The idea behind Believe by Britney Spears is that everyone can aspire to something.  It is all about letting the general public into the perks of modern celebrity. You are expected to feel like a million dollars after putting on the fragrance but it remains to be seen whether the reality of the perfume bears this out. I am also not entirely sure that the general public really wants to be hounded by paparazzi at every turn just because they happened to be good entertainers.

The Brand

Suffice it is so say that Britney Spears has had a rather turbulent few years in the past. However there is no doubt that she is one of the most successful artists of all time. Her target audience looks up to her and I am sure that she had them in mind when she put out this perfume. On their own merit, her perfumes are acceptable. This is a great improvement on the normal fare that we see with celebrity perfumes of all descriptions.

The Fragrance

The perfume is surprising because you would normally expect something flashy and ungracious but this is a rather touching perfume.  It is floral and youthful in its tones. It starts off with jammy fruit that goes into linden blossom before transitioning into a pale musky base. Then there is the obligatory patchouli. The overall effect is that of a positive perfume that is appealing to a youthful audience. This is a combination that has been proved successful time and time again. It is interesting that you are not irritated by a perfume that is sold by a major celebrity.

The Packaging

I adore this packaging that is primarily based on green triangular shapes. It is all about cool elegance but you always get the feeling that this is a youthful product. Of course you will get the skeptics that will talk about the fallen woman but to me this is a great fragrance that is superbly packaged. I would be very surprised if it was not a commercial success. Clearly Britney Spears knows what she is doing.

General Customer Feedback

The customer reviews were filled with the usual bitchiness against a successful young person but event they could not fail to acknowledge that this was a great perfume. It is something that you can wear for every occasion from the school trip to the office to church service.

Popularity: 15% [?]

This is a recent perfume release from the design house of the same name. It also competes with another perfume that had a similar name. However since both come from the same house then there should not be a problem in acknowledging it.  The first came out in 1990 and those people of a certain age will remember it very well and the kind of vibes that it put onto the market. Some people are not particularly pleased that the perfumes have the potential to confuse the general public. However all in all we have a good product on our hands.

The Brand

The brand is not particularly hyped up but it has been going strong for some time now. On this occasion they used the genius of Pierre Bourdon to make their creation. It seems that they have firmly implanted themselves on the perfume market and will not let go so easily. This is a good thing because it brings in variety.

The Fragrance

The notes include bergamot,  black currant, leafy greens, cucumber, lemon, sea breeze accord, freesia, honeydew, magnolia, jasmine, muguet, rose, orange blossom, peony, amber, musk, nectarine, vanilla, orris, patchouli and sandalwood. This is quite some scent list and one has to say that it has not quite pulled off the simple style. It is a complex and deep perfume. Some people with sensitive noses might think that it might have been a good idea to take out some of the notes.

The Packaging

There is a very lovely lady on the top but the star of the show is the green bottle. This is really an excellent packaging mix. It immediately gives you the impression of being in a smart and cool face. It is not often that a perfume is able to elicit this response in an instant and they have to be congratulated on their work.

General Customer Feedback

Some customers were very complementary of its freshness but others wanted something more earthy or indulgent. All in all there was very little ill to say about the fragrance which is likely to be a commercial success.

Popularity: 20% [?]

I am afraid that the perfume “Dare Me” is going to be a victim of the snobbery that accompanies many of the reviews on the market today. It is a celebrity perfume but according to the experts it is yet another indication that the perfume world is going down in prestige. The reviews have been lukewarm at best and scathing at worst. However I personally believe that it is a simple perfume that is easy to wear.

The Brand

The Dare Me brand is all about the mass market. Many of their products tend to be very affordable and they may no pretensions about their target audience. So far they have been able to service that audience very well. One thing that has happened over the years is that the brand has significantly toned down to avoid that horrendous label of being common. However I still think that there is still room for good products at an affordable price.

