The economy today has had an effect on retail sales across the board. Even celebrity fragrances have been hit with tough times.  Oh the inhumanity! *snicker*

Just two years ago, Forbes reported that according to Euromonitor International, (a Chicago-based market research firm) sales  totaled $353.6 million for the top seven celeb fragrances. Geez! No wonder why so many stars have their own scents.

This year however, overall sales are down 10%. Yep, the celebrity fragrance market is just not as hot as it used to be. Perhaps people just can’t afford it. Or maybe people are wising up to the fact that celebrity fragrances are just plain silly and embarrassing to wear? Could that be the culprit?

The celebrity fragrance market unlike other fragrances are way more fickle. If a celeb was caught in a scandal and their career turned lukewarm in the public eye, it can put a big damper on the popularity of the scent. Because that’s just how silly people are. Ridiculous but true.

So which celeb’s scents are currently top sellers?
Well, P Diddy, or Sean Puffy Combs, or Sean John, or Sean Combs, or just plain Diddy (wish he would make up his freakin’ mind) had a best seller with Unforgivable  that brought in brought a whopping $74.9 million in the past. And Britney’s scents are still selling VERY well and defying all odds even with the recent slump of other celebs fragrances. Maybe Diddy’s and Britney’s stuff just smells better?

The NY Daily News reported:

Fragrance peddler Parlux France relies heavily on its celebrity branded scents and has taken a hit for it. The company produces Queen Latifah’s Queen, Jessica Simpson’s  Fancy and Fancy Love, Andy Roddick’s Andy Roddick and all of Paris Hilton’s many fragrances (Paris Hilton, Paris Hilton for Men, Heir, Heiress, Just Me, Can Can, Fairy Dust and Siren).

The company lost $4.3 million last year and $2.5 in the second quarter of this year alone.
While the prestige fragrance market as a whole is down 10% from last year, Britney Spears is one celeb who appears to be bucking the odds.

Sales of her fragrances – Fantasy Britney Spears, Britney Spears Believe, Curious Britney Spears and Curious in Control Britney Spears – rose 13% in the June quarter. Elizabeth Arden, the company behind the ageing pop tart’s perfumes, just brought out Circus Fantasy, named after her latest tour and album. Then again, she’s global.

“More than half of the sales of Britney brands were sold of outside of North America,” said an Arden company spokesman.
Also doing well are classics like Chanel’s Coco, Mademoiselle and No. 5 and Dolce and Gabbana’s Light Blue. But it remains to be seen how Forever Mariah Carey, Derek Jeter Driven Black or Sara Jessica Parker’s Lovely will fare in recessionary times.

So even if the scent is sold globally and has a huge advantage over others, it still seems more important if the star selling the perfume is currently a hot commodity. Perhaps Paris Hilton’s perfumes have taken a nose dive due to her failing popularity. I think people are just sick to death of her. I know I am.

Mariah Carey’s ” Forever”is due to hit this September because she has a new album coming out. She also has a movie coming out this November. Anyone remember her movie *cough* Glitter?  Only time will tell how long ”Forever” will be around.

With over 100 fragrances coming out each year both from stars and regular companies, the market has become flooded. The competition has become fierce for celebs to have their scent be the next big hit. So many celebs in the music industry are scheduling their fragrances to coincide with their CD releases. This can be a risky move if the album totally bombs, because then the fragrance becomes a reminder of that failed album and then in turn becomes an embarrassment to wear to most.

Some celebs fragrances have stayed around for a while, like Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely and Covet .  Covet debuted two years ago when her Sex In The City Movie was released. Perhaps Sex in the City’s popularity has kept it’s ratings up? (the perfume that is)

I am sorry, I just think the whole celebrity fragrance thing is so cheesy. What’s next celebrity scented candles?

Especially for the fact that these fragrances’ popularity stem from whether or not the star is hot or not. If you find a fragrance you like and it was put out by a star that everyone now thinks is washed up or has failed in the popularity poles… would you stop wearing their fragrance even if you liked it? Would you be embarrassed to say,  “oh yes I still wear Clay Aiken’s Evening In The Stable” *snicker*
But this is exactly what happens.

