Are these celeb perfumes worth the money? We put these top-selling scents to the test
Because celebrities don't earn enough at their day jobs, they sell fragrances to earn a few extra million in pocket change. The celebrity fragrance market rakes in 1.3 billion dollars per year. The question is – are these scents worth your cash? So, we tested out the top-selling celebrity perfumes on a panel of blindfolded guys who had no clue what they were smelling – to get their professional opinion, of course. In the interest of scientific precision, we asked Josh, Steve and Benji to rate the perfumes on a scale of stinky to sexy. Here's what they thought.
Britney Spears' Intimate Fantasy
The claim: Our first fragrance claims to smell of confidence, romance and feminine desire. It boasts of evoking "when soft whispers speak to your desires." And you can say what you want about the marketing campaign, but this fragrance has sold well over 500 million bottles around the world. At $35 per bottle, this perfume has made Britney Spears over 17.5 billion dollars!
Our verdict: SEXY. Josh was not a fan and thought this one smelt a little like desperation or a 'money-grab'. He called it very vanilla-y, suggesting it was appropriate for the elderly. Steve and Benji rated it sexy, though. Benji suggested it smelled very youthful, kind of like cotton candy, and ultimately more sexy than stinky.
Justin Bieber's Girlfriend
The claim: When this perfume came out, girls actually camped outside to get it and there was reportedly a bottle sold every minute. So it's popular, but what about the smell?
Our verdict: SEXY. Josh thought it smelled a little too musky for a women's perfume and rated it stinky. But Steve and Benji both enjoyed it, calling it light and soft.
Nicki Minaj's Minajesty
The claim: The ad for this fragrance features Minaj explaining that "there comes a time in every girl's life when she realizes that hidden deep within the forest of her heart, there lies a queendom." We're not exactly sure what that means, but Nicki Minaj describes this scent as "hints of vanilla, woodsy stuff, lemon and everything great that God ever created." That's a tall order for a fragrance, so here's what our panel thought.
Our verdict: Unanimously SEXY. Benji loved this fragrance, and described it as beautiful, flowery and mature – like something a lady would wear. Steve rated it sexy, too, adding that he thought it smelled a bit Febreeze-y, but that he would spray it on his couch and love it. And Josh described the scent as nice, with a subtle floral fragrance, also rating it sexy.
One Direction's Our Moment
The claim: Our last fragrance is from the boy band, One Direction. This is the fastest selling fragrance of all time. In fact, this fragrance sold more bottles in 2013 than any other perfume – ever! But how does it smell?
Our verdict: STINKY. Unfortunately, all three men gave this scent a pass and rated it stinky. Josh deemed this one to have a generic department store smell and Benji said he wanted nothing to do with it.