The Fragrance

The overall scent of the perfume is fruity but it does not bring to the table any significant changes in the way that it is presented. You get some magnolia, honeysuckle, white milkwood, creme de musk and sandalwood. These are just standard products that you would get in any perfume that aspired to the fruity label. In this I think that they could have been a bit more imaginative. It would not have hurt the perfume.

The Packaging

I find the pink and gold quite fascination to be honest. They have made a perfume that is so obviously feminine that one might wonder whether they could have benefitted from giving it another dimension. It is a great perfume but they really need to look at it in a different context.

General Customer Feedback

The customers generally thought that it was a good perfume but they did not find it very exciting. It managed to be pleasant and inoffensive but at the same time it risked becoming forgettable to the majority of the customers that it could hope to get. This is really a mixed bag of reviews for the fragrance and they might have to raise their game for the next product.

Popularity: 22% [?]

This is a perfume is that is obviously targeted towards those that have a nostalgic attachement to Africa and all things African. It was inspired by the cool breezes of Saint Germain as well as having an influence from the styles of Josephine Baker. It is a perfume that is supposed to be passionate and suggest the movements of dance. Therefore the customer is primed for a very interesting experience that harks back to the good old days of simplicity and fun.

The Brand

The inspiration for the perfume was Josephine Baker was born over a century ago. The style is supposed to have humor and sexiness. This can be a very effective quality in the perfume if the manufacturers are able to pull it off. Given the inspiration this is a perfume that prides itself on tradition and it remains to be seen whether this tradition will take it to the top of the pecking order in terms of revival perfumes. For those that have an interest in the longevity of perfumes this is a welcome development.

The Fragrance

The fragrance list includes African marigold, cyclamen, vetiver, jasmine, violet, bucchu, cedar, black amber, and musk. This makes for a heady mixture that is true to its exotic origins. What one finds in the perfume is that it is not overpowering. It suggests the themes that have inspired it but does not shout them out. Therefore the person has a very good chance of gaining lots of pleasure from the scent.

The Packaging

The packaging comes with some promotional photos of an African lady in traditional dress. This might appear to be tacky but I think that if done black and white, it has a great feel to it. I know that it might divide opinion but generally I think that it is absolutely fine. What I really like is the bottle itself. It is a simple and elegant design that would fit in very well with any wardrobe.

General Customer Feedback

The customers were very pleased that an old perfume was making something of a comeback. They even expressed satisfaction at the tasteful way in which it has been presented. It would appear that the perfume is set to make a triumphant return to the fragrance stage.

Popularity: 18% [?]

The perfume did not have the best of reviews but it managed to come through on the merits of its presentation and the friendliness of the scent. Although it is not one of those perfumes that arrests the person and refuses to let them go, the perfume is good on its merits and deserves its place in the fashion books. The dynamic duo of Bertrand Duchaufour and Baume du Doge has made a good run on this one. It seems that it will make a great impact on the industry as whole.

The Brand

Baume du Doge is based on an Italian tradition and it fits in nicely with the stereotype of rich luxury and stylish exuberance. It is one of the rich perfumes that are making it on the circuit and causing a bit of a stir amongst the general public and people who pay attention to these sorts of things. There is a good mix of the extravagant and the tasteful to keep the customers guessing. That was the original intention and it seems to have worked out well.

The Fragrance

The perfume contains sweet orange, bergamot, fennel, myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon, coriander, saffron, clove, cardamom, black pepper, benzoin, vanilla, vetiver and cedar. This is a challenging combination but there is method to the madness as the final product turned out quite well. It remains to be seen whether the people will be able to pick up on the subtle variations in the fragrance. They might turn out to be too subtle for their tastes.

The Packaging

It is not a particularly inspiring packaging with a cluttered look that gives the impression of a curtain that is past its best. However it is not so cluttered that it detracts from the central aspects of the perfume. Nevertheless I think that they missed an opportunity to make a real impact with the packaging on this one.