I am not a big fan of perfume to begin with. I can’t tell you how many times someone has walked by me and I literally choked from whatever perfume that took a bath in before they stepped out their door. Some people slather it on so heavy, that their perfume arrives before they do and stays long after they’re gone. Thank God Poison is no longer popular. That stuff used to literally kill me. It was appropriately named.

One time I actually had to change my seat on an airplane due to the women sitting next to me. She must have dumped an entire bottle of Woah! Do I Stink! all over herself. I got an immediate headache, my throat was closing up, and I couldn’t even breath. I say wearing heavy perfume should be banned on airplanes. And that goes double for any of my gal OR guy pals who want to climb in my car. Whatever happened to the oh so silly move of spraying the room and then walking into it? *snicker*

Ok, enough of my drama on perfume.
Except I have to say that I would never buy something based on a star’s popularity and I have never bought a celebrity fragrance.
I have been wearing Alyssa Ashley Musk by Houbigant for ever. It’s less than $30.00 for a good sized bottle and I have received mega compliments on it over the years. It’s all I wear AND I am proud to wear it. I am just not caught up in the whole perfume mania. You will never hear me say “oh I am wearing The Beckhams Intimately Line” (you would actually have to pay ME to wear it)  Their promo picture alone is beyond pretentious.

Look How Sexy We Are!

Speaking of which, I wonder why Beckham’s  BFF Tom Cruise hasn’t come out with an entire line of Scientology cult scents yet? I am sure he would be able to talk Scientology cult members into buying Galactic Spice, or how about KSW Cologne (their acronym for Keeping Scientology Working), OT Orchard  for the gals or perhaps a line of body splashes like Body Thetan Splash. Oh I can go on forever, the possibilites are endless.

Of course Cruise would never use those particular names because….what is the first rule about Scientology? Don’t talk about Scientology.
So maybe he would have to kick it old school and name it something like Risky Business. After all, the name Risky Business does describe any company investing in any new movie projects with Cruise now. Oh snap!
But at the very least, we all know he would be the authority on fragrances. *tee hee*

Awesome! Got My First Order!

Aaaaanyways….
If you are going to buy celebrity fragrances in the first place, than you should buy it because you like it. Don’t be like all the other sheeple who buy what’s popular because the celebrity had another hit movie or a CD release. Because if this is the way you think, then that sixty clams you once plunked down for Jaylo’s Glow *snicker* has surely been wasted. Unless you want to lie about what your wearing. Yes some people are that ridiculous.

One fragrance that has stood the test of time is the hilarious Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds (of course with the much older crowd)

Sorry Liz, no dis intended, but White Diamonds always reminds me of a friend of mine whose husband bought her White Diamonds for Christmas. She hated it, but didn’t want to hurt his feelings so she acted appreciative. She left the bottle in plain site unopened, hoping he would get the hint that she never used it. But the following Christmas she received yet another bottle. We laughed are asses off. Men!

Perfume’s popularity has gone through many changes over the years. Sure the old standards like Channel No. 5 are here to stay. But the classics are a breed all their own, and cost a lot more to boot. I think celebrity fragrances have their own little group.

bellasugar posted The Top Ten Fragrances that You Loved or (Hated) in Jr High School.
 Which was a blast from the past.
They listed Jean Nate, Charlie, The Body Shop Perfume Oil, Heaven, Electric Youth,The Entire Roster of Designer Imposters, Sunflowers, Exclamation, Ck One, and Love’s Baby Soft.

The most popular fragrance when I was in school, was Patchouli Oil. And yes I wore it for quite a while, and I stil like it, but I haven’t worn it since then. So I guess I am guilty of changing fragrances for the changing times. (I also don’t want my car searched if I am pulled over) *snicker*

I also remember using  “Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific” shampoo, which was so fragrant, it killed two birds with one stone. Sure wish I can find some of that stuff today just to smell it once again.

