What Celebrity Fragrances Really Smell Like—Britney Spears, Ariana Grande & More Reviews

Guess which scent was our fave

By Diana Nguyen Mar 21, 2017 10:55 AMTags
ESC: Celebrity PerfumesChristina Mack/E!

What's that aroma in the air?

The smell of celebrity.

Happy National Fragrance Day, a.k.a. big business for the billion-dollar perfume industry. Luckily, A-listers like Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Sarah Jessica Parker have bottled up their es-scents to supply the demand.

The problem is that there are so many celeb fragrances—Britney Spears has 21 options touting her name while Jennifer Lopez has 26—that it's hard to decide which is best for you or your loved one. Not to mention, everyone's olfactory receptors are different. What smells like flowers to you might smell like grandma to your significant other.

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Don't strike out! We put best-selling bottles through the E! News ringer. Staffers of all different genders, ages and races blind-tested and rated fragrances based off smell alone. The scores were all over the board, but here are seven scents with our favorite reviews.

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Celebrity Fragrances

Ariana Grande Sweet Like Candy, $39-$59

Average Score: 7

"Sweet like Jolly Ranchers. Maybe too sweet." – Brandon

"Ooh, was pleasantly surprised, smells like sweet candy." – Gabi

"Like stepping into the Victoria's Secret lotion section." – Seija

"Orange Julius." – Sara

Britney Spears Fantasy, $23.49

Average Score: 6.6

"College in one sniff. So many good memories!" – Seija

"Sweet and fruity, like cherry lip balm" – Brett

"Pretty girls. Lemonade." – Sara

"Elegant and subtle." – Jay

Jennifer Aniston Near Dusk, $26.99

Average Score: 5.8

"Strong floral scent. Pretty." – Brett

"Pencil shavings…but in a good way!" – Jay

"Sexy, spicy, cinnamon." – Melissa

"I smell this when I walk into a department store." – Jess

SJP Stash, $50

Average Score: 5.7

"Sophisticated, European." – Jay

"Musky, smells like aftershave." – Brett

"Boy in the woods." – Seija

"I don't mind this one! Reminds me of the holidays." – Alanah

Beyoncé Rise, $34-$44

Average Score: 5.3

"Fresh, clean." – Melissa

"Floral and sweet" – Jay

"A business woman" – Seija

"This one smells a little like baby powder." – Gabi

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Bourbon, $25

Average Score: 4.6

"I liked this one. Smells nice and clean." – Gabi

"Kind of muted, subtle sweet, not terrible but smells older." – Brandon 

"Smells like lotion?" – Jess

"Nutmeg" – Sara

Sofia Vergara Tempting, $55

Average Score: 4.4

"Clean and sunny." – Jay

"Smells like food. Weird." – Brett

"Like grass, fresh cucumbers." – Melissa

"It smells like the women at church, like strong orchards." – Alanah

We do have to give a shout-out to Ms. Britney Spears, whose other two fragrances (Private Show and Island Fantasy) also ranked well among our testers. Is the pop princess also a perfume queen?

Tell us what your favorite celebrity fragrance is below!