The 10 Best-Selling Celebrity Fragrances in the US

Though celebrity fragrances remain popular with young consumers, these fragrances are becoming a smaller proportion of the total fragrances market. Celebrity fragrances comprised about 11% of the US fragrances market in 2013, down from 12% in 2012. Why are celeb scents losing their sparkle? Tweens, teens, and young adults continue to like celebrity scents as they care more about their favorite actors and singers than their parents and grandparents. However, young Americans have less disposable income to spend on discretionary items such as fragrances post-recession as unemployment remains high among youth. Products such as apparel and fragrances are also now competing with other purchases such as smartphones and apps

In terms of celebrity fragrances, musicians generally fare better than actors. While the late actress Elizabeth Taylor remains number one with sales of US$55 million in 2013, the number two and three positions are held by singer/actress/producer Jennifer Lopez and singer Justin Bieber. Singers Beyonce Knowles and Rihanna hold the number four and five positions. Recording artists can parlay their huge fan base into strong sales of fragrances. In the past, celebrities promoted their fragrances through television commercials, personal appearances at department stores, and appearances on TV shows. Now, celebrities are turning to social media to reach their fan base. In advance of Rihanna’s September 2013 launch of ROGUE by Rihanna fragrance, Rihanna posted a picture on social media site Instagram with the caption, “#RoguebyRiRi is coming and you don’t wanna miss it! Visit perfumesbyrihanna.com and sign up for email updates!” Rihanna had 12.7 million followers on Instagram in April 2014

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