ELIZABETH TAYLOR ARCHIVES: Perfume/House of Taylor Beauty

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Perfume/House of Taylor Beauty

In 1987, when Malcolm Forbes, the famed publisher of Forbes business magazine introduced Elizabeth Taylor at a top secret press conference to introduce her new business venture, a perfume called Passion, the world sat down and took notice.

Once, while explaining the name, Elizabeth said: “Passion is the ingredient in me that has made me who I am. It’s my passion for life . . . my passion for passion that has made me never give up.”

The perfume, which was spearheaded by a $10 million dollar promotional campaign, became an overnight success and became the first successful celebrity fragrance. Many others had tried, but only Elizabeth’s Passion succeeded. Elizabeth, who had been offered other endorsements in the past, felt that perfume was the perfect business to go into. “I think [perfume] is more than just an accessory for a woman. It’s part of her aura. I wear it even when I’m alone.” The real reason that Passion was so successful was because of Elizabeth’s participation in every step of its creation—from working with the chemists to develop the perfect scent, to the packaging in her signature shade of violet. Elizabeth knew her public, and knew what they wanted. By 1991, sales of Passion reached an estimated $100 million dollars giving it a coveted spot on the list of top ten selling fragrances of all time. But Passion was just the beginning.

While Passion was successful, no one could anticipate the success that Elizabeth would have with its follow-up, White Diamonds. Elizabeth introduced White Diamonds in 1991, backed by a $20 million dollar media blitz, and a tour of high-end department stores in the United States and Canada. Since its inception, White Diamonds has remained on the list of top ten selling perfumes. By the year 2007, White Diamonds had made more than a billion dollars, earning the title of “the most successful celebrity fragrance of all time.”

Today, House of Taylor Beauty has eleven successful fragrances that are distributed by Elizabeth Arden, Inc.: White Diamonds, Sparkling White Diamonds, Brilliant White Diamonds, Diamonds and Emeralds, Diamonds and Rubies, Diamonds and Sapphires, Elizabeth Taylor’s Passion, Elizabeth Taylor’s Passion Men, Forever Elizabeth, Gardenia, and Black Pearls. E. Scott Beattie, Chairman, President & CEO of Elizabeth Arden, Inc. best summed up Elizabeth’s monumental success in the fragrance industry [best] when he said: “It is your never ending dedication and personal involvement that has made House of Taylor Beauty and especially White Diamonds the fragrance icon it is today.”

For more information on Elizabeth Taylor’s fragrances, please click here.

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