For A-listers, a custom fragrance is a rite of passage. Some capitalize on the celebrity's "relatable" persona; others are glamorous and polarizing (think: Lady Gaga's black perfume, which went on clear and was described as "seductive"). Below, the most beloved celebrity scents.
"Pure Honey" by Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian's sixth perfume was launched in September 2013 (and wouldn't be the last she would debut). Perfumer Claude Dir designed it, and it included notes of freesia, mandarin blossom, honey, orchid, coconut, vanilla, and musk. Reviewers called it warm and inviting.
"Luxe Rush" by Paris Hilton
Created by Michelle DeFina and launched in 2019, Paris Hilton's "Luxe Rush" was apparently an amber floral fragrance with notes including Sicilian bergamot, pink peony, tiger lily, tuberose, frangipani, patchouli, milk mousse, and sandalwood. Reviewers said it was subtle and lasted.
"Fearless" by Rachel Zoe
"Fearless" was actually one of four scents Rachel Zoe launched in 2021 and was designed to model a woman's "effortless confidence." The main notes included Mandarin orange, verbena, cassis, coconut, tuberose, vanilla, amber, and cedar.
"Mod Vanilla" by Ariana Grande
If you're unfamiliar, Ariana Grande is known as one of the most successful fragrance-launching celebrities (and this won't be the last time she appears on this list). Launched in 2022, "Mod Vanilla" belonged to the Amber Vanilla fragrance family, smelling "warm" with major notes of plum.
"For Women" by Adam Levine
"Intoxicating" was one word used to describe "For Women" by Adam Levine. It was launched in 2013 with Macy's, and notes included marigold, saffron, citrus, Australian sandalwood, Indian jasmine, rose petals, vanilla, and benzoin. Apparently the pronounced sandalwood made it extremely unique for a women's scent.
"Purr" by Katy Perry
Floral and fruity and "ready to pounce," per the marketing material, Katy Perry's "Purr" was launched in 2010 with a thematic cat-shaped bottle. Notes included peach, red apple, gardenia, jasmine, freesia, rose, coconut, orchid, musk, amber, and sandalwood.
"Love" by Sofia Vergara
Floral and fruity, "Love" was Sofia Vergara's second fragrance, launched in 2015 with perfumers Yves Cassar and Pascal Gaurin at the helm. Notes included passionfruit, orange blossom, Mandarin orange, green apple, Columbian coffee, orchid, coffee blossom, praline, vanilla, and amberwood.
"Still" by Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez has had a higher success rate than some other celebrities in the area of fragrance—she will appear again on this list. "Clean" and "sensual" described "Still," launched in 2003 and designed by Michel Girard. In particular, the base was musky with pepper and sandalwood.
"Girl" by Pharrell Williams
Named after Pharrell Williams' second studio album, this was actually a unisex fragrance (launched in 2014 in partnership with Comme des Garçons). The "woodsy" fragrance included notes of white pepper, lavender, iris, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood, and patchouli.
"I Fancy You" by Jessica Simpson
Businesswoman Jessica Simpson released many, many different perfumes (more than 15!). This was from the "Fancy" line of perfumes, launched in 2011 after "Fancy Love" and "Fancy Nights." It's been described as soft, velvety, and musky, with red apple and tuberose.
"Jake's House" by Henry Rose (Michelle Pfeiffer)
Under her brand Henry Rose (the middle names of her children), Michelle Pfeiffer has released a handful of perfumes. The name "Jake's House" was apparently inspired by her grandfather's home, and it was described as "floral" and "aquatic" with notes of neroli and musk.
"Truth or Dare" by Madonna
The first of a few fragrances Madonna came out with, "Truth or Dare" had the most input from the star according to her perfumer, Stephen Nilsen. It was surprisingly floral, and included notes of tuberose, jasmine, vanilla, amber, and musk, among others.
"With Love" by Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff only released a few scents, and "With Love...Hilary Duff" was launched in 2006. Created by Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Stephen Nilsen, the notes included spices, mangosteen, cocobolo, mangosteen blossom, amber, and musk. Reviewers called it "spicy" in an awesome way.
"Reb’l Fleur" by Rihanna
Rihanna, beauty entrepreneur extraordinaire and actual billionaire, has a nose for scents. Pun intended, considering she's released over 10 scents, including through her label Fenty. Her first, "Reb’l Fleur," makes a lot of "best of" celebrity perfume lists, and it debuted in 2010 with floral notes and a dash of coconut water.
"Lollipop Bling Honey" by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey released over a dozen scents, with "Lollipop Bling Honey" being a personal favorite of many. It was launched in 2010 and is—not surprising, given its name—quite fruity. It included notes of pineapple, passionfruit, Amalfi lemon, freesia, lily, Ginger, white honey, lime blossom, and musk.
"Covet" by Sarah Jessica Parker
Few celebrities were as prolific as Sarah Jessica Parker, who released over two dozen fragrances. Her first was released in 2005, and this was her third—apparently a more "aggressive" scent than the first two. If you grew up in the '00s, this was the viral "I had to have it!" perfume.
