How Synesthesia Informed Billie Eilish’s First Fragrance
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The world of celebrity fragrances has gained a new player: Billie Eilish.
In partnership with Parlux, the Grammy Award-winning artist has developed her first bid for the beauty consumer. Called Eilish, the gourmand scent will launch direct-to-consumer in November for $68. The scent is vegan and cruelty free.
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In a world of celebrity endorsements and cosmetics lines, Eilish told WWD she chose fragrance because of her specific relationship with scent. “It’s involved in every ounce of my life, and in everything I do,” she said.
Eilish has synesthesia, a condition in which senses intertwine, and she said her nose is particularly strong. “Every choice I make, fashion-wise, hair-wise and musically, I always want things to sound like a certain smell,” she said. “I have a very, very, very strong and long relationship with scent.”
The fragrance, simply called Eilish, features top notes of sugared petals, mandarin and red berries; heart notes of soft spices, rich cocoa and vanilla; base notes of musk, woods and tonka bean.
Eilish’s involvement in the perfume made her an ideal partner for Parlux, which also holds the licenses for Paris Hilton and Vince Camuto, among others. “[Celebrity fragrances] have become so much more personal,” said Lori Singer, president of Parlux. “The ones where talent is really closely and creatively involved are the most successful. It’s all about the consumer at the end of the day, and they’re savvier than ever.”
To that end, Singer didn’t comment on sales, although industry sources estimate the fragrance to reach $60 million in sales for its first year on the market.
The fragrance was the first Singer had developed entirely over Zoom, but she said it lent itself to a new kind of relationship with talent. “We were both at home, she was able to walk into her bedroom and pull out other things that inspire her. Something that may have felt less personal became moreso,” she said. “[Eilish] has over 100 bottles of perfume. When you have someone who genuinely loves fragrance, the authenticity of that comes through not only to us but to her fans.”
Singer joined Parlux in 2019, and Eilish’s share of mind dovetails into her strategic vision for Parlux. “It’s important to bring new brands into the portfolio, but as the world evolves, we want to evolve, too,” she said. “We think about the consumer, it all stems from the younger generation, and self expression and empowerment, products that tell stories that have a place in people’s lives where they can form a connection.”
Singer’s ambitions are to build a brand around Eilish’s creativity, an idea Eilish herself is keen on. She’s looking to expand into “really anything that has to do with smells, like candles, lotions and scrubs that you use in the bath or on your body,” she said. “If I were to do anything, it’s just stay in this world that I’ve been wanting to be a part of for a really long time. I just wanted it to feel right when I did.”
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