Think fragrances could become any more celebrity-centric than they already are? In this case, you probably haven’t heard of the FiFi Awards. Hosted by The Fragrance Foundation, the FiFi Awards are the equivalent of Oscars for the perfume and cologne industry. As many celebrity scents have popped up over the past decade, having some kind of award category for them only makes sense. For both male and female scents, celebrity fragrances are nominated beforehand. This year, as explained in the linked article, the category for Best Celebrity Fragrance for Women has nominations for the latest Mariah Carey, Halle Berry, Avril Lavigne, and Faith Hill fragrances. The winner will be announced on June 10.

Last year, the latest Paris Hilton fragrance won this category. For the men, so far, Usher’s fragrance, going by no name other than his own, won for the best Male Celebrity Fragrance of the year.

Think celebrity fragrances are going too far? You’re probably not the only one. Nevertheless, scents attached to A-list singers and actors are still being churned out. The latest, a perfume by Eva Longoria, the Desperate Housewives star, will be appearing on the market in June, and Jennifer Aniston’s scent appeared in stores just a month ago.

But, is taking the celebrity theme too far? And, why do consumers continue to purchase these scents, even if many of them only have short-term popularity? Company MyDNA, which creates unique fragrances based on a person’s profile, will be launching a line of dead celebrity fragrances. No word yet if or when they’ll be hitting stores, but many of these scents apparently are based on deceased celebrities’ profiles. So far, scents for Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and Albert Einstein have been announced.

Considering this last foray into celebrity perfume territory seems somewhat superfluous, don’t ordinary designer fragrances offer something traditional?

Dolce and Gabbana already has their standard line and their D&G line for clothing and sunglasses, so why not add a third one? In this case, a third line is a possibility for Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses, as Madonna is working with the fashion line to design MDG. Presently, many Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses follow the latest trends for men and women, including many oversized and colorful styles with rhinestones on the frame. Similar large and aviator frames are the latest designs by his brand for men. By bring Madonna on board, how will Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses look any different?

With MDG set to launch in May, Madonna will also be the face of advertising campaign for the sunglasses, much like she was for Louis Vuitton handbags. But, considering Madonna’s almost 30-year career in the public eye, how much was she known for her fashion rather than simply being a rabid multi-tasker? If bleached hair and cone-shaped bras are the last time you remember Madonna had any fashion recognition (although not influence), you might not be that far off. Even if her current wardrobe is youthful but somewhat on the bland side, who can forget the getups she wore in the ‘80s?

If ‘80s style is what Madonna is courting with Dolce and Gabbana, perhaps MDG will be like the fashion line’s selection of wayfarer sunglasses. At the moment, Dolce and Gabbana’s line has touched on every trend, with the exception of wayfarers, and perhaps this will be the line’s foray into a more retro look, instead of fashion-forward and glam. But, unlike the connotations from her Material Girl line, MDG is more ambiguous. The line of sunglasses could simply reflect the last time Madonna’s clothing was en vogue or it could simply be an attempt for Madonna to try to be fashionable again. Judging by the recent photographs and advertising released for MDG, it might be the latter.

Perhaps the marketing strategy behind perfumes and cologne should be re-strategized. No matter how large the campaign for certain celebrity-brand scents can be, the myriad of these fragrances only count for about ten percent of all sales. Generally, fragrances with a celebrity name attached sell quickly but then die down. Although some scents with A-list names sell well, this isn’t always the case, and a fragrance that doesn’t do well eventually gets taken off the market.

The latest celebrity fragrance is somewhat ironic. Akon’s Konvict, a his and her scent, alludes to an album of the same name, but the handcuff-styled perfume bottle references a prison more directly. But, name aside, this most recent celebrity scent has a citrus core of lemon, mandarin, vanilla, and almond musk.

Akon, of course, isn’t the only celebrity with a fragrance out. Others preparing to release a fragrance include Rihanna and Jennifer Aniston. Aniston, according to the linked article, has been working on developing a scent for two years and now simply needs to choose a name for it. Right now, the perfume was given the name “Lola,” although “Echo” was in consideration. But, really, two years for a fragrance when, as anyone knows, it might last as long as a movie on the market?

But Jennifer Aniston and Rihanna aren’t the only A-listers with upcoming fragrances, however. Madonna is finally dabbling in a fashion line that will include a fragrance she and her daughter Lourdes Leon develop. Called the Material Girl collection, Madonna will have a line of clothing set to appear in 2011 and scents that go more with her personal brand. As long as it doesn’t include a cone-enhanced bustier dress, the fashion line might be a modest venture for the pop star. Details on what the fragrance will smell like haven’t been released.

When you go shopping for sunglasses, what do you look for? Many people simply go for style, and recently, that has been aviator sunglasses for men and oversized sunglasses for women. Wayfarer styles for men and women have been somewhat popular, as well. Nevertheless, a recent article discussed whether price on sunglasses equals effectiveness, particularly for certain infomercial brands claiming to completely block out UV rays through HD 400 Glare Block Technology. As the article found, as mentioned under the link, a higher price on sunglasses doesn’t always been better quality. In most cases, the lenses accompanying the designer sunglasses may just be stamped out instead of ground.