General Customer Feedback

The customers felt that it was a rich perfume that somehow reminded them of fruits. However ther was a group that felt that it could have been made spicier by the creation of different scents that evoked the exotic and different. Instead it went for the Italian tradition.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Rather than announcing its presence from the rooftops, Tropical Vidal is a rather gentle perfume that lends itself to some of the fruity flavors that have been associated with the tropics. It is not a perfume for the glamorous and showy types but one that is comfortable in its own skin and delivers quite a punch if used correctly. This is a perfume that can be work at any occasion depending on the circumstances and the impression that is intended.

The Brand

The brand is all about creating modern perfumes that titillate the senses but are not so outrageous as to put off the consumers. It might be unkindly referred to as a middle of the road perfume that does not really do much for the audience or the public but the reality is that the brand is quite strong and will remain a strong force in the perfumes market.

The Fragrance

The perfume is very sweet and almost no sharp tones at all. It includes vanilla, magnolia, vetiver and patchouli. If one looks at it carefully they might find some hints of mango, jasmine and basil. It is a rather pleasant perfume that could possibly turn to a herbal hue in due course but the overriding principle is that it is based on sweet things and delivers in that aspect.

The Packaging

A very simple bottle is topped off by a flat black top. The packaging is not really inspiring from the point of view of artistic impressions. In fact it looks more like an oil bottle than a perfume bottle but I am sure that there are fans lurking within the market segment.

General Customer Feedback

The customer feedback is very happy with the perfume in terms of its sweetness but some people regretted the fact that there was no bite to the whole thing. They felt that some excitement was lost in the process and the perfume could have been made a winner through the addition of these simple things. Overall the perfume appears to be successful on its own terms. It will never dazzle but it certainly does a good job.

Popularity: 15% [?]

The provocative name is rather shocking but the perfume is an absolute find especially given the fact that the market is sometimes flooded by all sorts of bland things that go under the guise of a serious perfume. Given the relative anonymity of the perfume it is ironic that it has been called Nude yet when one wears it they feel that they are experiencing real class. Furthermore it is interesting to note that the price of the perfume is quite low which adds to the impetus to buy it.

The Brand

The perfume is the creation of Sophia Grojsman . The product has only been launched in 1990 with some other branded fragrances and has done fairly well since then. The brand is not very strong because it has not made perfumes that have gone on for decades but has rather been updating its production in line with modern tastes. This has given it something of a disadvantage when compared to the establishment houses of yore.

The Fragrance

The perfume has a surprisingly complex list of constituent fragrances that on first blush suggest the they might clash but in the event they tend to work together very well. The perfume starts off with the standard aldehydes, rose, galbanum and narcissus. These are rather vanity items which progress to jasmine, ylang ylang and mosses. The masculine hints are provided by  musk, sandalwood, vetiver, and orris. Rather than causing a clash, the perfume list tends to create a sweet mush of feminine extravagance.

The Packaging

They use a very clean swampy green bottle that gives one the unfortunate impression of a medicine bottle. However it must be said that the packaging on the perfume seems clean and focused. There is no reason why this should not be an idea packaging for the perfume.

General Customer Feedback

The perfume was well praised by the customers in terms of its rather sophisticated approach to perfumes. There was concern that it might become a collection of fragrances rather than a logical perfume that is able to compete with the best of them. However in general terms one might consider that the perfume has been a great success.

Popularity: 14% [?]

One might say that if you want to sell a perfume with the help of a celebrity, there is no better choice than the Beyonce.  The star really needs no introduction and her endorsed perfume has not let the fans down with the excellent quality credentials and the presentation. The sales reports indicate that the singer has had a profound impact on the sales figures and the makers feel that they can make a log of capital from the perfume. The perfume seems to speak with the target audience and they like what they see and smell. One would hope that the company will see this as a stepping stone to greater things in this sector. Perhaps the star herself might like to create her own brand to tantalize the nations.

The Fragrance

The overall feel of the perfume is that of a fruity musk and the  fragrance list seems  to bear out this summary. When you first put on the perfume you feel the peachy highlights . The full list of the notes then starts to hit with red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli, blush peach, honeysuckle nectar, almond macaroon, crème de musk, sequoia milkwood, tonka bean and amber. One definitely feels a very pleasant hue when they use the perfume but there is not harsh tone to add a discordant note to the general sweetness.

