DeuxMoi Reviews Celebrity Fragrances

By Samantha Simon

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When it comes to spilling the tea, no one does it better than DeuxMoi. The anonymous New Yorker behind the now-famous Instagram account — which has spawned a podcast, book, and upcoming HBO Max series — tracks everything about the rich and famous, dishing on their latest projects and revealing where they shop, what they eat, and who they date. (And yes, there has been speculation about DeuxMoi's own identity, though nothing confirmed.) With her knowledge about Hollywood's key players bordering on encyclopedic, it only makes sense that the real-life Gossip Girl also loves to try out the products they create — and then, obviously, share her unfiltered thoughts with the masses (aka her 1.7 million followers). Needless to say, there's probably no one more qualified to review a batch of celebrity fragrances.

"If you're a fan of a celebrity, there's no better way to feel close to them — or to feel like them, if that's what you desire — than to smell like them," says DeuxMoi. Although she was shocked by just how many stars have their own scents today, celebrity fragrances are, of course, nothing new. Sophia Loren started the trend with Sophia in 1981, and Elizabeth Taylor launched her perfume empire with White Diamonds a decade later. But the category didn't truly explode until the early aughts, when you could find Britney Spears's Curious, Jennifer Lopez's Glow, and Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely taking up coveted space on any preteen's shelf.

Today, DeuxMoi reports her followers are most interested in smelling like Rihanna. "I think it's just a known thing at this point that she smells good," says DeuxMoi. "People would constantly send in sightings of her, asking me what fragrance she wears." (Scroll down for her speculations.) Another celeb with a reputation for smelling great? "At one point, everyone was dying to know what Alexander Skarsgård smelled like. He was the face of a Calvin Klein fragrance, and I had several women ask me to confirm if that's what he was wearing so they could buy it for their husbands. But we never got to the bottom of it."

While we wait patiently for Skarsgård to finally spill the details, we asked DeuxMoi to sniff out the latest from his contemporaries. "These were all pretty surprising," she says of the assortment, which includes scents from Cher, Dolly Parton, Paris Hilton, and Ariana Grande. One thing that wasn’t surprising? Of the 10 fragrances she sampled, Rihanna's Fenty perfume was a clear hit. "I would 100 percent wear it," she says. Below, DeuxMoi's reviews in full.

The juicy deets: Described as her "most intimate" fragrance yet, Hilton's 29th (!) perfume comes in a bridal-inspired bottle and features notes of Italian bergamot, gardenia, sandalwood, and vanilla orchid.

DeuxMoi's hot take: "I've heard from several people that Paris really does wear all of her own perfumes. I've always imagined that she smells sweet, like pink diamonds and glitter. But this fragrance isn't sweet; it's floral and unexpected. To me, it represents the fact that Paris's front-facing image is different from the businesswoman that she is in real life. She's known for being camp and dressing up in fun costumes as a socialite, but this smells serious and sophisticated — it's wife Paris. I could totally see her wearing this to a luncheon at Spago or to a fundraiser, and I think her mom [Kathy] and her sister [Nicky] would wear it, too. It reminds me of a sophisticated Beverly Hills woman who just left her mansion and is on her way to lunch at the country club, not to DJ at the club in Ibiza."

The juicy deets: The singer and Fenty designer has created just one signature scent — which has quickly become coveted thanks to aromatic notes of magnolia, musk, tangerine, and Bulgarian rose.

DeuxMoi's hot take: "I was very curious about this one because Rihanna has such a reputation for smelling good. People say she wears Love, Don't Be Shy by Kilian but I've always pictured her smelling like the beach because she's from Barbados. This fragrance, however, does not smell like the beach. When I first sprayed it, I got Angel by Mugler vibes — but once it settled on my skin, the combination of notes was…inexplicable. It's sexy, it's moody, it's dark. It's not very musky, because the tangerine adds a bit of sweetness to it. It's just really undetectable, and since no one has ever been able to pinpoint what her scent really is when they've described it to me, this feels like a good representation of that. It makes me wonder if she actually just combines a whole bunch of shit, and that's why people think she smells so good. I also really love the bottle because it's not overly branded and would feel mysterious to pull out of your purse. The whole thing makes me think of how cool she looks in paparazzi images from a night out at Carbone or Pastis."

The juicy deets: Inspired by his passion for music and "love of love," the singer's fragrance for women features notes of pear, lemon, grapefruit, jasmine, and tuberose.

