Is there anything in the world that smells as good as a freshly bathed newborn?
Apparently, yes, there can be. Forget the old adage "Smells like a baby," the simplicity of baby powder and the name Johnson.
Think Burberry, Bulgari, Bobbi Brown and Givenchy, all who have sniffed out a new clientele for their fragrances -- babies.
We could have seen, if not smelled, this coming. A decade ago, Jean-Paul Guerlain ( http://www.guerlain.com) first introduced a baby perfume. "Perhaps it is because the destiny of any patrimony is in the hands of future generations that Guerlain wanted to initiate little ones into the art of perfume, to give them a taste of refinement, to open up a world of new pleasure, and created for the men and women of tomorrow a fragrance as fresh and tender as childhood itself," reads the description for Petit Guerlain.
While perfume for the diaper set is not new elsewhere in the world, Canadians are now being introduced to their first whiff of this growing market.
At the Bobbi Brown counter, customers can buy the Little Nursery Kit for $120, which includes baby balm, body wash and massage oil.
In the children's department at Holts, moms can purchase Bulgari's Petits et Mamans, a "scented water" to be splashed on your child, for $52.
Moms can even get off guilt-free over the very adult cost of these fragrances. They are designed to be used by both mama and bébé.
Skeptical parents need not worry their child will smell like a baby strumpet (or would that be prostitot?). Most of these fragrances are allergy-tested and described as "delicate" and "citrus-like."
Burberry, for example, offers the Baby Touch Eau de Toilette spray, in both an alcohol-free version for babies and an alcohol-based one for mommy.
By the time your children are in school, they can grow into Gianni Versace's eau de toilette spray, for little girls, called Baby Rose.
Joanna Track, founder of Sweetmama.ca, a weekly e-mail newsletter dedicated to all trends for moms and tots, says this trend isn't surprising, given that many couture brands are developing brand extension for affluent mothers. (Hello? Dior baby bottle anyone?) "Combining style and function works, but whether perfume for your little one will fly, time will tell. It does take the sweet smell of a baby to a whole new level."
It shows you're never too young to be pampered.