FIFI red carpet exclusive video from the Advice Sisters

My friend Cognac Wellerlane put together a video that includes yours truly, "Advice Sister Alison" as we interviewed celebrities on the red carpet at the Fragrance Foundation Awards earlier this week. Mostly it's Cognac who did the interviewing, as I was busy taking photos (see photo gallery) . It was fun to interview the likes of Sean Combs, Paris Hilton, Tova & Ernest Borgnine, Rochelle Bloom, and more.

So here's my Fragrance Foundation Red Carpet video...feel the excitement! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!

2009 Fragrance Foundation FiFi Awards Glittered Tonight

I just got back from The Fragrance Foundation of the United States 2009 Fifi Awards at the Downtown Armory in New York City. The glittering event features A-list stars like Diddy, Queen Latifah, Dustin and Lisa Hoffman, Paris Hilton, Mary J. Blige, and Kate Walsh, not to mention the movers and shakers in the fragrance industry.

I have already posted some photos of celebrities and Fragrance "celebrities" as soon as I can get them off my camera and watermark them (sorry, but the time for just taking my photos, is past--if you want non-watermarked, non-copyrighted version, just email me - advicesisters(at)advicesisters(dot)net.

This year’s Hall of Fame Awards went to Marc Jacobs, Davidoff Cool Water and Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds/

Paris Hilton was a presenter, and was also named Celebrity of the Year.

The big winners were:
Fragrance of the Year — Women’s Luxe: Harajuku Lovers Fragrances — Love, Lil’Angel, Music, Baby, “G” — Coty Prestige

Fragrance of the Year — Men’s Luxe: I Am King — Sean John — Sean John Fragrances

Fragrance of the Year — Women’s Popular Appeal: American Beauty Beloved — BeautyBank

Fragrance of the Year — Men’s Popular Appeal: McGraw by Tim McGraw — Coty Inc.

Fragrance of the Year Unique Boutique: Tom Ford Private Blend Champaca Absolute — Tom Ford Beauty

Fragrance of the Year Women’s Nouveau Niche: Chloé Eau de Parfum — Coty Prestige

Fragrance of the Year Men’s Nouveau Niche: Burberry the Beat for Men — P&G Prestige Products Inc.

Fragrance of the Year — Private Label/Direct Sell: Victoria’s Secret Sexy Little Things Noir Eau de Parfum — Victoria’s Secret Beauty Hall of Fame: Marc Jacobs

Female Celebrity Fragrance of the Year: Paris Hilton

Fragrance Hall of Fame: Tie, Davidoff Cool Water — Coty Prestige, and White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor — Elizabeth Arden

Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year: Mane for à Travers Le Miroir Thierry Mugler, Clarins Fragrance Group (Perfumer: Alexis Dadier, Mane Paris).

Editorial Excellence in Fragrance Coverage: Women’s Scent Feature: Allure for “Uncommon Scents”

Men’s Scent Feature: Elle for “This Year’s Model: What a Boy Wants”“Scent Bite” (short feature):

Elle for “Advanced Chemistry”Blog: Bois de Jasmin for “Scents of Cities: Kiev

”Technological Breakthrough of the Year: Mane USA for Aquafine

Bath and Body Line of the Year: Angel “Les Parfums Corps” by Thierry Mugler, Clarins Fragrance Group

Interior Scent Collection of the Year: Nest Fragrances Collection Candles — Candela Group

Best Packaging of the Year Women’s Prestige: Tie, Harajuku Lovers Fragrances — Coty Prestige, and Ma Dame — Jean Paul Gaultier, Beauté Prestige International

Best Packaging of the Year Men’s Prestige: R1X Rocawear — Elizabeth Arden

Best Packaging of the Year Women’s Popular Appeal: Avon Bond Girl 007 — Avon Products Inc.

Best Packaging of the Year Men’s Popular Appeal: McGraw by Tim McGraw — Coty Inc.

Best Media Campaign of the Year Women’s: Sensuous — The Estée Lauder Cos.

Best Media Campaign of the Year Men’s: Dirty English From Juicy Couture — Elizabeth Arden

Retailer of the Year: QVC and Tova Borgnine

C.F.S.S. Top Scorer of the Year: Carlos Fernandez -Velasco, business manager, Thierry Mugler Parfums, Clarins Fragrance Group, Saks Fifth Avenue, NYC.

photos, more information, tommorrow!

Fragrance Foundation Hosts Karen Dubin and Karen Adams of Sniffapalooza

If you are involved in the fragrance business, you already know that The Fragrance Foundation was established in 1949 by six industry leaders affiliated with Elizabeth Arden, Coty, Guerlain, Helena Rubenstein, Chanel and Parfums Weil, to develop educational programs about the importance and pleasures of fragrance for the American public. The Foundation's International Membership includes: manufacturers, suppliers, media, advertising and public relations agencies as well as designers, packagers and retailers. The organization maintains one of the most extensive print and video fragrance libraries in the world and among other things, holds seminars and symposia for its members as well as for the international fragrance industry.

I recently attended my first event at the Fragrance Foundation's headquarters on Thursday, September 20th, a Fragrance Foundation "Think Thank II" Sniffapaloozas: Fragrance Enthusiasts Extraordinaire. Just in case you're wondering if you've entered the right offices, you can't miss the big clue: a very colorful, large perfume bottle that sits right in the hallway. There is no doubt that you have come to the right place to learn and appreciate, fragrance. I was warmly greeted as I entered by Executive Director Mary Ellen Lapsansky. I also discovered that people I've only worked with online, were there in person. Putting a face to a name, is always wonderful.

Karen Adams (left) and Karen Dubin (right) of Sniffapalooza were the presenters. The President of the Fragrance Foundation, Rochelle Bloom, is in the middle. After a brief introduction, an enthusiastic Karen Dubin explained that Sniffapalooza started informally, as a way for her to enjoy her hobby/passion for perfume with like-minded others. Karen Adams was at the first Sniffapalooza, and bonded with Dubin to create a more formal set of events that now includes a Sniffapalooza Web site with a magazine and forums, as well as in-person activities. Some members participate every single day, forging virtual friendships.

The group is not part of the fragrance business per se, but an ever-growing tribe of informed, passionate consumers who typically collect dozens to hundreds of fragrances, and want to know as much as they can about them. This consumer will purchase hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars worth of fragrance in a year. The industry, according to Dubin, just didn't know that such a consumer existed. In addition, many of the Sniffapalooza patrons simply want to shop and share with others. Of significance to retailers and the fragrance industry, these "hidden" consumers tend to be 75% women, 25% men ranging from a youthful 16 years old, to 78 years old. All are bonded by their love of fragrance, just as wine, chocolate, or coffee/tea enthusiasts are.

With more than 800 new fragrances launched last year, the members of Sniffapalooza feel that being able to sample the fragrances, and work with knowledgeable counter salespeople, is essential. Naturally, Sniffapalooza events generally revolve around "sniffing and shopping" for fragrance, with some events being more like seminars, featuring a representative from a specific brand, offering information and testing. There have been lunches and breakfasts with industry professionals, and even a trip to France, where each day featured multiple visits to famous (and new/indie) perfume houses.

Dubin and Adams understand the business side of the fragrance industry, and but they also appreciate what goes into creating scent, be it luxurious, or for the drugstore consumer. As Karen Dubin said: "This is somebody's art."