There were plenty of fragrances that used to be popular way back when. (including the guys stuff)
Some biggies were English Leather, Old Spice, Aqua Velva After Shave, Tabu, Tigress, Shalimar, L’Eur Du Temps, Windsong, O’ de London, Rive Gauche, and the infamous Evening in Paris, just to name a VERY few.

Whoops! Almost forgot Hai Karate After Shave!
Who can forget their commericals of girls going wild?

Today it has been replaced with the more updated AXE which uses the same girls gone wild idea for their AXE “you have been warned” commercials. YouTube has many parodies of their commercials, but one of my all time favorite fragrance parodies was for a pseudo cologne, called Douche Cologne. Click here and giggle. (it’s a tad racy in one part, so if you are easily offended, you may want to pass)

It’s any one’s guess which celebrity fragrance is going to be the next big seller and if it has any staying power in today’s economy and the fickleness of the market. With over 100 fragrances coming out each year world wide, the market has become flooded. The competition has become very fierce to have that next big hit.

I am surprised others in the music industry haven’t come out with their own fragrances. Doesn’t seem to be any rocker’s fragrances . The Stone’s Brown Sugar would be a no brainer, and I am sure with all the Beatles flap lately, if they were to come out with a fragrance it just may work. It would probably have hints of Apple *tee hee*

OR how about for the younger crowd? Perhaps Green Day Garden or Blink 182 Bouquet would sell? Probably not. The target audience is not the same. But you never know. Hey I want 10% if I see any of these on the market!

Even other celebs like Donald (ick) Trump and Simon (ick) Cowell jumped on the fragrance band wagon. I guess they needed the cash?
Wonder how Donald Trump’s stuff is selling? Maybe it’s selling better than his Trump Water?

Who would ever admit to wearing Trump or Cowell’s stuff anyways?
Or maybe your more of an Antonio Banderas fan? Look he even has his hand extended on the display, as if to say (in Antonios’s accent of course) “Come… come… take a whiff of sexy” *snicker*  

Speaking of celeb fragrances that people may be (or should be) embarrased to wear…
How about Britney Spears new Circus Fantasy?

Some how the name Circus Fantasy doesn’t sound appealing to me. I know it is a reference to Britney’s album and tour, but Circus Fantasy? Really? Has Elizabeth Arden lost their damn minds?

Even the packaging looks tacky. Looks like it comes with candy circus peanuts (the worst candy ever). And at $55.00 a pop, it should come with popcorn or a candy apple at the very least.

Sorry, but a perfume with the word circus in it, reminds me of  clowns and something that would smell like elephant poop stuck to a clown’s shoe and cotton candy all in one. Others may be reminded of a sexy trapeze artist, or perhaps a day at the circus with their family? Or dancing circus dogs in little hats and tutus? Ummm…. again, I just dont’ get it.

But hey, maybe she will be laughing all the way to the bank with this one. After all her fragrance Curious was a best seller in celebrity fragrance world.

For me, the word circus makes my mind go right back to the image of CLOWNS. Scary freakin’ clowns.
And clowns have always freaked me out! *shudder*

And jeans tight enough to show what religion you are need not apply:

She said: “I think guys should wear jeans big and baggy, with a big pair of boots or flip-flops-exactly how you see David when he’s out in his jeans and T-shirt.

“Do not pull them up tight and have your bulge showing. Let it hang!”

The jeans will come out as part of Beckham’s dVb label. She told men’s fashion website DNR: “These are not skinny jeans. They are what I call proper men’s jeans.

“If you are a man that likes really skinny jeans, very fashiony, this isn’t really the line for you. I didn’t want anything too tight around the crotch.

“That really repulses me. It might be fashionable, but you are not going to get that from dVb.”

While she’s at it, she gets in a little dig at people who don’t do their fashionista homework:

Beckham, the creative director of the brand, went on: “I’ve used the best Japanese denim, and I think I’ve created a fit that is very flattering and very comfortable.

“I’m a complete control freak and I want everything to be perfect. I’m not doing a Britney Spears and just putting my name on something and saying, ‘Sell this perfume.’

