Pulse, the new fragrance, by Beyoncé (coming this Fall)

With a new album, 4, on the brink of release, and a European tour starting next week, one would think Beyoncé’s metallic-Minx’d hands are too full to juggle anything else, but she’s been hard at work on another number: three, as in her third fragrance.

“Women always tell me that my music makes them feel strong and confident, and Pulse is about finding that inner power,” the singer, a 16-time Grammy winning, Golden Globe nominated actress, said about her newest creation, Pulse, a floral citrus scent hitting stores in September. ELLE got the exclusive scoop on the juice, its fierce ad campaign and what gets the megastar’s pulse racing.

ELLE: Your first fragrance, Heat, was a huge success. Did you feel any pressure following that up?
BK: I didn’t. The success of Heat was amazing, but why not represent a different side of a woman? Pulse represents the woman I am on stage. When I think about excitement, it makes me think about my heart racing and a pulsating beat­—it’s my stage persona. Heat represents my sensual side, it’s very spicy and Southern. Heat Rush is more about the woman I am on my off time, when I’m on vacation.

ELLE: You’ve been performing your whole life. Does your heart really still race when you get on stage?
BK: Performing at the Billboard Music Awards and on the Oprah farewell show made me so nervous! My heart was pounding out of my chest. But it’s amazing how that nervousness never goes away—it’s my natural response to something exciting and fresh and inspiring. It’s just like when you’re in a relationship. It’s not good when your pulse stops racing. That means you’ve got to spice it up.

ELLE: Why an upside down bottle?
BK: I wanted something modern that incorporated fashion into the overall design, so my stage costumes inspired the upside down chrome cap of the bottle.

ELLE: Are you often inspired by fashion?
BK: I’m inspired by a lot of different designers, but I haven’t bought couture pieces since my last vacation eight or nine months ago. I spent so much money on them, but didn’t wear them at the right time, so now I see other people in magazines wearing them first! Lately I’ve been shopping at Topshop and more affordable places—they have really cute things!

ELLE: After creating four solo albums and three fragrances, have you found any similarities between music and perfume?
BK: I’m learning that they’re very similar! Figuring out the ingredients in a fragrance that complement each other is no different than trying to figure out the combination of melody and lyrics for a song—it’s just as difficult. Both are something that take a lot of hard work. You need to have a strong opinion and know exactly what you want. I use my instincts from writing songs and coming up with videos—all of the things that have developed my taste level—and apply them toward making a fragrance.

ELLE: Like many of your songs, the single “Run the World (Girls)” is an anthem for female empowerment. Do scents ever make you feel empowered?
BK: Fragrance is such an important accessory! I feel incomplete when I don’t have my fragrance on; it’s like putting on your stilettos. When you feel good, when you look good, when you smell good, when you’re fresh, it makes you feel so confident. You feel that much more sexy when you know that you’re going to leave a lasting impression.

http://fashion.elle.com/beauty/2011/06/15/elle-exclusive-beyonces-new-scent/




Beauty Insider: Beyoncé Shares Her Beauty Secrets
She’s as famous for her ever-changing looks as she is for being a workaholic singer, actress, and all-around superstar. Here, some of her secrets to staying fierce
By April Long | June 14, 2010
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See the Slideshow The last rays of afternoon sun are streaming through the window of a Manhattan loft where Beyoncé Knowles sits resplendent in a sleeveless sapphire blue dress and stilettos sharper than ice picks. Despite an epically hectic past few months in which she’s scooped up six Grammy Awards; launched her spicy-sweet debut fragrance, Beyoncé Heat, with a late-night party inNew York (it has since broken sales records for celebrity scents); and wrapped up her yearlong “I Am…” tour, the superstar shows not a hint of wear and tear. “I’m running on adrenaline!” she says, her voice honeyed with a surprisingly strong Texas drawl. “I’m too happy to feel tired.”

