Breaking News? Stefani's Smelly Perfume Deal. Second City Style Fashion Blog

So yesterday I get a "breaking news" email from WWD. Did someone die? Did a fashion house close? Catch on fire? No. Gwen Stefani has signed a global licensing deal with Coty, Inc. Prestige (responisble for bringing us more than 35 celebrity, designer brands such as; JLO, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shania Twain, Celine Dion and mary-kateandashley) to develop and market a line of fragrances for her fashion and accessories brand, L.A.M.B. The first project, an as-yet-unnamed women's scent, is planned for fall 2007.

Just as I had been singing her praises as being the only 'Hollywood' designer I had any respect for (after all she clearly has a hand in creating it, oh and she wears it), she had to go and get herself a perfume deal? Isn't clothing and accessories enough? Why does everyone feel the need to create an empire? Look and now smell like Gwen? Oy.

This Hollywood perfume thing really irks me. In fact, I think it stinks. Literally. Have you smelled some of these scents? Come on, we all know that these actresses, singers and writers are all chemists too! Let's review some shall we?

What's there to love about this perfume? Well, scaring away the human population. Great if you hate people. I had a visceral reaction.

Danielle by Danielle Steel. Guess she knows a few things about love and romance. Perfume? Who knew? For $125 you can smell like her or buy 14.25 copies of her collection of romance novels (in paperback).

J. Lo 'Love At First Glow.' Sounds like one of her songs right? At last count she had three fragrances?  (Live and Glow).  I have to admit, when her first scent came out, I asked a woman in an elevator what perfume she was wearing. It was Glow. Of course I didn't buy it. Good thing, everyone else did that year! Was that pre-Bennifer?

Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker. Oh Carrie Bradshaw what have you done? You never would have hawked a perfume with a totally airbrushed photo. A book, yes. Perfume? No. Lovely? Not so much.

Fantasy Britney Spears. Hmm. Is she really living the fantasy life we all want or the nightmare? I can't imagine how this smells. Nor do I really want to. Why isn't this sold at Walgreen's?

Celine Dion Perfume by the 'The House of Celine Dion.' That means it was developed in her house. Possibly the guest bath. Wear it and attract really old French Canadian men.

This is my personal favorite. Reminiscent of "Dynasty" perfume of the 80's. Desperate Housewives Forbidden Fruit.  "Inspired by the  fictional women of Wisteria Lane." Desperate does not adequately describe what one must be to buy it. (That was too easy.)