Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday: Creepy or Chic?

Nicki Minaj's first perfume, Pink Friday, has been stirring up a lot of hype since its release on September 22nd. Named after her 2010 album, the perfume is a product of the rapper-turned-pop singer's collaboration with the Elizabeth Arden company. A quirky commercial features a gigantic, King Kong-like version of Nicki parading around NYC. 

"Pink Friday is a celebration of my life at this moment; it is a reflection of me as a creator, and an expression of me as a woman," said Nicki. "Pink Friday shows off my personality and style; it's exciting to express my voice through another dimension."

The perfume itself is intended to emphasize a flowery base with a musky twist. The top notes contain hints of starfuit, mandarin, and boysenberry, while the heart is a floral combination of lotus flower and jasmine. Finally, the base notes reflect vanilla, musk, and pear. 

Many fans have fallen in love with the flowery scent, while others are criticizing its similarities with Justin Beiber's latest creation, Someday. 

Whether you love or hate the perfume inside, the bottle is certainly worth taking a look at; it is a miniature of Nicki herself...complete with her trademark pink wig. In order to spray the perfume on, Nicki's head has to be popped off, and this design by Lance McGregor of Paul Meyers and Friends may seem a bit off-putting to some customers. This one is definitely an oddball, but it's up to the individual to decide if the bottle is creepy or chic.

Pink Friday eau de parfum can be purchased from Macy's in a 1.7 oz ($49) or 3.4 oz ($59) bottle, and if you don't want to go the whole mile, you can always check out the Pink Friday hair mist, which comes in a 5 oz ($22), more average looking bottle.   

Spooky and Sweet Scents for Halloween

Halloween is all about finding the perfect outfit, snagging some free candy, and creeping your neighbors out. Whether you prefer scary or sweet, here are some unique perfumes to get help you get into the spirit!

Tootsie Roll by Demeter

Since 1896, Tootsie Rolls have been a classic American candy. No Halloween would be complete without them! Thanks to Demeter, the fudgy treat's biggest fans can finally smell like this beloved confection. The perfume stays loyal to its name by giving off waves of fudge, chocolate, caramel, and vanilla.

Tootsie Roll is available from Demeter Fragrance Library in quantities of .5 oz ($6), 1 oz ($20), or 4 oz ($39.50). It is also available as a body lotion, shower gel, massage oil, and more.

If you fall in love with this sugary scent, Demeter has a few more candy flavored options, including: Junior Mints, Tropical Dots, and Lollipops.

DKNY Delicious Candy Apples Sweet Caramel

Everyone loves a good candy apple, and their sugary scent is a sure sign of fall. DKNY's Delicious Candy Apples Sweet Caramel is sure to make your mouth water; even the bottle is appetizing. The perfume inside isn't just limited to apples and caramel — notes like pear, marshmallow, jasmine, and vanilla are snuck inside to give this fragrance that "extra something." This one is sure to taunt your sweet tooth (and maybe implant a craving for a certain seasonal snack)!

Delicious Candy Apples Sweet Caramel can be ordered online through Perfume Emporium as a 1.7 oz bottle ($51.99 unboxed, or $53.99 boxed). 

Poison by Dior

Love it or hate it, this intoxicating (and aptly named) perfume by Christian Dior has been around for a long time. It commands attention, dousing its victims in an unsettling, seductive, almost gothic aroma. 

Poison is a rich, bold blend of spices, fruits, amber, musk, and honey. In small doses, this perfume can be warm and luxurious, but too much of this powerhouse can be lethal to the wearer and the people in the surrounding area ... let its name serve as a warning. 

Poison eau de toilette can be purchased online from Dior in three different sizes: 1 oz ($53), 1.7 oz ($69), and 3.4 oz ($90).  

Earthworm by Demeter

Nothing is creepier or crawlier than a bucket full of worms, and now you can smell like them too! This perfume toys with your senses and gives off a rich, earthy scent. It envelopes the wearer in an environment of wet, humid soil, and rotting leaves. This fragrance is way on the unusual side, but definitely worth checking out. 

