I have been a devoted fan of CREED perfumes for the past 8 years after I splurged on a bottle of Fleurissimo. I had heard the stories: a beautiful bride on her wedding day, marrying her prince charming and I wanted what she was had. That princess was Grace Kelly and her prince happen to be the Prince of Monaco. Prince Rainier of Monaco had Fleurissimo commissioned specifically for Grace Kelly on her wedding day. How romantic!

The most famous of all wedding scents was made by Henry CREED, who was commissioned by Prince Rainier in 1956 to create one for his bride, Grace Kelly. Inspired by the flowers in her bouquet (tuberose, florentine iris and rose), he made Fleurissimo. The rest is history. I’ve read that Jacqueline Kennedy loved Fleurissimo and it was also favored by Queen Elizabeth II in addition to Madonna.

A soft and feminine composition of rose and tuberose, subtly enhanced with violet leaves and Florentine iris, makes this fragrance the epitome of elegance. I wore it for the most special of occasions and it made me feel like a million dollars. I was hooked and decided to add another fragrance from the House of CREED to my collection. I decided on Spring Flower, a flirty scent that celebrates femininity. True to the spirit of the woman who inspired it, Master Perfumer Olivier CREED created Spring Flower as a signature scent for the legendary icon of enduring chic, Audrey Hepburn.

Then I smelled the handsome scent of Green Irish Tweed, CREED’s Number 1 best seller. The cult scent contains green and woody notes with subtle hints of Verbena, Violet Leaves, Florentine Iris, Sandalwood and Ambergris. This masculine scent was created for none other than iconic screen star Cary Grant and later worn by Prince Charles, Robert Redford, and Richard Gere. I immediately slapped my credit card on the counter to buy a bottle for Sean, who rarely wore cologne. Since that day he has never left home without a spritz of Green Irish Tweed, a staple in his grooming regimen.

Now I hear that Fashion’s First lady, Michelle Obama, has made CREED her signature scent, particularly Love in White. According to July’s Washingtonian, Obama’s preferred fragrance is one of CREED’s newer scents which has its fair share of presidential history. The only CREED fragrance to debut in the United States instead of France, the first bottle was given to the First Lady in 2005, Laura Bush. When creating Love in White, Olivier Creed set out to create his own version of the perfect modern marry-me scent and was inspired by a trip to Fontainebleau in the spring. “It all looked so beautiful and optimistic”, he explains, “like something wonderful was about to begin. I thought, this is how love begins, with everything to experience and anticipate. I wanted to capture this mood in a perfume using white blossoms, such as magnolia, hyacinth and narcissus.”

CREED is the world’s only dynastic, privately held luxury fragrance company. Founded in 1760 and passed from father to son since then, the company has served more than 10 royal houses and the discerning public for 249 years. Indeed, CREED is one of the 100 oldest family businesses in the world. Based in Paris, CREED today is led by the legendary Olivier Creed, sixth generation master perfumer and company chief. Working alongside is his son, Erwin, 28, rising seventh generation and future head of the House.

CREED adheres to unrelenting high standards in fragrance creation and uses methods of hand production, including maceration and filtration, instituted at the company’s founding. For these reasons, CREED has a loyal clientele that includes royalty, Hollywood stars, political leaders, legends in business, sports, music and the fine arts as well as discerning members of the public with exceptional taste who value beauty and quality in scent.

Olivier Creed is not very keen on discussing his celebrity clients, but pick practically any of the 48 CREED fragrances and you can find at least one star or historical figure linked to it: Pierce Brosnan and George Clooney wear Green Irish Tweed; CREED Royal Water offers a clean, uplifting, natural-smelling cocktail of citrus fruits, aromatic herbs, pepper and musk and was created for Princess Diana; Bois du Portugal was worn by Paul Newman, Kevin Costner and Frank Sinatra; Erolfa is David Beckham’s signature scent, while Royal Water is Victoria Beckham’s favorite; Julia Roberts wears Spring Flower; Silver Mountain Water is worn by David Bowie and Ricky Martin; Tâbarome was created for Winston Churchill; and the oldest CREED fragrance, Royal English Leather, was made for King George III and inherited, with the crown, by George IV.

Of course, celebrities don’t buy CREED fragrances because other celebrities wear them which goes to show the superior quality of the product. The house has attained the holy grail of marketing – the product sells itself. Devotees, most converted by word of mouth or a chance encounter with one of the scents, flock to boutiques in London, Paris and New York regardless of the fact that CREED never advertises.

But be warned. Should you find a CREED perfume you like, you risk developing an expensive habit that will probably last a lifetime considering a small bottle of CREED starts at $120. Such is the power of CREED fragrances that once you try it you’re hooked. After my recommendation, a friend recently purchased Spring Mountain Water and just told me her bottle is almost gone. Another devoted customer that will keep coming back because once you’re hooked, nothing else will ever suffice. Believe me, I know.