Curious (fragrance)

Curious
Fragrance by Britney Spears
Released	September 14, 2004
Label	Elizabeth Arden
Tagline	Do you dare?
Successor	Fantasy

Curious is Britney Spears' first fragrance, developed in partnership with Elizabeth Arden and launched in 2004. Created by Claude Dir, it debuted in the United States in September 2004, followed by a global release in March 2005. Described as a blend of white flowers and vanilla-infused musk, Curious received widespread acclaim. It became the top-selling fragrance of 2004, with sales exceeding $100 million. By 2011, Elizabeth Arden had sold over 700 million bottles of the fragrance. Experts attribute part of its success to Spears appeal, acknowledging that she 'made it cool to wear fragrance' among young women.

Conception

First reports about Spears signing with Elizabeth Arden came out in March 2004. The media outlets reported that the first item to be released under the Spears nameplate would be a fragrance and that color cosmetics and skin care would follow, although they were not expected for at least two years. In an interview with WWD Thursday, the singer said, “I love perfume and cosmetics and am so excited to develop my own line with Elizabeth Arden”. Spear’s involvement with the beauty brand was not just licensing her name. Arden president Paul West noted that the songstress was personally involved with all aspects of the fragrance’s creative process, including the development of the juice, packaging, and marketing. He mentioned the singer had already suggested possible bottle designs and olfactory notes for her scent.

The launch of the fragrance was announced in June 2004 in a press release confirming that Curious would be released that fall. In the statement, Paul West, president of Elizabeth Arden, described Spears as a “talented, fashionable woman who appeals to a young and international consumer base”. The scent was described as a blend of white flowers and vanilla-infused musk. It was also announced that the packaging would feature two of Spears’ favorite colors, pink and azure blue, and the bottle would be azure with heart-shaped charms. Additionally, a scented whipped body cream, shower gel, and solid shimmer stick would debut simultaneously in department stores.

The fragrance was set to be part of the prestige lineup products of the cosmetics and fragrance company and was also set to distribute the scent to some prestige department stores that did not carry Elizabeth Arden-branded products, including Nordstrom. Spears joined two other celebrities: Catherine Zeta-Jones, the face of the Elizabeth Arden brand, and Elizabeth Taylor, who oversaw the fragrances branded with her name. However, Spears’ age target was 15 to 30, a younger demographic than those targeted by Taylor and Zeta-Jones.

Release and reception

The official United States launch of the fragrance took place on September 14, 2004, at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City where Spears presented the fragrance to the beauty press at breakfast, and then at New York's Macy's at lunch. Besides her fans, the singer was joined by Arden chief executive Scott Beattie, executive vice president of global marketing Ron Rolleston and vice president of global marketing for fragrance Tamara Steele. Speaking about the fragrance, Spears stated, “It's very sensual smelling, with a hint of vanilla musk, but not overly sweet. It's very sexy [...] It's amazing. I'm very excited about it”.

The global launch of Curious occurred on March 18, 2005, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, Spears' home state. Fans from various countries—Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, and Ireland—who won special contests in their respective countries joined Spears during the launch.

It’s so great that all of you are here today to help Elizabeth Arden and me [and] my fragrance Curious go global […] When we were making it, we knew it was something special.[…] It’s really nice to share something so personal and special with people that I really love, with my fans and everyone who wears it, and now I’m very happy that everybody around the world can enjoy it

-Britney Spears on the global launch of Curious.

Regarding the success of the fragrance's initial launch in the United States, Scott Beattie, chairman and CEO of Elizabeth Arden, stated it was a testament to the appeal of the scent, packaging, their innovative marketing techniques, and the influence of a celebrity like Britney Spears on a glamorous product category.

Scent and packaging

The scent, created by Claude Dir of Quest International and Ann Gottlieb of Ann Gottlieb Associates, has top notes of Louisiana magnolia, a nod to Spears' home state, along with golden Anjou pear and dewy lotus flower. The heart is of tuberose, star jasmine and pink cyclamen, while the drydown is of vanilla musk, creamy sandalwood and radiant blond woods.

The design of the Curious Britney Spears bottle features azure blue multifaceted glass adorned with pink heart-shaped charms. Adding a touch of vintage elegance, the larger eau de parfum is complemented by an antique-style blue atomizer, a detail appreciated by Spears for its added sophistication. The outer packaging combines Spears’ preferred colors, pink and azure blue, with a matte black top revealing cutouts that showcase the fragrance's logo. Upon opening the box, it unfolds like a blossoming flower, revealing the bottle nestled within and the pink lining of the inner carton.