New Fragrance By Country Star Tim McGraw

By Margarita Nahapetyan

Country singer Tim McGraw is celebrating his roots this summer by launching the new scent Southern Blend by Tim McGraw, a new permanent addition to his fragrance collaboration with Coty Beauty.

McGraw's first scent, McGraw by Tim McGraw, launched last year in August and in its first year, made more than $40 million in sales. According to the celebrity singer, he had never considered himself as a big fragrance guy and that is why he was not sure about the success of his first creation. However, living in a household with four women, there was no chance that he could remain ignorant of the world of fragrance, McGraw said.

McGraw's first attempt with men's cologne turned out to be a platinum hit, going on to win the equivalent of two Grammy's from the Fragrance Foundation on May 27 (the actual name of the award is the FiFi). These would include Fragrance of the Year - Men's Popular Appeal, and Best Packaging of the Year - Men's Popular Appeal. "I had planned to be there," said McGraw. "But unfortunately, our shooting went late in the day and I could not get there in time."

The new scent, created by McGraw together with Richard Herpin of Firmenich, will carry top notes of grapefruit, star anise and bergamot. The accord will be heart of lavender, violet leaves and whiskey, and the drydown will be vetiver, amber and tobacco. That is why probably Coty, the actual maker of this new scent, has described Southern Blend as the essence of the Southern man - charming and strong, and at the same time very sexy and rough around the edges.

Steve Mormoris, senior vice president of global marketing for Coty Beauty expressed his excitement to introduce Southern Blend to the customers and also a hope that the consumers will enjoy the new addition to the McGraw franchise. Like McGraw's first fragrance, Southern Blend is expected to find the most appreciation with the men between the ages of 25 and 55 years old. The scent will be available in about 20,000 mass market stores nationawide.

The eau de toilette will be offered in three sizes: 0.5 ounce with the cost of $17; 1 ounce will be $23 and 1.7 ounces will cost $30. The bottle is of a similar shape like McGraw's eponymous first fragrance, with the exception that Southern Blend has a gold cap (the original scent's cap is silver). The warm brown outer carton features the name of the fragrance and logo on one side. A shot of the fragrance and Tim McGraw himself appear on the other side.

Tim McGraw is an owner of three Grammy's, nine American Music Awards, three People's Choice Awards, eleven Country Music Association awards and eleven Academy of Country Music awards.