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DeuxMoi's hot take: "I've heard that Lionel Richie is a super nice guy — which makes sense because he's always smiling and has good vibes. I think he must smell very clean, like lemons. And this fragrance does have notes of citrus! It makes me picture him walking through his palatial 17,000 square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills, smelling amazing and singing 'Hello.' [His daughter] Sofia used to post a lot from his house when she was younger, and it always felt very bright and happy. If you've seen pictures of it on Instagram, this white bottle with gold lattice looks like it belongs there. Architectural Digest once described his house as being an 'Italian Renaissance Revival structure,' so this is true to his aesthetic. It's also worth noting that it smells more expensive than $34; it could easily retail for $75, and I could see [his daughter] Nicole Richie wearing it. Her taste is very elevated so I think she'd appreciate it. I wonder if she helped him with it…"

The juicy deets: The newest launch from Pfeiffer's Henry Rose collection features a smoky blend of South American tonka bean, Ivory Coast ginger, and Moroccan orange flower.

DeuxMoi's hot take: "Michelle Pfeiffer is always understated. She's so subtle that she didn't even name her fragrance line after herself. I think she probably smells really clean and minimalist, and this smells complex; it's not what I would expect her to smell like at all. It's not too smoky — it's lighter than I expected — but I got more of a woodsy scent the longer it sat on my skin. It's funny because she's a very private person and hasn't really been at many events over the past five years — so I'd say the mystique of Michelle Pfeiffer in 2023 is comparable to the mystique of Henry Rose Char. I just can't really place what the smell is, but the bottle is definitely similar to the high-end fragrances you’d see at the Bergdorf Goodman perfume counter. Michelle was actually spotted at Bergdorf's a few months ago, so that totally tracks."

The juicy deets: Four distinct scents, each of which is meant to capture the essence of a decade in Cher's life. 60s Couture features notes of bergamot, pink pepper, violet, amber, and patchouli; 70s Couture is marked by saffron, suede accord, and musks; 80s Couture brings the mandarin, pomelo, honeysuckle, and gardenia; and 90s Couture has notes of peach nectar, Italian bergamot, sandalwood, and vanilla bourbon.

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DeuxMoi's hot take: "Cher lives in Malibu, but I don't picture her smelling like a California girl the way I would Jennifer Aniston. I think she smells like musk, incense, and Dr. Pepper — in case you didn't know, Cher loves Dr. Pepper. This collection wins for the packaging since each box has a picture of her from that specific decade, plus I like the smaller size of the bottles. They're giving a Chanel vibe, and I'm into it. 60s Couture made me think of licorice at first; it smells like a perfume-y patchouli. 70s Couture is sweeter — it's exactly what I picture the ‘70s to smell like. The 80s Couture bottle is purple; it reminds me of a bowl of fruit, which doesn’t scream ’80s to me, but I actually like it. 90s Couture is also sweet, but it smells more like a cupcake. She's definitely wearing one of these out to Nobu Malibu with her boyfriend [Alexander Edwards]. She seems like she's very in love, and every time I get a sighting of them, he's all over her. I bet she wears whichever one he likes the most — and now I'm going to need to know which one that is."

The juicy deets: With eight other perfumes already to her name, Grande took inspiration from 1960s British Mod subculture for her first fragrance duo: MOD Blush (which features notes of bergamot, passionfruit, rose, and magnolia) and MOD Vanilla (with plum, praline, vanilla, and cocoa butter).

DeuxMoi's hot take: "The packaging here is exactly how I imagine Ariana Grande to smell: sweet like vanilla. The bottle isn't traditional for perfume; it definitely makes a statement since it looks like a misshapen egg. Let's just say you're paying for the packaging with these. MOD Blush is heavy on the citrus at first — I know that it's passionfruit, but to me, it smells like grapefruit and tangerine. MOD Vanilla smells like a musky vanilla, which obviously makes sense. I would choose Blush if I had to pick between the two. Still, both feel timeless to her, even though they might skew a bit young. I could definitely see someone like Nicki Minaj wearing one of these, because Nicki and Ariana have collaborated in the past and they have the same sort of girly vibe. I have to say, it's interesting that this is inspired by 1960s London. I know Ariana's been in London [filming Wicked], but to me, London doesn't smell light and fresh and like vanilla — it's moody and dark, like tobacco and wood-paneled libraries."