The Packaging

The presence of Beyonce is enough to sell any perfume no matter what the quality.  I have to admit some bias but the bottle seems quite effective with its wide bottom shape that moves onto a narrow top with a golden cap. There is a red that is running throughout and I believe it is particularly appropriate.

General Customer Feedback

Given the strong association with a celebrity there is a minority of people who are not impressed by the perfume. However the people seemed quite fascinated by the celebrity at the expense of what is rather a good perfume. Perhaps this is something that they might want to look at with the marketing strategy. One does not really want the celebrity to overtake the perfume in a major way.

Popularity: 14% [?]

The Mark Brand has joined the launches of the year with the Rio Rhythms which is a counterpart to the Rio Bikini Perfume. Unfortunately for the majority of the perfume loving public, they are limited editions so that those who want them have to rush out and make the purchase as soon as possible. One can say that these perfumes are really meant for holidays in the sun and sea resorts that have mushroomed across Europe.

The Brand

The Mark brand has only been recently established when you compare it to the stalwarts such as the great Channel and Givenchy. It has therefore worked to build its reputation on experimental perfumes that are released on limited editions. It is ideally suited for younger customers who like to experiment with things. The older people might get disturbed by its lack of traditional backing. It has also been involved in direct sales which is not really suitable for the traditional high end perfumes.

The Fragrance

The objectives of the perfume makers were to create an element of tantalizing sensuality and they have been very successful at this because of the fragrance list that they have incorporated in the product.  One is introduced to an element of Jasmine and coconut which has a definite tropical taste. We then move to the traditional peony, gardenia and lilac. The closing highlights include vanilla, wood and amber. This type of fragrance list is a challenge and it is surprising that there are no sharp criticisms because it could have gone horribly wrong. However the result on this occasion has been a roaring success.

The Packaging

There is a pink lilac thing going on with the pyramid bottle and the elaborate writing. I have to admit that it is not my cup of tea but I would not kick it out. It is a competent packaging for the perfume but it does not stir my feelings. At least this is better than some of the fashion crimes that have been reviewed in the past.

General Customer Feedback

Customers have commented on the interesting mix of the soft and hard elements of the perfume. However they are satisfied that it is good value and will bring them a renewed confidence.

Popularity: 21% [?]

This is an interesting perfume that briefly tittered on the age of trashy celebrity. However it was quickly rescued and is one of those perfumes that intrigue people for a long time. It has had some associations with real royalty because some people decided to review it as a tribute to the late Diana Spencer, previous Princess of Wales. I rather wish they had done one for Camilla Shand and we would have some real drama.

The Brand

Creed’s name belies its rather older history. By just looking at the name of the brand one might think that it is one of the new age stuff that is dominating the hippy market. However the perfume house was established in London around 1760. It them migrated to Paris in 1854. It is still a successful family owned industry. Their foray into perfumes has been successful.

The Fragrance

The notes are varied and interesting. They start off with mandarin, bergamo and peppermint. It then moves on to cumin, basil and juniper berry. The musk just adds a touch of masculinity. The perfume seems to be challenging out views on gender and it constantly shifts the boundaries such that one never really knows where they stand with this perfume. Although this is a great way of adding interest to the perfume, it can end up confusing the customers such that they do not know where they stand.

The Packaging

A simple combination of silver, crystal and pearls comes to mind when one looks at the bottle of the perfume. It looks like a great white wine but at the same time one knows that it is definitely a perfume. The packaging is elegant and appropriate. They have done justice to their perfume.

General Customer Feedback

Although some people seemed to be confused about the gender of the target audience, almost all of them agreed that it was a great perfume that did justice to the princess who inspired some of the reviews. They found it sultry and alluring yet having a certain level of innocence. Perhaps the inspiration for the perfume was quite accurate about the requisite attributes.

Popularity: 24% [?]