This week, I checked in on the new slate of celebrity fragrances hitting shelves this summer. Additionally, Coty shakes up its C-suite amid an ongoing turnaround plan, and Tuckernuck makes a play for beauty. How new launches from Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion fit into a crowded celebrity fragrance market
It’s been two years since Megan Thee Stallion released her last studio album. But the rapper is still cashing in on her “Hot Girl Summer” ethos, this time via her debut fragrance: On Sunday, Megan Thee Stallion launched the Hot Girl Summer eau de parfum in partnership with Coty. With a blend of coconut milk and vetiver, the scent is available at Ulta Beauty for $84.
The Grammy-winning rapper and swimsuit entrepreneur isn’t the only big name tapping into the ongoing fragrance boom. On July 14, Ariana Grande and Luxe Brands will launch Cloud Aurora, a flanker to her hit Cloud fragrance line; in June, Luxe also expanded the Khloé Kardashian perfume line with the launch of XO Blue. According to Luxe Brands, each of the two new launches is expected to exceed $50 million in global retail sales in their first year.
Mass-appealing scents crafted through licensing deals, launches like Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer and Ariana Grande’s new Cloud flanker, on the one hand, represent a more traditional approach to the celebrity fragrance market at a time when many stars are experimenting with full-fledged brands and more niche positioning. But in today’s fragrance market, the lines between mass and prestige or celebrity and designer brands are no longer so concrete.
