Gucci Guilty

The fragrance community can be a bit mysterious and closed off sometimes, and listening to perfume aficionados talk can be downright mystifying. But that doesn’t mean that we regular people don’t have very strong opinions about what we do and don’t want to smell like, even if we can’t identify a dry down note. For the first time ever the FiFi awards, which is the fragrance equivalent of the Oscars, is awarding a Consumers’ Choice Award for Fragrance of the Year. In the past, industry insiders voted for the winners, which will still be the case this year in most categories. But in a nod to all of you who actually buy these scents, the Fragrance Foundation added the new consumer category.

WWD is chock full of fragrance news today. Let's review. Rihanna's Reb'l Fleur: Rihanna's fragrance launches January 25, and you can expect it to be accompanied by a very loud advertising campaign. She'll be on billboards everywhere, including Times Square in NYC. A 30-second video will be launched online with hopes it will go viral (isn't it funny that this is now a marketing strategy?) The video will also be made into a commercial that will be shown in 1,900 movie theaters. The fragrance name refers to Rihanna's nickname given to her by her grandmother in Barbados. It's a strong scent with fruit notes, hibiscus, violet, coconut water, vanilla, patchouli, amber, and musk. Rihanna said it will be "like high heels with a short, flirty dress." Prices will range from $30-$59. Gucci Guilty For Guys: Gucci Guilty has killed it at perfume counters, in no small part because of its video starring Evan Rachel Wood and an innovative online marketing strategy. Gucci and P&G Luxury are hoping to capitalize again on the younger demographic with Gucci Guilty Pour Homme, which launches this March abroad and April in the US. Expect a similar 3-D commercial (to go along with Gucci's 3D sunglasses?) and slick print campaigns. The scent itself shares DNA with the women's Guilty, and has notes of lavender, citrus, green leaves, pink pepper, cedar, sandalwood, and amber. Prices will range from $27-$73. Cartier de Lune Is Blue: Cartier's new fragrance will launch at Saks counters in late January. It's a white floral musk priced from $75-$98. The most shocking thing? The bottle is blue--gasp! Cartier shied away from its signature red because they believe it made more sense for this fragrance, which is inspired by "the radiance of the moon."

Yesterday, we got a sneak preview of Gucci's upcoming fragrance, Gucci Guilty. We learned about the scent's composition, the inspiration from Streisand and the Frank Miller-directed TV commercial starring Evan Rachel Wood. The fragrance: The top notes are mandarin and pink peppercorn; middle notes are fruit and lavender; and base notes are amber and patchouli. It smells good, but the amber and patchouli are a little much for me, personally. The name: Apparently, Gucci creative director Frida Giannini is a big Streisand fan. The name "Guilty" came to her while she was in her car listening to a Streisand song of the same name. Another source of inspiration for the fragrance? The cover of the 1976 film A Star Is Born starring Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. In fact the resemblance to the print ad is almost striking (see above). The bottle: The bottle is awesome. It's Gucci's first perfume bottle to feature the interlocking G's and it almost looks like it's hollow from the front while the liquid is more visible from the sides. It's simple and chic, has a retro/art deco feel and would just look really pretty on top of my dresser. The ad campaign: