Have you ever gone to a fragrance counter and felt overwhelmed by the amount of options to choose from? You’re not alone. Fragrances are created based on several types of scents. Both perfumes and colognes are classified according to these fragrance types, which include floral, woody, citrus, and many more. Additional types, such as aqua, were created over the past 20 years, and many perfumes on the market, particularly celebrity fragrances, actually combine two or more types. Some perfumes and colognes may fit you better and some may not. So, how do you know where to start at a counter or a website?

Estee Lauder, the fragrance and cosmetics giant, recently developed an iPhone app for such a purpose. Called Ascent, the app is designed to help you find your favorite fragrance based on a series of questions based on aromachology, psychographics, and kinesthetics. The app is designed to help you at a scent counter, particularly when a sales person may be trying to get you to buy a product that might not suit your tastes. Additionally, the app is available in 10 languages and debuted at the end of May in the US. The app has already been in use in several countries already.

One drawback for this app has been its obvious product placement. While, inevitably, having an application created by Estee Lauder means the company gets to hawk its products to the buyer, some more variety for each fragrance type would be more helpful. Although the app also promotes scents by Michael Kors and Donna Karan, this is only a small portion of perfumes and colognes on the market for various fragrance types. Essentially, while this app means well for the user, it will merely direct the person to an Estee Lauder counter for the “perfect” fragrance.

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?

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.

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.

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.

The formula for celebrity fragrances is this: Attach the name of a celebrity to a bland or overly sweet fragrance and the bottle will sell quickly for a short period of time. Not all celebrity fragrances can be Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds, and most stay on the shelves for a few years and then disappear. But, although we mentioned that celebrity fragrance sales are down – and many won’t buy a perfume with a less-than-desirable celebrity name attached – fragrance companies still churn them out. Avon, for example, put out celebrity fragrances by Reese Witherspoon and Patrick Dempsey this past year, while 50 Cent, with an album that no one noticed, came out with his first fragrance.

The latest list of celebrity and non-celebrity fragrances can be read here.

With 50 Cent, when your album doesn’t do well, you create a fragrance to make up for the copies no one bought. While Before I Self Destruct has yet to even go gold, the fragrance released around the same time called Power has a combination of musk, spices, patchouli, and woods. Most men’s colognes focus on one of these fragrance types but, as we’ve seen with celebrity fragrances before, they attempt to smell like multiple types and don’t really go anywhere. While 50 Cent says this smells like “success,” the sales of the cologne have yet to live up to that notion.

Similarly, rapper Nelly has released a fragrance to accompany his Apple Bottoms clothing line. This scent, at least by the description, appears more focused as a women’s perfume. The main notes appear to be floral with some fruit hints. The good news is, while apple blossoms do appear in the mix, the perfume isn’t scented like apples, and the upper notes of citrus, peony, and rose and offset by sandalwood and musk.

Similarly, other B and C-list performers like Faith Hill, Jennifer Lopez, and Pamela Anderson have all released fragrances – debuts or new to their line – this past year.

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.

The designer famous for its handbags and shoes is now adding scents to its line of products. Apparently, having a Jimmy Choo perfume has been in the works for over two years, but the fragrance is now set to appear by January 2010. The Jimmy Choo perfume is a women’s fragrance but, at this point, the scent hasn’t been revealed yet. Although considering the ostentatious nature of many of Jimmy Choo’s shoes and handbags, anything is possible, really. As the president behind Jimmy Choo wants to accessorize the whole woman, wouldn’t the perfume need to match the shoes and the handbag?

Jimmy Choo styles change with each season, and this past season, with studs on leather a popular theme, Jimmy Choo shoes and handbags have also received the stud treatment. But what sort of fragrance would match with this type of ensemble? Whether or not you consider studs to be western or rocker chic, a grass or an aqua fragrance definitely wouldn’t go with the rest of the accessories. Out of fruity, floral, and sweet (or dessert) smelling fragrances, the most likely would be a floral combination or a citrus perfume. But, with designers for perfumes sometimes combining two types of perfumes, such as grass and floral or citrus and floral, a Jimmy Choo perfume might smell completely different from everything else out there at the moment.

