KEY POINTS:
These days you're not famous, a bona fide fashion designer or both without a fragrance to your name. Here are some of the latest offerings
1. Donna Karan Gold
$120 for 50ml eau de toilette
New York designer Donna Karan has a thing for gold, the casablanca lily
and amber. This fragrance has these elements and more - white clove, jasmine, patchouli and citrus. It's feminine and seductive without engaging in all that smouldering carry-on.
From selected department stores and pharmacies.
2. Versace
$190 for 100ml eau de parfum
This is a sophisticated floral - not exactly what you'd expect from the label that gave the world the glamazon. How times change. Even the bottle's classic proportions are subtly logoed. The actual fragrance comprises orchid, lotus flower, jasmine and azalea. Pretty.
From selected department stores and pharmacies.
3. Gwen Stefani L
$105 for 50ml eau de parfum
Gwen Stefani's a saucy thing proclaiming "I want you all over me" about the fragrance from her L.A.M.B (stands for love, angel, music, baby) range. Rather than smelling of backstage, the glam rock chick's perfume is full-on sweet, but she does say "It's like me shrunken into a box". It stars with water hyacinth, freesia, pear and violet leaves, moves into jasmine, rose, lily of the valley and orange blossom and ends with frangipani, peach and musk.
From selected department stores and pharmacies from October 15.
4. Calvin Klein CKIN2U her eau de toilette
$97 for 100ml eau de toilette
Calvin Klein understands what the kids want. The name of this fragrance in a suitably iPod-looking bottle reaches out to what the company calls the "technosexual generation" and has trademarked the phrase. It's text-speak for - well, you can guess what. That aside, it's a rather good blend of pink grapefruit, currant leaves, cactus, amber, vanilla souffle and red cedar. I'm in2it.
From selected department stores and pharmacies.
5. Sarah Jessica Parker Covet
$115 for 50ml eau de parfum
This perfume considers itself "impulsive, indulgent, irresistible". Ration and reason are supposed to go out of the window when this comes to town. It's a blend of wet greens, geranium leaves, lemon, chocolate, honeysuckle, magnolia, musk, vetiver, amber and teakwood. It's actually rather good. Even if it wasn't, I'm such a fan of SJP that would almost be reason enough for me to wear it.
From selected department stores and pharmacies.
