WITH their glamorous lifestyles and wardrobes dripping with designer gear, we’d all love to live like the rich and famous.
But sharing their scent is often as close as we get. The Perfume industry is big business – especially the bottles with big-name backing and Brits spent more than £1.8bn on fragrances last year alone, according to Statista.
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Katy Perry was recently unveiled as the face of the Dolce & Gabbana’s new scentCredit: @Dolce&Gabana
Singer Katy Perry looked scent-sational in modelling shots for the latest Dolce & Gabbana perfume campaign, as the face of their £92 a bottle Devotion scent.
According to Brand and Culture expert Nick Ede, the history of celebrity fragrances dates back almost 100 years:
“In the 1950s, Givenchy sold a scent created for Audrey Hepburn,” he says.
“However, the business of celebrity fragrances really kicked into overdrive when Elizabeth Taylor launched White Diamonds in 1991.
“In fact, Taylor made more money from her fragrances than all of her film roles combined.
“Now every A, B, and C-lister is aiming to mimic that success.”
With the help of Nick and PR guru Natalie Trice, we take a closer look at the stars making a staggering amount with their perfume prowess and estimate how much they’re earning from their scents.
Ariana Grande – £245m
She’s a global megastar and anything she turns her hand to means riches for 30-year-old Ariana.
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Ariana Grande’s scents are the most searched for on Google in the UKCredit: 2015 Kevin Mazur
In fact, Britain’s most popular celebrity fragrances revealed by perfume specialists Parfumery put Ariana at the top spot based on Google searches with one of her scents being snapped up every 11 seconds.
Nick says: “Ariana’s scents have garnered an enthusiastic following, reigning as the top-selling fragrance on multiple beauty platforms.
“Ariana’s Cloud scent was bought every 11 seconds in 2022. The brand has made in total over £820m in sales and netted Ariana a cool £245m.
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Ariana has made an estimated £245m from her perfume collectionCredit: ariana grande
“With her quirky style, cool packaging and fabulous scents she’s become the queen of perfume and leaving the rest of the celebrity brands far behind. Her fans love it but so do the experts.”
Natalie says: “Ariana Grande is multi-talented and has partnered up with Luxe Brands to create fragrances including ‘Ari,’ ‘Sweet Like Candy,’ and ‘Thank U, Next’ as well as Cloud Pink which was launched earlier this year.
“Generating over £820m in gross revenue has apparently been thanks largely to the three fragrances: Moonlight, Sweet Like Candy, and Ari.”
Beyonce – £327m
Beyonce, 42, has already released a series of perfumes including Heat Kissed, Wild orchid, and Heat Seduction, and she’s set to launch a new one imminently.
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There’s seemingly nothing Beyonce can’t turn her hand to, and she has a new fragrance due out soonCredit: Social media – Refer to source
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Wild Orchid is just one of Beyonce’s scents – and she makes a fortune from her rangesCredit: Amazon
Nick says: “The global superstar first entered the perfume industry in 2004 and has amassed a £327m fortune from it.
“This year she’s releasing a new fragrance (available now to pre-order in the US) which has a much higher price point of £130, so I can imagine with the tour and her popularity this will also net her a huge amount.
“She knows her fans are not young like Ariana’s so she’s going for the more sophisticated wealthy market – and succeeding.”
Rihanna – £65m
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Rhianna’s net worth is a staggering £1.1bn, and she has enjoyed success across the board with beauty, lingerie and perfume rangesCredit: Getty
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Nick estimates the singer has made at least £65m from her perfume collection aloneCredit: @wowcher.co.uk
Thirty-five-year old Rihanna’s personal net worth is estimated to be a staggering £1.1bn and she’s raking it in not only on her music career, but perfume and lingerie ranges too.
Nick says: “Rihanna’s scent reflects the essence of her bold and unapologetic style, capturing the spirit of empowerment and confidence she embodies.
“She has made over £65m from her Fenty beauty scent range and there is no stopping her.”
Jennifer Lopez – £163m
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Jennifer launched her first fragrance in 2002, and hasn’t looked backCredit: Amazon
At 54, Jennifer Lopez is worth an impressive £320m, and a large chunk of that has come from her perfume – the most iconic bottle is ‘Glow’, and among the most popular currently is ‘One’.
Nick says: “Jennifer is one of the top selling fragrance providers ever, with over 25 different scents and they have made over £1.6bn.
“J-Lo can get a nice sweet smelling £163m in her pocket from her fragrances.”
Katy Perry – £32m
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Katy Perry is one of the many stars to enjoy the sweet smell of successCredit: Getty
Katy, 38, is no stranger to fragrances and has ten perfumes in her range with ‘Indi Visible’ – a scent with notes of pink pepper, purple plum and vanilla – most popular.
Nick says: “She’s amassed a fortune from selling her lifestyle and her favourite smells in bottle form.
“With their cool and quirky designs, she’s been selling out every time she releases a new scent.
“She’s worth over £278m and her fragrance range has got her £32m alone.”
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Katy’s collection is known for its playful bottle designsCredit: @ForeverLux
Nicki Minaj – £8m
Nicki Minaj, 40, is the UK’s sixth most favoured celebrity to produce perfumes, with Onika her most liked.
Nick says: “Nicki is one of the power perfume players whose brand isn’t slowing down.
“With playful designs and cool scents, Nicki is making millions from the sweet smell of success.
“Nicki has made £245m so far and her fragrance is now worth over £8m.”
Natalie adds: “While her vocal success kicked off Nicki Minaj mania, ‘Pink Friday’ and ‘Minajesty’ reflect the star’s confidence and style and will lift any outfit and make you feel more than a million dollars.”
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Nicki Minaj is enjoying the sweet smell of success thanks to her popular fragrancesCredit: Getty
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Nicki’s first fragrance came out in 2012, and the singer hasn’t looked backCredit: Amazon
