It’s hard to believe that Rihanna is still only 23, given that she’s one of the world’s all-time bestselling musical performers and has been at the top of the business since 2005. She was born and raised in Barbados but moved to the US in 2004 to pursue her career after signing a deal with New York’s Jay-Z- fronted Def Jam Records. From there, she released Pon de Replay, the song that kickstarted a career that has gone from strength to strength since, taking in such hits as Umbrella, Don’t Stop the Music, and S&M. So far she has sold over 20 million albums, and has become the youngest singer ever to have ten number one’s on America’s Billboard singles chart.
The benchmark in celebrity scents is still Britney Spears, as even though her popularity as a singer and celebrity seems to have saturated and steadied, sales of Fantasy are still exceeding all expectations and continuing to outsell not only other celebrity scents, but also those produced by fashion houses. Hot on her heels are old stalwart the late Elizabeth Taylor and newcomer Beyonce, whose Heat and Pulse fragrances have reinvigorated the market. It seems though, despite the market being flooded with scents from anyone who’s appeared on a reality tv show, that the demand for celebrity perfumes is yet to reach breaking point, and if there’s space for Cliff Richard Devil Woman(!) then there must be plenty for someone as famous and hip as Rihanna.
For her first foray into the world of fragrances, Rihanna has created Reb’l Fleur which, given her current popularity and the success of celebrity fragrances in general, looks set to become one of the world’s biggest selling scents over the next couple of years. Reb’l Fleur is a beautiful sweet scent with top notes of plum, peach, and red berries; a heart dominated by coconut, which is supported by tuberose, hibiscus, and violet; and finishes with a base of vanilla, patchouli, amber, and musk. Reb’l Fleur is brand new and at Fragrance Mad you can pick up a 100ml bottle of Eau de Parfum for just £29.49, a mighty 20% off RRP! And if you like that, just wait until Spring 2012 (seems a long way away in this freezing weather) when you can get your hands on Rebelle, Rihanna’s second scent.