EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW: LL Cool J's Big Announcement -- 'My Secret To Smelling Good'
Dec. 6 2010, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
LL Cool J knows a good investment when he sees -- and when he 'smells' it.
Watch the video on RadarOnline.com
The multi-talented Grammy award winning rapper, actor, and author just added another title to his already impressive resume -- "Fragrance Ambassador".
LL exclusively invited RadarOnline.com into a private party Saturday night at the trendy Gendarmerie spa in West Hollywood to share some big news: he's such a huge fan of the celebrated Gendarme fragrance line, he just bought into the company!
Clad in his trademark skull cap, and dressed in all black and wearing dark shades, the dashing LL -- whose real name is James Todd Smith (his friends and family call him Todd) -- explained only to RadarOnline.com why he choose to buy into Gendarme, rather than create his own signature fragrance, like other stars have done, including Britney Spears, Halle Berry and Gwen Stefani.
"I've decided to share my secret to smelling good with the world," he said, adding people have asked him what kind of cologne he's wearing for the past 15 years. "This is the secret recipe to smelling phenomenal. It's my favorite scent ... I love this fragrance.
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"We have a close partnership now, we're sharing the news with the world, just letting people know the real deal," the talented entertainer said. "It smells fresh, it smells crisp. It always gave me a boost when I put it on ... it kinda completes an outfit when you put it on ... it's just an amazing, amazing fragrance."
In a foreshadowing of Todd's big announcement, on a recent appearance on Conan, he playfully presented the late-night funnyman with a bottle of Gendarme -- much to Conan O'Brien's delight.
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"I felt like the perfect gift for me to give another man would be Gendarme," he said, noting Conan "really liked the fragrance."
The Gendarme fragrance line was created in 1983 by Topper Schroeder. In his new position with the company, Todd assumes the title of vice-president. Don't expect to see Todd's image on the fragrance's classic bottles or him appearing in ads for the line. As he says, in his new role, he'll be "the number one ambassador for Gendarme."
Gendarme can be purchased at such fine department stores as Barneys, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Macy's on the West Coast. It can also be purchased online at gendarme.com.
The Gendarmie spa is located at 9069 Nemo Street in West Hollywood and is open every day except Mondays.
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