Earthworm can be purchased from Demeter Fragrance Library in quantities of .5 oz ($6), 1 oz ($20), or 4 oz ($39.50). Like Tootsie Roll, Earthworm is also available as a body lotion, shower gel, massage oil, and other quirky options. 

Demeter also offers some other fun, Halloween-ish scents, including Dirt and Funeral Home, that are sure to make your skin crawl.   

BLOOD Concept

Of all the perfumes out there, BLOOD Concept, created by Giovanni Castelli and Antonio Zuddas, is probably one of the wackiest. Believe it or not, this perfume is designed to smell like human blood. It is a specifically "no flower" concept, meant to celebrate the essence of life itself.

BLOOD Concept comes in four different versions: O, A, B, and AB. Each type contains a heavy metallic note, but from that point on, varies to reflect a different time of human development. Type O, which is meant to invoke the raw realities of caveman life, smells of leather, animal, cedar, thyme, and raspberry. On the other hand, Type A contains notes like green garden, tomato leaves, and basil, to imitate life on a farm. Type B, the most versatile of the four, is a woody, spicy concoction tied together by hints of apple, black cherry, and patchouli. Finally, Type AB, intended to represent the harsh environment of the city, contains notes of aldehydes, aluminum, slate, and wet concrete. 

BLOOD Concept can be purchased online from Avery US in a unique 40 mL eye dropper bottle ($185). It can also be purchased as a 60 mL drip spray ($160), or as a "compatibility test kit", which contains a 10 mL bottle of all four types ($130). 

Is Brad Pitt Good Pitchman for Chanel No. 5?

Okay, so what about the new gossip-worthy Chanel No. 5 ads featuring Brad Pitt? It's possible Angelina wears the iconic fragrance and inspired all the poetics, but we're thinking the $7 million contract played the major role.

#Noteworthywomen Sought for Fragrance Launch

New online beauty hub Coterie.com is looking for #Noteworthywomen to mark the launch of its new perfume. 

Coterie has partnered with Demeter Fragrance Library to create Noteworthy Eau de Toilette — a fruity, floral blend of frosted Italian bergamot, white jasmine, blue iris, creamy white rose, cashmere musk and white patchouli. 

Noteworthy will be available through Coterie Oct. 2-31, and in honor of breast cancer awareness month 30 percent of proceeds will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. 

To garner additional awareness, Coterie has launched a #Noteworthywomen social campaign with Animoto.com, where friends, guests and members can create inspirational “notes” and videos around the noteworthy women in their lives.

To participate:

• Write a post about a noteworthy woman or women you admire (need not be breast cancer related).
• Invite your followers to join the conversation by going to www.coterie.com, www.facebook.com/coterieinc or Twitter with the hash tag #noteworthywomen.
• Submit a link to your post to collaborate@coterie.com.
• Coterie will choose from your stories and share on their blog, Facebook and Twitter.
• For every post submitted, Coterie will donate $1 to the National Breast Cancer in addition to Noteworthy fragrance proceeds.
• One lucky winner will be randomly selected to win a $100 Coterie gift card, Noteworthy Eau de Toilette, and a one-year subscription of Animoto pro — a digital storytelling video website, a $249 value.
• Coterie is accepting posts through midnight Tuesday, Oct. 9.
• Please include mention of the #Noteworthywomen campaign and/or Noteworthy limited-edition Eau de toilette. 

Coterie’s online campaign will feature editorial and video stories of women who have been touched by breast cancer, which affects approximately 1 in 8 women in the U.S.


Coterie is a new, online destination where busy, socially savvy modern women can research, purchase and share their beauty finds, as well as collect their favorites in a virtual vanity. 

If you can't make it to Coterie's headquarters in San Francisco, visit the company on Twitter and Facebook. 

Noteworthy is $45 for 1.7 ounces.