Ooooh, burn.  I believe homegirl has a case of the OCD.  But she does have a point…if I had my name on something, I’d be sure to know everything about it before I ever let it go out with my signature.  People associate it with you.  I’d definitely want to make sure the product, be it jeans or perfume or microwave popcorn, was top-notch.  Unlike Curious.  So anyway:

The jeans, sourced in Asia and Morocco, will retail from $220 to $285 USD, she said. They are expected to be sol

Wait, what?  These are still jeans, right?  They don’t have diamonds or jewels embedded in them, correct?  They are denim, which is basically cotton twill, right?  They don’t come with motorized zippers or a pocket full of cash?

And people actually pay prices like this?  For jeans?

I think I’ve just met people who annoy me more than Mad Posh.

Of cash, that is…reports are that Davey Boy is a big tipper when it comes to restaurant service that he likes.  For a tab of around $100, he left a $1000 tip while celebrating after a charity football soccer game with his teammates:

It was early November when a few boys from the LA Galaxy came to the Pub. They come in from time to time because the crowd at Joxer’s knows their football and nobody treats the boys too special. [...]

The team didn’t go party-crazy. The boys just had beer and pub snacks. David only drank mineral water. He’s much taller than I thought. Becks signed autographs for anyone who asked. [...] I asked for a picture and he had one of the players hold the camera! Can I just say he smelled so nice! Really! I hugged him so tight and he didn’t mind at all. Everyone was in good spirits.

When I gave them their tab, David snatched it away from his mates. They argued with him a bit but he just looked at them and told them to hush up. I know your website likes tipping stories so you’ll love this: The tab was about $100 and Becks had just added a zero to $1,000! – A $900 tip! I had to ask him if it was correct. He just said, “It is. Is Giggs still your favorite player?” “Not anymore!” On a day where the Galaxy played for charity, David really meant it! I know it’s not a windfall of cash but the tidy sum helped me fix my ailing car and get a cavity filled so it meant a lot to me. What a magical evening! Thank you, David!

Is this a common occurrence?

“David certainly tips well, usually because of good service,” said Beckham’s spokesman.

Now that’s what I’m talkinbout.

I know I’m hard on the Beckhams…I think Mad Posh is a bit too stuck on her own self-promotion and I’m not so sure Davey is all that bright (and sorry, I don’t think he’s the studly muffin most others seem to think he is), but I will say this about them…they do seem to be genuinely devoted to one another and to their childen, and if this story is true then that gets big props in my book.  Waiters and waitresses work hard, it’s only fair to give them their due, and more if the service was exceptional.  This certainly qualifies for a Breath Of Fresh Air Award!

(Mad Posh and RoboKatie, however, not so much.  Boo, hiss.)

Hey, David…if you ever make it to Alfredo’s in New York, leave a good tip and tell them GlossLip sent you!

 

Soccer (oh wait, football…no, check that, it’s soccer) star David Beckham has opened his third academy for aspiring young people:

The state-of-the-art World of Sport complex has been set up to benefit the children of Brazil and provide them with on-site coaching and access to top-class facilities, much in the same way as his academies in London and Los Angeles.

Beckham said: “This is by far the best training camp I have ever seen.

“It will be the best football facility in the world and I am very proud to have an academy in Brazil where kids can come and enjoy themselves and play football in a safe environment.”

Davey Boy also hopes that his new facility will draw soccer clubs from all over the world to train, and hopefully to help future athletes in the form of Brazil’s young people.

But here’s what I really want to say about the whole thing:

PULL YOUR PANTS UP!!!

Great balls of fire…he’s a zillionaire, but he can’t afford pants that fit right?  Yank that belt tighter!  Srsly!

I was told once to never brag about how great your sex life is or how well-endowed you man is, for someone may come along and covet what you have. I guess no one bothered to let Posh know that. In response to rumors her hubby stuffed for his photo shoot for Emporio Armani, Victoria didn’t just deny those rumors, she offered just a little too much information (at least for my delicate sensibilities).