"Fantasy" by Britney Spears
Fun fact: several sources list Britney Spears as the celebrity with the most perfumes, some saying she released or at least designed over 40. That's a lot to choose from, but fans of the singer cite "Fantasy" (launched in 2005) as the best one with a "fruity" and "provocative" scent.
"ARI Eau de Parfum" by Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande has released over a dozen perfumes; this one was launched in 2015 and described as "sweet" and "playful" but a bit more "mature" than earlier fragrances—which made sense considering Grande's professional persona at the time. Fans loved the touch of marshmallow and the subtle notes of citrus.
"Nirvana Amethyst" by Elizabeth and James (the Olsens)
Beauty editors actually wore Elizabeth and James’ Nirvana Amethyst fragrance. As one noted, it's "a tobacco scent that was just heavy enough to take me through the night without making me smell like an ashtray (as so many tobacco scents tend to do)."
"Pink Friday" by Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj's first fragrance, "Pink Friday," (after the name of her first studio album and with a bottle shaped to look like her) was launched in 2012, by perfumer Firmenich. The top notes were star fruit, blackberry, and Italian Mandarin; the middle notes were lotus and star jasmine; and the base notes were caramel, pear, vanilla, musk, and woody notes.
"Caramel Dream" by Sabrina Carpenter
As a part of her Scent Beauty "Sweet Tooth" line, Sabrina Carpenter debuted "Caramel Dream" in 2023 as an eau de parfum and body mist. The notes included sugared lemon, orange zest, almond milk, tiger orchid, dark chocolate bean, vanilla, musk, and sandalwood. True to form, it was apparently quite sweet.
"Fame" by Lady Gaga
Of course, Lady Gaga's first perfume (released in 2012) had a unique, exciting aspect: it was black, but it sprayed on clear. It was described as "dark" (not just literally) and "seductive," with hints of incense, belladonna, tiger orchid, apricot, and honey, among others.
"Lovely" by Sarah Jessica Parker
Of Sarah Jessica Parker's many perfumes, this one was a softer and more mellow option—and, as Parker's first fragrance, she designed it to be a balance of sexy and classy. Notes included lavender, martini (which makes sense given her Carrie character), orchid, narcissus, musk, cedar, and white amber.
"Midnight Fantasy" by Britney Spears
A fragrance launched for a younger audience, "Midnight Fantasy" had Swarovski crystals on a round blue bottle (like the night sky combined with a plum). Released in 2006, notes included framboise, black cherry, plum, night orchid, freesia, iris, musk, and vanilla.
"Rare Beauty Find Comfort Body and Fragrance Mist" by Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty was launched in 2020 and became an impressive financial success. As this was a mist and not an eau de parfum (and was thus lighter) there were fewer notes: top notes lemon zest, rhubarb, and pomelo; mid notes jasmine petals, violet, and black tea extract; and dry notes vetiver, tonka beans, and cashmere wood.
"Eilish Eau de Parfum" by Billie Eilish
Launched in 2021, created by Steve DeMercado, Billie Eilish's eponymous perfume included notes of sugar, red berries, Mandarin orange, vanilla, cacao, tonka bean, and musk. Apparently, the effect was like "breathing in luxury" that lasted and even improved over hours.
"Wonderstruck Eau de Parfum" by Taylor Swift
Swifties will definitely tell you that "Wonderstruck" is all that and more (and that it smells exactly like "Enchanted," the song the scent is based on). Launched in 2011, it included notes of raspberry, blackberry, tea, apple blossom, honeysuckle, peach, and sandalwood.
"Heat Rush" by Beyonce
With over two dozen perfumes, Queen Bey fans have been spoiled for choice. Launched in 2010, and a successor to the previous year's "Heat," "Heat Rush" was fruity and floral. Notes included passionfruit, blood orange, cherry, mango blossom, orchid, amber, musk, and teak wood.
"White Diamonds" by Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor was the first celebrity to commercially launch a perfume all the way back in 1987. "White Diamonds," released in 1991, was responsible for popularizing the concept of the celebrity perfume because it was particularly high-quality—with a soft blend of floral scents.
"Glow by J.Lo Eau de Toilette" by Jennifer Lopez
If you grew up in the 2000s, you knew about J. Lo's "Glow" (one of her first efforts in the beauty space). It was designed to smell like the singer-actor's glamour of the era, and was pretty intense for a celeb perfume—neroli, sandalwood, and vanilla, among other notes.
"Cloud" by Ariana Grande
Reviewers often comment that this is one of the most memorable celebrity perfumes of all time. Despite a very frothy looking bottle, the scent wasn't too sweet. The notes included a little vanilla and a little coconut, but the fragrance was so subtle that it felt more grown up.
"Fenty Eau de Parfum" by Rihanna
Rihanna's signature scent was apparently "warm" and "sensual." Designed to interact uniquely with the wearer's skin chemistry, the notes of magnolia, musk, tangerine, Bulgarian rose, patchouli, and musk made for, as RiRi put it, "my essence captured in a bottle."