What are some of the qualities you should be looking for when choosing a pair of sunglasses? With designer sunglasses, style is always important – isn’t that why the frames are often so opulent? – but other factors are also important. When looking through any website or store for sunglasses, see how well the sunglasses are designed to block glare and have UV protection. Most often, this is through a pair of polarized lenses, although many prescription styles often have an anti-glare coat added to the lenses, anyway.

So, when choosing a pair of sunglasses, what should you go for – the $10 pair, the one in the infomercial, a high-end designer brand, or a discount designer product? Out of all these, the discount designer probably gives you the best value in terms of style and substance, assuming you choose a style with polarized lenses and not just for fashion’s sake. Infomercial sunglasses and full-price designer lenses may be overpriced, while choosing a pair of $10 lenses from the rack at the pharmacy may not offer as much protection as you think. Spending a bit more often equals a better pair, although the amount you spend can vary with the type of designer sunglasses you choose.

Jessica Simpson is best known for being a second-tier pop star, dating John Mayer, and the show Newlyweds, but what most people don’t know is that she has an extensive fashion line under her belt. This has includes clothing, bathing suits, shoes, and fragrances, and, according to a recent article, watches will soon be added to the line. As mentioned in the article under the link, Simpson has been working with Pascal Mouawad to design a set of 35 watches for men and women priced between $60 and $250. Some of these will be standard leather band watches and others will be jewelry-inspired fashion designs.

As part of the Jessica Simpson Collection, these will debut in the Fall of 2010 at various high-end department stores and specialty watch retailers. Simpson herself, as mentioned in the article, has been a collector of vintage watches. Although this doesn’t fully quality her to be a fashion designer, many of her other products continue to sell well, including her perfume line. Simpson, however, may seem more qualified on the surface to be a pop star (or reality TV personality), but the sales of her fashion products overall probably go beyond any record and concert sales she’s had over the years.

Nevertheless, on the subject of watches, Simpson appears to be aiming for a well-rounded line to appeal to everyone and the ever-changing fashion market for watches. She – or Mouawad – seems to see that the basic leather band watch is still in for men, while women prefer something more like jewelry that will match with the outfit. None of the watch styles have been revealed yet, however, although most likely any fashion jewelry watches will be based on the most popular bracelets at the moment – charms or bangles with a watch face.

Last year, at this time, handbags were all about the retile prints, the hobo style, and the tattoo look. But, while anything Ed Hardy or Ed Hardy-inspired went south when seen on Jon Gosselin, the hobo and reptile styles are still in. Additionally, many of the fashion collections seen recently in New York and Milan indicate that bright colors and western fashion – although not necessarily on the same handbag – are here for at least a few months longer. While this means that the reptile or fringed black leather hobo handbag you bought last year is still fashionable, the one with the tattoo rose and rhinestones on the front may not be.

One of the more notable western-inspired collections seen on the spring fashion runways is Emilio Pucci. One look at the handbags all of the models are wearing under the link, and “western” is one of the first adjectives to come to mind. Some of the designs by the fashion line for spring include the basic black leather handbag with fringe, but others are embellished with fur and feathers. The blogger on The Purse Page calls it “hippy chic,” but we’d rather call it western fashion.

On the other end of the spectrum are collections by Mulberry and Versace. Both of the spring lines by these design houses use bright colors and patterns, often juxtaposed with black for a sharp contrast. This is exactly what the Versace handbags looked like on the runway: An oversized coin purse style in black with neon highlights. Mulberry, on the other hand, was all about bright colored prints and hobo styles. Some of these satchel and hobo handbags take the animal prints we’ve seen everywhere last year and colors them in with reds and neon shades. Others in the line stick to the basic black look but with a reptile texture. Essentially, Mulberry sees trends from last year in reverse: Understated reptile handbags and colorful, bright animal print hobo purses.

Fragrance sales have been down since 2006, the year in which celebrity-branded scents became full blown. Two news pieces over the past few weeks touch on what might happen to the fragrance industry: More of the celebrity trend and also an ad campaign targeted to get more of the public interested in wearing perfume or cologne. Although the recession has seen sales across all aspects of retail dip, fragrance sales have seen a sharp decrease, mainly because of its use as a luxury item and not a necessity like clothing. Nevertheless, possibilities for reviving the fragrance industry include more than waiting through the recession.

One option is an upcoming ad campaign by The Fragrance Foundation called “One Mighty Drop.” The website for One Mighty Drop is designed to make scents appeal to everyone, including features for designing you own perfume bottle to tips for wearing fragrances. One notable suggestion is waiting 10 minutes after spraying a fragrance. At this point, you’ll be able to smell all three parts to a scent, and you’ll be able to tell if you’ll enjoy wearing it or not. After all, some perfumes can even take up to 30 minutes for revealing the lowest layer.