Contact Music quotes Victoria Beckham on the now infamous Armani photo shoot:

The L.A. Galaxy player lying seductively across a bed, proudly showing off a bulging groin – which fans speculated was computer-altered. But the Spice Girl insists what’s pictured in the pair of white briefs is all his. She says, “I’m proud I still have a really good sex life with David. He is very much in proportion. He does have a huge one, though. He does. You can see it in the advert. It is all his. It is like a tractor exhaust pipe!”

Wow, that’s a classy way of putting it. Any man would be proud to have their wife say he’s laying pipe the old fashioned way. What happened to discretion in the bedroom? Jeebus people, it’s the holidays, can’t we have a little decorum?

Some people just LIKE to make baby Jesus cry.

Assholes.

No pun intended.

David Beckham is now the new face, and a few other things, of Emporio Armani Underwear and has completed one of the modeling shoots, which will be debuting in Vanity Fair in February.

Now, I have to admit, I’ve never quite understood the appeal of Davey boy.  Too many tats, too much metrosexualness, too much Posh p*ssywhippedness.  I don’t think I’d like a guy who dresses better than I do.  And he probably smells like Instinct (which is nasty, stinky stuff).

I do have to say, however, that this photo holds a certain appeal for me.  I can’t quite put my finger on it, though.  I’ll just sit here and stare at the photo until it jumps up at me.

No, give me a minute, it’ll come to me eventually.

Okay, you can go away now.  I’ll let you know when you can return.

She’s a crazy bitch, that’s the secret. Then again, that’s hardly a secret to any sentient being who still participates in the facade we call the human race. Sorry for the rancor people, just growing weary of our continued neglect of the famous fallen who clearly are in desperate need of psychiatric evaluation, yet are still allowed the freedom to harm themselves, others and their loved ones. Can’t Congress do something about Britney and Amy?

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, the Victoria Secret’s Superfantastico Glittery Extravaganza on Ice show which took place last night featuring such talented folks as Seal and his lovely wife Heidi Klum (they really are a strange couple), The Spice Girls (they’re really weird too) and Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas filled in for the grief-stricken Kanye West who was set to open the show at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

Many a star was in attendance including, Eva Longoria Parker, Hayden Panettiere, Michael Vartan, Ryan Seacrest, Neil Patrick Harris, Gary Dourdan, Dean Cain, Ana Ortiz, Jeremy Piven and Rebecca DeMornay. According to USA today, actor Michael Vartan was NOT their to see the Spice Girls, contrary to popular belief.

Asked about the Spice Girls reuniting, Vartan said “I couldn’t care less.” He didn’t even know they’d be performing at the show

Strange….that’s the EXACT same thought I had when I heard they were reuniting. Not so strange was Vartan’s real reason for attending the event.

Vartan made it clear why he was there — to see the Angels. But Vartan let it be known, “I don’t believe in lingerie one bit.”

Right with you man, flannel jammies are it. Anything good enough for Jesus is good enough for me.

But what about those Spice Girls. Check them out. More importantly, check out Posh Beckham on the end. Is that the face of PMS of what? Victoria looks like she just found out Ginger Spice weighs less than she does, and she’s mentally scheduling a colonic to fix that problem.

Okay, I admit it.  I’ve never heard a Spice Girls song, that I know of, and I had never heard Mad Posh speak until her NBC special earlier this year.  That show didnt make me a fan, either…I understood her dry “British Humour” (and yes, I got that she was being facetious and self-depreciating to Perez when she said she could never be caught smiling or eating, and she had to look miserable), but I found her entire attitude towards everything condescending and trite.  And let’s face it…seeing her constantly pouting is just irksome. She’s rich, thin, and relatively pretty, she has a loving husband and three beautiful children…what’s to look so unhappy about?

But stop the presses….it seems that Victoria can actually (wait for it) smile.  dun-dun-dunnnnnnnn

She appeared on a game show in Japan, Smap Smap (translation?) as part of promoting the upcoming Spice Girls reunion, and in the process relaxed her facial muscles and smiled for the camera.

You know, I like her smiling.  She looks nice when she smiles…she looks calm, gracious, and like she’s having fun.  Like she took the stick out of her bum.  Like she’s warm and friendly.  Like…a very pretty woman.

