Spray and Pray Interlude #01: Overcoming Celebrity Fragrance Bias

I took a break from experiments and will have the results of Experiment #0006 next week. The short version is that my nose needed a break. In addition, I'm waiting for new fragrance samples to arrive specifically for the next experiment.

Instead, I will tell a brief story about what happened during my travels in New York City this weekend, and how it changed my perspective.

The Bias Confession

I admit to having a bias against celebrity fragrances when I became immersed in fragrances as a hobby last year. The main reason is I doubt the celebrities use the fragrances they put their name on and wear something else that is of higher quality.

For instance, Sean (P-Diddy) Combs has the Sean John fragrance line which includes fragrances like Unforgivable Eau de Toilette , but wears "Millésime Impérial (Eau de Parfum) | Creed" . Another example is Rihanna. Despite her fragrance line including fragrances like Reb'l Fleur Eau de Parfum , she wore Love Don't Be Shy Perfume (although many people say she is wearing Fenty from her new line as of today.)

Not helping my perception is most celebrity fragrances are mediocre (or worse) by the standards of both fragrance enthusiasts and the public at large.

To put it in perspective, I buy cheap fragrances, and seek treasures that are overlooked, and despite my growing collection, I have yet to try or review a celebrity fragrance at the time of this writing.

Yet a small three-minute experience this weekend opened my eyes.

Random NYC Subway Meeting

While I traveled on the subways in NYC this weekend, a lady sat near me. She wore a clean fragrance with a light hint of floral.

No question, the fragrance she wore captivated my olfactory nerves.

I gave her a compliment, and I asked her what fragrance she wore.

She raised her eyebrow, and inquired why I wanted to know.

The realization hit me; she thought I wanted to flirt with her. Not helping the situation is I sounded like a typical creep trying to get a woman’s attention via catcalling.

I narrated a quick tale about a non-existent girlfriend who also liked floral scents.

The woman smiled and said the fragrance was Glow by Jennifer Lopez. I asked her how she discovered the fragrance, and she said received the perfume from her older sister as a small gift after returning home from a tour in Afghanistan.

I wanted to ask for more details, but the train arrived at my destination. I told her I will check out the fragrance, then continued traveling to my destination. She thanked me for the sincere compliment.

Opening the Mind

While I have mixed views concerning Jennifer Lopez, I could not forget the scent or the conversation, so I looked up Glow on multiple websites (including Parfumo) and realized the scent was worthwhile.

I cannot buy Glow for a girlfriend who does not exist. Maybe I can ask one of my sisters, or my best friend, to see how they perceive the fragrance.

In the meantime, I will approach the idea of celebrity fragrances with an open mind, and investigate male or unisex celebrity fragrances for myself.

In the meantime, what is a celebrity fragrance you recommend?