As a 16-time Grammy winner, a Golden Globe–nominated actress, a House of Deréon fashion muse, a perfume-brand powerhouse, and the woman who got Jay-Z to put a ring on it, Beyoncé has racked up almost too many accomplishments to tally since first rising to fame with Destiny’s Child more than a decade ago. Whether elegantly serenading the Obamas on Inauguration Night while flashing gunmetal Minx nails, stomping across the stage as bouffant-hairdo-and-Thierry Mugler-sporting alter ego Sasha Fierce on her stadium-wowing megatours, or vamping it up in black lipstick alongside Lady Gaga in the recent “Telephone” video, she’s a bona fide beauty icon who always manages to balance knockout sex appeal with good-girl charm. It’s therefore something of a relief to discover that when the superbusy star finally does get some sleep, she’ll be slipping under the covers with Aquaphor smeared on her face. “I go to bed looking totally greasy,” Beyoncé says, laughing. “It’s not all glamour all the time.”

Are there similarities between music and perfume?
When I write songs, I want them to be sensual and sexy, so women can go out on the dance floor and feel free and strong—like they can say whatever they want to say, especially to the opposite sex. And that’s what I wanted Heat to do too. You feel more confident when you’re wearing a fragrance you love.

Any anti-fatigue beauty tricks?
I always keep a pair of Ray-Bans handy! And sometimes I put a little gold eye shadow in the inner corners of my eyes—it’s more subtle than white, but it still really makes you look more awake.

What do you use to give your body skin that velvety sheen?
I layer on bronzers for public appearances. I love L’Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze One Day gel, which you can just get at Walmart, and Scott Barnes Body Bling is also great.

You do your own makeup for performances. Why not use a makeup artist?
It’s a way of getting into the zone—it’s part of becoming Sasha Fierce. I’m able to sit down for an hour and play around with makeup, which I find really relaxing and fun. Before a tour, I have my makeup artist design a look for me—she draws it on paper to show me where to put everything.

How important is hair and makeup for getting into film roles?
Very. Especially playing Etta James in Cadillac Records—once I put on that blond wig and those thick eyebrows, I felt much more natural in her skin. That’s one of the things I love about makeup: You can change your whole attitude just by doing your eyeliner or lipstick differently.

What are some of your staple red-carpet tricks?
I use a makeup primer, and then I use a lot of powder to keep everything in place. I usually go for a waterproof mascara, or a strip of false lashes when I’m onstage, so I won’t get smudgy. And I love L’Oréal Paris Elnett hairspray—it holds like nothing else.

Your mom owned a hair salon when you were growing up. Did you try out a lot of styles?
Oh, yeah. I’m sure it was scary for her because I was always messing with my hair when I was a kid. One of the worst things I did was cut my ponytails off. I saw my mom doing extensions, so I thought she’d be able to put them back on. Thankfully I had separated my hair into quarters and I only cut off the front two ponytails. Afterward I had to have really thick bangs for a while.

Did it make you more fearless about experimenting as an adult?
Definitely. I’m still always doing something to my hair—cutting layers, or bleaching it, or taking it upon myself to copy fashionable hairstyles without knowing the necessary techniques. A couple of weeks ago, I cut my own bangs and put highlights in the front. When my stylist saw me, she was like, “What did you do?!” I did a pretty good job, but she still had to fix it. We’re always joking that I’m a frustrated hairdresser.

How often do you exercise?
I’ve never been all that consistent. If I’m onstage doing a performance for two and a half hours, I don’t really think I need to do anything else. So when I’m on tour, I let it slide. But I just started working out at the Tracy Anderson gym. It’s hard work!

Tracy Anderson is known for reshaping people’s bodies. Is that what you want?
Not really; I’m pretty happy. I want to get my arms a bit leaner, but other than that, it’s just maintenance.

Do you follow a specific diet?
Well, I don’t eat pasta every day. I’m not trying to lose or gain weight, but I do have to work out and watch what I eat. I’m not someone who can go crazy. I’ll usually have cereal for breakfast and a salad for lunch and a light dinner, and then on Sundays I’ll allow myself to have whatever I want.

You famously did the Master Cleanse for your role in Dreamgirls . Would you ever do it again?
Never. I did it to lose weight really fast, but it wasn’t fun. There are healthier ways to lose weight—I wouldn’t recommend it.

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