I like these photos…she doesn’t have the Frankentits going, she doesn’t have on some weird feathery leathery mess, the hair isn’t all did…this is an excellent look for her, and she should consider looking like this more often.  Even though they were being silly on the show, she seems to be taking it all in good humour, and that’s a very important thing to remember in one’s life, not to take oneself too seriously.

She really should consider smiling in public more often.  She doesn’t come across as “Posh Spice”, the International Pout; she comes across as Victoria Beckham, wife, mom, daughter, yes a celebrity, but an attractive woman.  It’s amazing how one simple action can change one’s entire look…she went from haughty to soft in one second.

Oh, and here’s one for you…a few weeks ago, her husband, David Beckham, actually had her laughing!  Could the more relaxed attitudes of the US be rubbing off on her?  This looks nice!

Remember, Victoria, a smile is your best fashion accessory.

 

Lily Allen, the fiery little lass from the UK who’s ska-revival-infused pop sound is slowly infiltrating the U.S., doesn’t much appreciate how our culture pits her against her music rivals.  In this case, fellow Brit singer the bluesy-rocker Amy Winehouse.  Allen insists there’s no real rivalry, only one made up in the press.  I tend to believe her on this one, as Allen’s non-too-shy about expressing how she feels about other celebrities and musicians.  Lily on the Amy Winehouse much-ado-about-nothing:

“Every interview I do I’m getting asked how I feel about Amy. It’s starting to really p%#s me off. I really like Amy and am totally supportive of her. “Why do people always try to play women off against each other? Or why not create a rivalry between the boys? I think there is something seriously wrong with this part of our culture.”

Lily makes a good point, but why is she surprised? If there’s no controversy, then one will be created, especially in her case.  It is Lily Allen’s very outspokenness that has helped to make her a household name.  She must know deep down, that this willingness to speak critically and openly would not only bring her attention, but also some negative repercussions.

Her most recent attack was shot at the Beckhams, David and Victoria.  Lily on the Beckhams:

“We are bombarded with fashion mags and gossip mags with rich pop stars and Victoria Beckhams with their new handbags and kids think that’s the sort of life they should have.”

That’s what we here in the states call: keeping up with the Joneses.  It’s what drives our capitalist society, and quite honestly, it’s what makes us great.  Our greed and need to have EVERYTHING.  All in all, that’s one of the more insightful things Ms. Allen has said.

Last week Lily blasted our President Bush in concert when she got drunk while performing in San Diego.  Here’s an excerpt of what happened:

The ‘Smile’ singer, after guzzling beer and cider onstage during the concert, attacked Bush for being an “a**ehole and a c**t” before turning her ire on Brit PM Tony Blair and calling him a “c**t’s bitch”.  Allen then had people gaping when she declared that she was “probably bisexual”, and that she was tired of men with “tiny d***s”. She also said that San Diego has the best crack whores she’d ever seen, and that she was thinking of becoming a lesbian.

I totally know how she feels.  San Diego’s crack whores are THE BEST. 

Anyway, this is typical of the cherubic-faced Allen.  She’s gone off on Sir Bob Geldolf, Madonna, Pete Doherty, MTV and James Blunt to name a few. Not that I blame her, they are all a bunch of tossers.  But with that kind of “mouthy” track record she has no place to complain about people wanting to create a rivalry from fellow Brit singer and total drunk Amy Winehouse. 

In truth, I am totally psyched about this British Invasion; drunk chicks who sing, crackheads who date cokewhore models, metrosexual soccer players and their pimped out wives – and who knew Tony Blair was a total b*itch.  A total hot b*tch at that!

source

 

Jenna The Porn Star – Good        Jenna The MethHead – Bad

Since when did porn stars think sporting a “wasting disease” was a good look? That picture with her and boyfriend, Tito Ortiz, was taken in Vegas, and you know what they say: “What happens in Vegas, makes you look like hell.”

Also, if I see that Posh haircut on another person I will quit being a judge on American Idol.  Don’t push me, I’m on the edge. 

Now someone send Jenna a cheesecake and some ho-hos, ‘cuz I’m all out.