Or maybe not. A fragrance often completes a brand’s image. Adidas fragrances, for example, live up to the athletic image of the sneaker and clothing brand by having combinations of citrus and light floral notes – not too strong but not too subtle in either case. Jimmy Choo, on the other hand, is known for being high end, ostentatious, and synonymous with Sex and the City. In this case, anything is possible, although Jimmy Choo and general fragrance lovers should expect a complex, multi-level fragrance to complement the other accessories by the brand.

This blog hasn’t done much in regards to men’s fashion, but, looking at fashion overall, at least eighty percent is geared toward women, and the remaining twenty percent toward men. After all, how many men would feel comfortable in the supposedly latest looks of men’s fashion, such as skinny jeans and paisley shirts that have been featured in GQ? For the matter, how many economical retailers for men actually carry men’s skinny jeans and paisley shirts? Price aside, one aspect of fashion that men don’t really see as “metro” is fragrances. While some cologne in recent years have taken on a more feminine quality by adding fruity or floral notes, most colognes and men’s fragrances simply stick to the basic template: amber, spices, and lavender.

The backbone of many men’s fragrances is this combination of scents. In spite of the lavender, the cologne isn’t overall feminine. Often, other notes are added to this combination, and these are typically musk, bergamot, or patchouli. Nearly all designer brands have some sort of cologne with this combination under their label, as this combination, often with musk or patchouli, is considered a classic men’s fragrance.

But what about other men’s fragrances? While the amber, spices, and lavender combination is common, other types of men’s cologne are on the market. One popular type is an aqua cologne and, by name, this scent is designed to smell like the ocean. An aqua cologne often has water notes, as well as various tropical notes of the sea and tropical fruits. In addition, colognes aren’t immune to the celebrity brand treatment. While many more celebrities have women’s fragrances, men also have their fair share of celebrity perfumes, with the most prominent on the market being any of soccer player David Beckham’s scents. Other celebrities with a line of perfumes, such as Paris Hilton, also carry cologne with a similar scent.

Just as singers Mariah Carey and Britney Spears come out with their respective fragrances, the New York Daily News comes out with an article about how celebrity fragrances are bringing down perfume sales. With the exception of Britney Spears’ perfumes, other celebrity-branded fragrances aren’t successful. What’s the main reason? Various average consumers don’t want a celebrity-endorsed product, especially if it’s associated with an actress/singer/celebutante most people don’t care about. What self-respecting woman over 21 would wear Hillary Duff or Paris Hilton perfume? Or what man, for that matter, would find himself wearing Paris Hilton for Men or a David Beckham scent, especially when many classic colognes still smell better?

As mentioned in the article, blind tests of these fragrances showed that the subjects found the fragrances pleasing but, as soon as the celebrity-endorsed name was revealed, the testing subjects no longer liked the brand. Britney Spears perfume, as long as the pop star remains relevant, continues to sell well overseas. Then again, so did Michael Jackson albums after 1992. Once Spears’ career is officially over, her scents will probably do as well as MJ’s Invincible did on American shores in 2002. Other celebrity scents aren’t as lucky but, as long as the artists are selling albums or films, the fragrance aspect of their brand empire is somewhat insignificant.

Celebrity fragrances aren’t usually released independently but through larger names like Coty and Elizabeth Arden. Would these larger brands continue to thrive without the endorsements? Coty, for example, had a hit with Exclamation perfume (the bottle shaped like a black exclamation point, if you don’t remember) in the late ‘80s but over the past fifteen years, most of its products are celebrity related, with the exception of Adidas scents for men and women. Elizabeth Arden, on the other hand, has a plethora of scents and cosmetics to the brand, especially with classics like Red Door, so survival without celebrity perfumes for this particular brand is a given.