The juicy deets: The actor delivered two location-inspired scents for her fragrance debut. East 12th recalls her time in New York City with notes of rose damask, black cedar, and zesty orange, while The Eighth takes after Paris with notes of bergamot, musk, and cashmere woods.

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DeuxMoi's hot take: "Ashley goes out to all of the coolest places. She's at a bar, laughing and surrounded by friends in every photo I see. She just likes to go out and have a good time, and I picture her smelling like a girl who's sitting in the corner of a sexy lounge, sipping a martini in a leather banquette, you know what I mean? These bottles are really pretty, and East 12th is a very light scent with orange citrus notes. I wonder what Ashley was doing on East 12th Street that evokes memories of this, because New York smells like garbage and dog shit — it does not smell like this. But I guess this smells like the New York of our dreams? It's Carrie Bradshaw's New York that we all envisioned before we got here. The Eighth is definitely my favorite of the two. I haven't been to Paris in years, but this is what Paris should smell like: expensive and creamy. It's exactly the sexy, sophisticated fragrance that I would picture Ashley wearing to the Bowery Hotel. I can also see her sharing it with her friends. She and Paris Hilton were just spotted together having a girls' night out in Santa Monica at the beginning of January, and I could see Paris wearing this.”

The juicy deets: True to its name, the star's debut fragrance features notes of candied ginger, chocolate marshmallow, Madagascar vanilla, and Chantilly cream.

DeuxMoi's hot take: “This packaging looks like a pink chocolate bar, and that is exactly what I think Sabrina Carpenter smells like. Or maybe she would smell like a peach gummy bear — I'm not sure, but she definitely smells like candy. This fragrance isn't as sweet as I thought it would be; it's not cupcake-y like the vanilla scents from Ariana Grande and Cher. It's definitely for a younger customer, right down to the packaging, but this could be a good option if you're looking for a vanilla scent that's not too overpowering. Sabrina seems like she's really cute and bubbly, and that's the type of person I picture wearing this. I've only heard great things about her, too. I can absolutely see her wearing this to brunch at American Bar when it's really hopping.”

The juicy deets: Inspired by stories from — you guessed it — her front porch, Parton's latest set of fragrances includes four eau de toilettes: Tennessee Sunset, with notes of honeysuckle, vanilla orchid, and warm musks; Dancing Fireflies, with pink apple, pink peony, and pink musks; Early Morning Breeze, with jasmine sambac, orange flower, and sandalwood; and Smoky Mountain, with tiger orchid, warm tonic, and cashmere woods.

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DeuxMoi's hot take: "I would guess that Dolly probably smells like whiskey and nail polish. Just look at her nails — they're always perfect. The packaging here feels a bit vintage, and the bottle is very much meant to be displayed on a vanity or makeup table. Early Morning Breeze is fresh and floral with a bit of citrus. It reminds me of when you wake up somewhere outside of the city and the grass has dew on it. Tennessee Sunset smells like whiskey. There's a sweetness to it — I think the honeysuckle really comes through. Smoky Mountain is muskier; I thought it would smell like tobacco and have Tom Ford vibes, but even though it's woody, it's more floral. And then Dancing Fireflies — my favorite of the set — smells very specifically like an apple. This collection was a fun surprise. It's all about feeling like you're on Dolly's front porch, which makes sense since it evokes smells of morning dew and an apple pie that’s coming from the kitchen."

The juicy deets: With notes of orange flower, bergamot, jasmine, and oak moss, the "mood-boosting" mist from the model's wellness line is infused with essential oils that aim to restore emotional balance and inner peace.

DeuxMoi's hot take: "I need to start by saying that this bottle is really heavy. I saw Kate Moss do a British Vogue 'In The Bag' video where she pulled this out of her purse, and now I want to know how heavy her bag is — because this is really heavy. But it's also really chic, and I love it. I'm a huge Kate Moss fan — I think she probably smells like cigarettes and champagne, but this scent is very essential oil-y. It's really sexy and not too overpowering. You don't need to spray a lot of it, though. I actually already own this perfume and I always wear it at night; it's too sexy for the daytime. I doubt Kate is following my rule, though; I'm sure she wears it everywhere, from the front row of a fashion show to Annabelle's and LouLou's in London. I bet she shares this with her model friends like Naomi [Campbell] and Shalom [Harlow], too. Naomi would definitely wear this."

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