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With Love Hilary Duff: the debut fragrance from the US film, TV and music star |
US. Hilary Duff – actress, singer, designer, business woman – has packed a lot into her short life. By the age of 18 she had delivered three albums, nine films and two concert tours. That’s after finding fame in the Disney series Lizzie McGuire. And, somehow, the time to become CEO of Hilary Duff Enterprises, which handles her own accessories and clothing line, Stuff by Hilary Duff.
This October sees yet another milestone for the multi-talented teen queen, as her first fragrance, produced in conjunction with Elizabeth Arden (The Moodie Report.com, 12 October 2005), begins its worldwide roll-out.
With Love Hilary Duff will introduce a more sophisticated side of Duff to her audience, according to Arden, which claims that “the multifaceted fragrance will embody the essence of Hilary’s personality.”
In an exclusive interview with The Moodie Report, Duff herself reveals how the fragrance project came about, what she enjoyed most about the creative process, and what the next (scented) steps might be.
“Elizabeth Arden actually approached me,” she revealed. “It was kind of a shock; I had never really thought about doing a fragrance, even though I’m very girly and wear it all the time.”
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The outer packaging of With Love Hilary Duff |
She continued: “Of course, I thought, wow, how cool would it be to have a fragrance of my own? And I knew that Arden had worked with so many great people. But obviously I wondered exactly how it would work – in that first meeting I had a lot of questions,” she laughed.
But clearly, Arden delivered the right answers, especially on the subject of control. “They explained everything to me, and said I could have as much control as I liked,” Duff confirmed. “And I wanted that. Because I really cared about what [a product] like that was going to be like, and what people would think of it. I wanted it to have plenty of my personality in it.”
Duff described the whole collaborative process as “incredible”. “I just loved it,” she enthused, adding with a giggle: “Now I just want to be a perfumer!
“The part I enjoyed most was going into the lab – that was so interesting,” she recalled. “I can be a bit obsessive, I suppose, in the sense that when something new comes into my life, I want to know all about it.”
Duff continued: “I learned a lot. When I went into the lab there were tons of little bottles all along the walls. Some are more “˜normal’, and some are really expensive. Then there were the different textures: some were liquids, some were gels, some had to be melted down. The two guys that worked on my fragrance were really wonderful and taught me a lot.”
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The With Love Hilary Duff body lotion |
She continued: “Obviously, I knew that you had to go into a lab and mix things, but I didn’t know that it was going to be like that, where I could go in and just pick out [the ingredients] I wanted”¦.and then figure out what I wanted it to smell like: how much of this was needed, how much of that. And then fixing it; finding out about the way [scent] sticks to the skin – I hadn’t really expected that.”
Duff’s key inspiration for With Love was a scented candle. “There’s a candle that I really love, with a woodsy-amber smell,” she explained. “I burn it often at home and within five minutes my whole house smells good. So I brought that candle in and [used that as a starting point].”
Nonetheless, it was not a short process. “We went through 115 versions to perfect this fragrance,” revealed Duff. “And that was tough, because I was so busy on tour.”
The fragrance name, also, holds personal significance. “We went through a bunch of names,” she recalled. “That’s a tough enough process anyway, but we did the fragrance first, and once we’d come up with the final product, any names we’d considered before didn’t quite fit.”
The salvation came at the eleventh hour, while Duff was touring in Europe, in the form of a fan’s letter. “It made me think,” she said. “I always sign my name “˜With Love’. And I had so enjoyed the whole process of making this fragrance, I felt that it really was made with love. It was a perfect fit.”
“I really cared about what [a fragrance of mine] was going to be like, and what people would think of it. I wanted it to have plenty of my personality in it.“ |
Hilary Duff |
The fragrance’s core target market is young women aged 15 to 24, but Duff is confident that the appeal will be much broader.
“[That age] is in line with the fan base, but I also think that older people would wear it,” she explained. “Certainly everyone I’ve given a vial to pre-launch has loved it.
“I think it’s not too mature that younger people wouldn’t wear it, because it’s got that sweet top note. Yet the dry-down is mature and distinctive and interesting.”
So, given how much Duff has enjoyed working on her debut fragrance, what other beauty ambitions might she be harbouring? At some point might we see a Hilary Duff cosmetics line? Or even a masculine fragrance, given the vast numbers of males who make up her fan base?
“At this point, I’m so busy I don’t really want to add anything else like that on to my schedule,” she replies with disarming honesty. “So I don’t know about cosmetics; maybe we will consider some special items, like lip balm, for example.
“But looking ahead, I definitely can’t wait to make another fragrance,” she confirmed. “Now my mind is focused on that area, of course it would be great to do another one.”
The Low-down on With Love
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On opening, the outer carton folds out like a flower |
The juice: The juice was created by Quest perfumers Stephen Nilsen and Rodrigo Flores-Roux. In terms of ingredients, effervescent mangosteen and Champagne represent the “fun and bubbly” side of Duff’s personality, while her “complex, sensual side” is highlighted by an accord of textured cocobolo woods.
The bottle: The vintage-style faceted flacon is topped with a citrine stone-like cap. The roping/antiqued finish on the collar was reportedly inspired by one of Duff’s favourite rings. The outer carton is coloured a robin’s egg blue, framed with gold scrolling, on a plum base.
The range: The product line-up at launch comprises 50ml and 100ml edp sprays. There will also be a body lotion.
The target: The core target is young women aged 15 to 24.
The support: The comprehensive media plan will include scent strips, text messages and Internet, print and TV advertising. PR activity will include personal appearances, sampling, print editorials and an exclusive AOL interview with Duff, targeted to reach 2.5 million participants.Other initiatives will include podcasts, blogs, campaign downloads, voicemail messages and competitions to meet Duff in person.
Price and positioning: In the UK, domestic price points will be in the region of £27 and £39 for the 50ml and 100ml, respectively (around £21.60 and £31.20 in travel retail).
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