle, broke major industry sales records. Almost 20 years after its launch, Glow is still a major contributor to JLo’s success.
Buy: Glow by JLo
8. Curious by Britney Spears
We could go on all day about Britney Spears’ iconic line of fragrances, but we did our best to narrow down our favorites to a classic. Everyone’s favorite pop star entered the fragrance market in 2004 with Curious, her first fragrance. Not only was it at the height of her career, it was the number one selling fragrance in department stores and was even honored by the Fragrance Foundation as the best women’s fragrance in 2005. Fresh lotus, magnolia, pear, and vanilla come together to create a fruity, floral aroma, all in a delicate teal bottle with pink heart charms. Curious to stay fabulous, Britney is too!
Buy: Curious by Britney Spears
9. Can Can by Paris Hilton
Ah, another fragrance that will take you back in time - Can Can by Paris Hilton. Like Britney, the heiress and entrepreneur is also known for her big-money perfume empire. According to Paper magazine, Hilton has surpassed $2.5 billion in sales for all of her fragrance lines (that’s hot!). Presented in a delicate bottle with a pink cap, Can Can’s sultry, fruity fragrance will make you feel you’ve achieved iconic status. Top notes are nectarine, black currant and clementine; middle notes are orchid and orange blossom; base notes are amber, musk, and wood. The most important note to take - the-girls of the 2000s makes one hell of a perfume.
10. Heat by Beyoncé
With a healthy dose of Heat by Beyoncé, you’ll feel like Sasha Fierce herself. According to StyleCaster, Beyoncé’s Heat fragrance, launched in 2010, sold $3 million in its first month on the market. Knowles’ collection was also named the best-selling celebrity fragrance brand in the world in 2013. With the singer building one of the biggest fandoms throughout her career, this boundless support makes perfect sense to us. Captured in a seductive red antique-style bottle, notes of peach, orchid, magnolia, musk, honeysuckle and almond come together for an all-encompassing vanilla amber scent. Queen B carefully crafted the product from start to finish; the bottle features her favorite colors (red and gold) and her tour and performances inspired the name.
Buy: Heat by Beyoncé
