We’re told that your signature spritz should be an olfactory extension of your personality, a whiff of your style and mood. But, what if this means you smell like Samantha Faiers or Alesha Dixon? The aura around fragrances has created a void in the perfume market. There are two options: spenny designer scents or more affordable celebrity fragrances. Chances are their price and popularity are less to do with what they actually smell like and more wrapped in snobbery and advertising.
In the name of science, I blind smell tested 10 fragrances to see if I could (on sniff alone) tell the difference between Calvin Klein and Katy Perry’s signature notes. To legitimise this highly technical study I sat blindfolded while a piece of payer sprayed with a specific fragrance was wafted beneath my nose. Here are the results:
Debrief Designer VS Celebrity Perfumes Smell Test
1 of 12Designer VS Celebrity Perfumes Smell Test
2 of 12Dolce & Gabbana, The One, £67.50
What I Guessed: DesignerThey say: 'Its white petals dusted with golden pollen, the Madonna lily blossoms in the radiant sun of Italian Bergamot and Mandarin essences, rounded out with silky Lychee and luscious White Peach. A bespoke essence of Ylang Moheli, especially distilled to reveal its luminous lily facets, is enhanced by tender Orange blossom and honeyed Broom absolutes. A sensual drydown of Vanilla, Vetiver and Musk wraps the exuberant bouquet in a sensual trail.'I say: Like a spring day in Sciliy, this is a delightful sultry scent that's fruity but not crushingly sweet.
3 of 12Elie Saab, Le Parfum, £78
What I Guessed: Celebrity**They say: **'Radiant, voluptuous, addictive. The top note opens on a sun-kissed, radiant orange blossom, as an ode to light. The middle note develops into a jasmine absolute, a legendary flower in perfumery, imparting voluptuousness and elegance to the fragrance. It combines with a pure, modern patchouli heart.'I say: This is sweeter than Britney Spear's Fantasy, and that's saying something. Coupled with the flower-forward notes, it's much too girlish for my liking.
4 of 12Jo Malone, Orange Blossom Cologne, £90
What I Guessed: DesignerThey say: 'Clementine flower sparkles over a heart of orange blossom and water lily, with warm undertones of orris and balsamic vetiver.'I say: I didn't even need to see to know this was a Jo Malone scent. It's clean and zesty yet delicate. It's the heady smell of summer in the Hamptons, of sports cars with the windows down driving through the South of France.
5 of 12Calvin Klein, One Gold Unisex Eau de Toilette, £40
What I Guessed: DesignerThey say: 'A limited edition eau de toilette, the scent is a juicy, fresh, woody smell that captures the golden allure of radiant youth'.I say: Spicy yet fruity, light but intoxicating, you can instantly tell this is no bargain basement fragrance.
6 of 12Hugo Boss, Boss The Scent For Her Parfum Edition, £85
What I Guessed: Celebrity**They say: **'Two exclusive raw materials, Osmanthus Absolute and Cistus Absolute enhance the dark, captivating side of the fragrance, bringing the classic BOSS The Scent seduction to a deeper level.'I say: Oops, what can I say, I found it sweet and overwhelming, like a hug from Mariah Carey.
7 of 12Designer VS Celebrity Perfumes Smell Test
8 of 12Britney Spears, Fantasy, £20
What I Guessed: CelebrityThey say: 'A magic love potion of sweet temptation that leaves a tantalising trail of embracing sensuality. An enticing mix of lush red lychee, golden quince and exotic kiwi, laced with a yummy cupcake accord, jasmine petals and sexy white chocolate orchid.'I say: So sweet and tropical that I feel like I've walked through a cloud of Impulse body spray.
9 of 12Alesha Dixon, Amethyst, £24.50
What I Guessed: CelebrityThey say: 'Opening with a light citrus sparkle of orange flower, bergamot and a touch of neroli and pear on top the heart of the fragrance combines orange blossom with red rose, pink pepper, black pepper and cinnamon. A base rich in resins and woods spirals amber, sandalwood, musk, patchouli, cashmeran, tonka, olibanum, heliotropin and oudh.'I say: It was a close call, this was so rich and heady it could easily be confused for a designer fragrance. But, there's just too many notes to do anything other than confuse the senses.
10 of 12Samantha Faiers, Pure, £20
What I Guessed: DesignerThey say: 'The glamour of this fragrance has also influenced the design of the diamond cut bottle and top; like a fragrant diamond reflecting the sunlight on your dressing table. Top notes: Sparkling Bergamot and Mandarin, Apple, Violet Leaf Heart notes: Vibrant flower accords of jasmine sambac, Orange Blossom, Exotic Ylang-ylang.'I say: Samantha Faiers, I have to hand it to you. This smells like the waft of a Kensington mum on the school run with two tousled hair children named Barclays and Coutts about to be dropped at a £20,000 per term prep school.
11 of 12Nicki Minaj, Onika, £23.50
What I Guessed: CelebrityThey say: 'Onika Nicki Minaj is a fruity floral billed as the "most seductive fragrance yet to join her [Minaj's] striking portfolio" and is described as being "sexy and fearless [and] infused with Minaj's personal touch".'I say: Fizzy and fun, this is like a mouthful of Pop Rocks – tasty in theory but sickly sweet in reality.
12 of 12Katy Perry, Killer Queen Oh So Sheer, £23.50
What I Guessed: CelebrityThey say: ' Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is an airy sweet floral - fruity fragrance designed for warm days and good mood.'**I say: **Redolent of a secondary school locker room – cloying as it temporarily numbs the senses to all but its paralysing notes.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.