Which pop star has the best perfume? The Thread investigates

These days you're not an official pop star unless you have a scent to sell. But are any of them worth sniffing, let alone buying? We put Britney, Christina, Mariah, J.Lo and Jessica to the test right outside our studio in Times Square.





The Thread team hit the pavement for a little market research armed with bottles of Mariah Carey's Luscious Pink, J.Lo's Deseo for women, Christina Aguilera's Inspire, Jessica Simpson's Fancy and Britney's Believe.

We asked a cross-section of women and some semi-willing men for their opinion on each fragrance and we're happy to report the debate was intense. Would you expect any less on the streets of New York?

Some thought Fancy smelled delicious, "like dessert." Others (mostly guys) also thought Fancy smelled like dessert, and hated it for that same reason.

Brand loyalty played a surprisingly small role. A devoted J.Lo fan dismissed Deseo in favor of Inspire, even though Christina's voice "gives her a headache." Meanwhile presentation mattered more than we expected. Mariah's butterfly-topped bottle looked "Barbie-like, in a good way" to one young woman. She thought Britney's multi-faceted crystal casing looked and felt "like a weapon."

Next we set up our ballot box in the Planet Hollywood store so people could officially vote for their favorite. Since we'd heard every opinion under the sun, and since we'd smelled so much perfume we could barely tell one from the next, we honestly had no idea what to expect at the end of the day.

Here. . . drum roll please. . . are the totals, in ascending order: J.Lo's Deseo was the least popular by a pretty wide margin. Jessica Simpson's Believe came in fourth. Britney's Inspire took the bronze. And Christina edged out Mariah for the top spot but only by a nose.

Thanks for checking out The Thread. We'll be back again next week from our studio in Planet Hollywood with a brand new episode on how to stretch your fashion dollar. With a few inexpensive accessories we'll show you how to take clothes you already own and transform them into perfect looks for fall.

Oh, and if you're looking for a bargain in the meantime, the black and geometric print I'm wearing in this episode is from H&M, a good deal at $34.90.

If there's anything you see that you'd like us to help you find, post some comments below or send me an email to sar_bernard@yahoo.com

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