• by Christine Bittar , December 26, 2006

Celebrity fragrance brands--especially those targeting 'tweens, teens or females under age 25--seem to be the big winners this holiday.

Hilary Duff's With Love from Elizabeth Arden was launched in September, and is currently on track to be one of the top three new launches of the year, according to research by Rommel Dionisio of Wedbush Morgan Securities.

Wedbush Morgan surveyed more than 70 department stores and specialty fragrance shops across the country the week before Christmas to get an indication of the best-selling holiday fragrances. Stores surveyed include Macy's, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Sephora, Peebles, Dillard's, Herberger's and Belk.

The second-most popular, according to Dionisio's survey, will likely be the fragrance line bearing heiress Paris Hilton's name, marketed by Parlux Fragrances.

The original Paris Hilton fragrance was launched in fall 2004. A second perfume, Just Me, followed in September 2005. The third, Heiress, just rolled out this November.

Dionisio reported that approximately 30% of sellers surveyed named the Paris Hilton line a top seller, with a quarter of those respondents specifically mentioning Heiress.

Keeping target demographics together, at Macy's, Paris Hilton fragrances were being merchandised next to Hilary Duff fragrances. Gift sets were available for $49, which includes shower gel, lotion, travel size perfume, and regular size perfume.

As for Hilary Duff's With Love, approximately 40% of retailers Wedbush Morgan surveyed that carry the fragrance said the SKU was a top seller, versus 30% in the September survey.

Another top launch, per Dionisio, is Juicy Couture--which launched in the fall as an ancillary product to the apparel and accessory line for adults and children. About 30% of stores surveyed ranked the Juicy fragrance as a top seller, ranking it third behind Hilary Duff's With Love and Paris Hilton's SKUs.

One of the disappointments, with so far "only limited appeal," Dionisio said, is the fragrance bearing the name of romance novelist Danielle Steel, marketed by Elizabeth Arden.

That SKU was only mentioned as a top seller by 10% of stores surveyed--with several salespeople indicating that Danielle Steel, targeted toward an older demographic, was not as popular a seller as Hilary Duff's fragrance or Vera Wang's Princess, Dionisio reported.

Other brands performing well, according to the survey: Calvin Klein's Euphoria, Be Delicious by DKNY, the Britney Spears line by Arden, and Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, which is marketed by Coty.