Punk Priestess Prefers Powdery Pale

Niagara is known internationally as the "High Priestess of Punk." Once a member of the band Destroy All Monsters, she is now busy with an array of projects, ranging from her own apparel lines with Pink Pump and Japan's Hysteric Glamour, to her recent art exhibit, WAR PAINT, which just closed at Detroit's Re:View Contemporary Gallery. A more extensive bio as well as a gallery of her artwork can be found on her website. Here, she answers our classic "In A Bottle" questions with an iconoclastic twist.

What is your favorite fragrance "in a bottle"? 

I'm not really a perfume fanatic ... mostly because I don't make time to find that particular fragrance that matches my persona, soul, mood or whatever people do match it to.  

Although one really must have some kind of bouquet to be civilized. And there's where I already have to veer from your first question. Because there's no "bottle," I prefer fragrance to be in powder from. It's lighter (scented) and whiter (good on white skin). When I do wear perfume, I wear DIVA by UNGARO. Does the name sound narcissistic? It has narcissus in it.

What does it evoke for you?

I like that it could be a man's fragrance, more male than unisex. Farthest from sweet, it's a blend of forest notes — woodsy, mossy, deep and, they say, luxurious. A luxurious forest.

It's rich-y and slightly witchy. It's consciously commanding but not abrasive. It might give strength.

It seems to stand apart. I like it for those reasons.

What is your favorite scent that can't be captured "in a bottle" and why?

I thrive on the smell of gasoline at service stations. 

And once a year our Night-blooming Honeysuckle is intense. It's magic and unbottle-able. In fact the scent of night-blooming flowers is a world away from day-scented flowers. Datura is blooming now ... very mysterious and oozing licentiousness. 

Stiletto Girl Shares Taste for Candy

Tawny Thieu is a retail dynamo with Pink Pump and P2 women's clothing and accessory stores throughout metro Detroit. Her latest boutique, P2 Exchange in Royal Oak, celebrates a cool mix of shoes, jewelry, handbags and ... candy. With the mission statement "all things sweet," it's no wonder Thieu likes her scents with a little bit of sugar.

What is your favorite scent "in a bottle"?

Right now I'm loving CANDY by Prada.

What does it evoke for you?

Soft, sweet, sensual notes! It's not overly sweet or overpowering. The best fragrances should be subtle.

What is your favorite smell that can't be captured "in a bottle," and why?

Brewing vanilla camomile tea. The aroma fills the room and instantly relaxes me. I prefer drinking tea in the evening; it totally soothes a stressful day.

We love the private label apparel by international icon Niagara available exclusively at Pink Pump.  Stay tuned for Niagara's "In A Bottle" picks tomorrow.

Nicole Richie Goes Back to her Roots...with New Perfume

For Nicole Richie, life is getting a lot less simple! The reality star turned fashion icon is busy with release of her new fragrance, Nicole, which is being added to her already extensive résumé. Along with her successful accessories line, House of Harlow 1960, Nicole debuted as a mentor on NBC's Fashion Star this past year. 

The perfume was inspired by Richie's memories of her mother's unique layers of fragrances. "I knew exactly what I wanted to do because my mom would combine different oils and lotions, and the blend of scents became very special to me," she said. "Nicole blends the smells of my childhood memories with the aromas of the present."

Richie worked closely with esteemed perfumer Steve DeMercado to perfect Nicole, which grew into a classic, yet modern, blend of a variety of notes such as vanilla, cashmere woods, blackberry, golden amber, and Moroccan rose. The bottle itself was beautifully crafted by luxury design expert Dale Brandon Kan. 


Richie calls Nicole "a spiritual balance of femininity and bohemian." On Aug. 29, she appeared at Macy's in Glendale, Calif., to unveil the new perfume. She will also be making a similar appearance at The Grove's Nordstrom in Los Angeles on Sept. 20. 

Nicole eau de parfum is being sold at Macy's, Nordstrom, Dillards, and other department and specialty stores nationwide in two sizes: 1.7 oz ($55) and 3.4 oz ($69). Richie has also released an accompanying body lotion and shower gel.