Another option is choosing which celebrity will be branding the fragrance. While some celebrities with fragrances come and go, such as Hilary Duff or Ashanti, others, such as Beyonce, appear to have more staying power. Since her start in Destiny’s Child, Beyonce hasn’t really left the public eye, even when an album or single wasn’t entirely stellar. Her recent fragrance, Heat, has been selling fairly well and, according to the linked news item, the promotion for it at Macy’s Herald Square generated about $60,000 in one day, with customers purchasing $122 sets of Heat. Perhaps, in the near future, companies like Coty and Elizabeth Arden will be pickier about which fragrance they brand with a celebrity.

In recent news, two individuals, one on a local level and the other a celebrity, have designed handbags to raise money for specific causes. In one case, Scarlett Johansson, the actress best known for Lost in Translation and more ecently Vicky Cristina Barcelona, has designed a handbag to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti, while a teen in Greenville, NY, designs handbags to raise money for his school. In either instance, the handbags are for sale and the money is going directly to a cause, either locally or on a national level as one of many relief efforts.

In the case of the Greenville teen, Liam Manak, a 15-year-old boy who has a dream of becoming a designer, has some of his handbags for sale at a local event. Called Valentine’s Boutique Monday, the event is designed to support local vendors in the Greenville area and also to raise money for a local private school, Tuxedo Park School. Manak’s handbags are entirely handcrafted from knitting and, at the event, will be retailing from $150 to $250 dollars. From the looks of the picture included with the article, many of Manak’s colorful knitted handbags can be used as mid-size purses or clutches.

On the other end of handbag creation is Scarlett Johansson who, unlike most celebrities, has stuck to the realm of performing – acting and singing – until recently. According to this article, her contribution to raising money for relief efforts in Haiti has been through creating a handbag design which, retailing at $29.90, will be sold in Mango stores. The handbag design itself includes ancient Haitian scripts, and the money from its sales will go directly to Oxfam for clean water and similar causes in Haiti. Although Johannson has posed with handbags for Louis Vuitton, this is her first attempt at designing fashion. Maybe a fragrance will be in the works next.

Celebrity fragrances have been around for years, although this past decade saw a significant surge in their creation and popularity. So, how well can a celebrity’s name sell a particular fragrance? A recent list compiled by Stylist shows the best-selling celebrity fragrances. The top fragrance, of course is White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor, a floral perfume introduced in 1991. Other celebrity fragrances, such as those by P. Diddy, Antonio Banderas, and Britney Spears, are all part of fragrance lines associated with the particular celebrity and have some longevity on the market. Aside from the celebrity’s popularity, some scents like White Diamonds are simple enough to stand out without the celebrity association.

The main issue we’ve seen with celebrity fragrances is that the scent is too convoluted. Many perfumes, for example, combine floral, fruit, and dessert scents together, and the resulting product can’t be defined clearly enough. Is it sweet floral or a flowery fruit scent? Men’s colognes often suffer from a similar issue. Although fewer celebrity colognes are on the market, some of these, be it Paris Hilton’s or David Beckham’s brand, can’t decide on what it wants to be. Combining leather or tobacco notes with wood, patchouli, or grass notes doesn’t always work successfully. Neither does combining any fragrance to the classic amber-spice-lavender framework for many cologne formulas.

But celebrity fragrances aren’t going anywhere. Anyone on the A-list seems to be coming out with their own fragrances in the present, including Beyonce, with Heat. The perfume combines some light floral and fruit notes with vanilla. Beyonce isn’t the only one, however, and, as the linked article mentions, Rihanna and Kanye West both plan to come out with their respective fragrances. This means that consumers might be seeing an umbrella-shaped perfume bottle with a rain and floral scent in stores later in 2010.

Where do you look for designer knockoff handbags? Canal Street in New York’s Chinatown section has been the place to go for years. This week, however, the area experienced a crackdown, with the police confiscating counterfeit items like handbags and watches and shuttering businesses. Although Canal Street has this notoriety, knockoff goods can be found many other places, such as South Street in Philadelphia and the internet. With prices only a fraction of those sold at department stores, knockoff handbags almost sound like a deal. Appearances for such handbags are deceiving, however, and what appears to be a Chanel or Gucci handbag sold at $30 falls apart within a few days.

Some are luckier and swear by knockoff designer handbags. After all, they look like designer bags and, really, only the designers would be able to tell the difference. But finding a high-quality designer knockoff bag is far more likely in a department store. The fashion blog for About.com gives some hints to spot a fake handbag, but other telltale signs include examining the stitching, sewing, and name plate. If the name plate, for example, isn’t screwed on but, instead, appears glued, the bag is likely a knockoff. Similarly, if it looks poorly stitched from the inside or if the zipper gets jammed easily, the handbag isn’t authentic.

One option, as we’ve seen in the product selection for Best Handbag Wholesale, is to go the designer inspired route. The bags don’t claim to be by Coach, Chanel, or Gucci, but the patterns are based on the styles by these designers. At a distance, they even look like the real thing. Another option is to go on discounted designer websites. Often, products with damaged packaging or a slight scratch find their way onto such a website and are sold at less than full price, even at 70-percent less. Both Vision In Style and Kaufman Fragrance are such discount designer products websites.