By Ann
Tom’s post last week about Madonna’s new Truth or Dare (which I actually tried and liked — sort of) got me thinking about celebrity scents over the past few years and the few that I’ve wanted to try.
One that came to mind was the Demi Moore-fronted Helena Rubinstein scent Wanted from a while back. It sounded at least a little interesting, and as I’m always happy to see a woman older than 40 in the fragrance spotlight, I thought I’d give it a go. But when I went to find it, it wasn’t anywhere to be found. So what happened? Did it come and go like lightning in stores and if you blinked, you missed it? Or did it just not appear at all here in the U.S.?
This happened more recently with the Atelier Cologne line. It had been at Neiman Marcus since its inception, but several months ago when I went to try its latest, Ambre Nue, I searched the fragrance department high and low to no avail. I finally asked about it and was told that the store no longer carried the line. (It is, however, available on their Web site.) Guess I’ll have to go online and buy a sample.
Is there a fragrance that you wanted to try, only to find that it was long gone with the wind?
Last I checked, Helena Rubenstein is not officially distributed in the U.S, hence your difficulty in not being able to find Wanted. They seem to be distributed mainly in parts of Europe, Asia, and Latin America, as per http://www.helenarubinstein.com/int/locator/ . According to the international website, Wanted is still available in both 200 ml perfumed lotion and 30, 50, and 100 ml edp. There is a VERY good chance I will be going to Mexico City come December to visit relatives, so if possible (and if it’s still being distributed) I’ll see if I can get my hands on some. HR is one line I would love to see reintroduced into the US (another being the full Borghese line, and for drugstore makeup Isadora), but quite honestly, I don’t think there’s any name recognition at this point in the 18-25 year old market, and if there’s no name recognition it’s considered there’s no chance to make money. Darn young adults and their MAC/Chanel/et all fixations 🙁
NP
Thanks for the info. I remember the brand was in a few doors in the early 2000s, as I bought an HR lipstick that I just adored at the Beverly Hills Saks. But awhile after that, it seems to have disappeared. And I second you on the frustrating younger-market focus — we older folks have money to spend too, doggone it!!
That Roja Dove Diaghielev (sp?) that never made it to the US. Gobin-Daude everything. The first Turtle Vetiver. Sigh, sigh, sigh!
Mmmm … that Diaghilev was some seriously good juice, wasn’t it? For as quick as it sold out, you’d think they’d make a bit more available. I’ve not sniffed the others you mentioned, but I know many people love them.
I somehow failed to comment on here this morning, I thought I did … anyway, I feel like at the speed at which new releases are done, things constantly disappear from the counters. They only have so much real estate. Certainly at Sephora, Macy’s, and Saks, new releases that were there six months ago have vanished. I wonder if they ever would have envisioned so many brands and flankers 50 years ago. I think not.
Hi, March! So nice to see you. And you are so right — who would’ve thunk it? Sometimes the new releases are just dreck, and you don’t mind so much seeing those go bye-bye, but when the good ones go, it’s kind of sad. They never got the chance to catch on and build a fan base.
Can’t think of anything that came and went so fast I missed it. I’m not that up on new releases. Both of my area Neiman’s have the Atelier line. My friendly SA had me try the Amber this past Sunday. Sorry to hear that your local store no longer carries the line.
Glad to hear that your store still has the line. Mine’s kind of funny — you never can tell when something is going to go “poof”!
The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Deneuve – never had a chance to sniff it, but I hear good things about it occasionally. I’ll keep my eye out for Wanted though, especially if it’s currently in the Bargain Basement Box.
Hey, Lisa. Wish I still had my little decant of Deneuve — I’d have happily sent it to you. But I think at least one of the sampling sites has it (or used to). Thanks!
I received a FB of Wanted from a friend who visited a L’Oreal discount outlet in north Jersey. She found stacks and stacks of it there, marked down to a pittance– surprising, as it hadn’t been out for very long. It seems to me that this perfectly good fragrance wasn’t given much of a chance. Was it nixed by corporate decree, by focus group, or by the purchasing public? Hard to tell.
Hi, Meg. It does seem a shame, doesn’t it? I’m glad to find someone who’s tried it. How would you describe it, and what do you think would be a comparable scent to it? Thanks!
It put me in mind of a richer and denser CK Euphoria, all sultry magnolia and purple plums– yet it stops just short of girly-pink sweetness thanks to its warm-woody base notes. When I wear it, I find that other women do more than merely compliment it in passing– they want to linger, enjoy one more sniff, and talk about it. Don’t wear it if you have to be someplace in a hurry! 🙂
Thanks, Meg! Very good to know …
Hmmm…I wonder if it was pulled from shelves after Demi had that mini breakdown a few months ago? Or maybe it was before that…
Howdy, Karin. I had forgotten about that, so not sure. But I doubt it would have helped their sales, at any rate.
Slightly off-topic but I would love to have Jovan Eau Fresh again- if only to see if it smells as wonderful and refreshing as I remember. Also, wish they would start producing Deneuve again!
Hey, lady! I never tried that Jovan (only the musk, etc.) but I did like Deneuve. The only problem? It didn’t like me. That touch of cumin just did me in, alas. So many people love it though that they really ought to bring it back …
I LOVED Eau Fresh!
xo :Devil:
Umami by Florascent. I’ve really liked all their scents that I’ve tested and own Pipapoo and Ylang. Have read a few really good blog posts about Umami but kept putting off buying a bottle, (I never did find a tester bottle.) Now they’ve stopped exporting to the US.
I’ve never been a celebrity fragrance fan however back in the 90’s I really liked how Michael Jordan’s cologne smelled on men. I haven’t smelled it in a while but I think it had a really nice leather bottom note. My taste in fragrance and men has changed since then so who knows?
Hi, Joanna. I’ve heard good things about that line but haven’t tried any of them. Where are they based? BTW, I remember liking Michael Jordan’s scent also — thought it was well-done.
I think Florascent is a German company but I could be wrong. They’re really one of the only truly organic and not just green-washed lines that makes well blended perfumes, not just stuff that smells like essential oils.
I remember the perfume named Katia. It was created by a figure skater whose name is escaping me now. I still have the bottle with a tiny bit of the perfume left. For a celebrity scent, it’s very good. I keep an eye out for it, even on E-bay, but I haven’t seen in in years.
Gordeeva. The perfume was carried by Target. It wasn’t too bad actually.
I think I remember that one. One of these days it may pop up on eBay — you never know.
Wanted was at Macy’s for maybe a season (~3-4 months). A lot of celebrity scents are at Macy’s for that long and then either disappear forever or head to Walgreens’. I thought Wanted was OK.
I’ve been hearing reports everywhere that Atelier Cologne is leaving Neiman’s…
Thanks. Guess it really was one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” scents. I don’t get into Macy’s much at all, so didn’t realize how fast products cycle in and out.