Shakira at the launch of her S fragrance in Madrid

If you’ve ever wondered why it seems that every singer or actress seems to be pushing a perfume lately, it’s because of the high margins. Celebrities can get paid an upfront of anywhere from $2 million to $5 million. If the fragrance does well? Annual revenue can be as high as $100 million a year, with very little effort in terms of promotions or marketing. {Fashionista} Where do we sign up?

Celebrity scents have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years and we’ve covered some of those from Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyoncé and more recently (as in yesterday) Shakira.

If a fragrance could give you a cavity, it would probably have a name like Lollipop Bling

Madrid held the celebration for Shakira’s new S perfume boasting notes of benzoin, amber, vanilla, fresh woods and Indian jasmine Sambac. This is the Colombian singer’s second fragrance. The first, Amuleto, was launched in France in 2008.

Mariah Carey, in all her sweet, pink and sugary, 12-years-old forever glory has also indulged fans with the latest addition to her fragrance repertoire with Lollipop Bling. Yes, it does seem appropriately named for  smelling like a more “sophisticated interpretation of bubble gum.”

Now, we know what you’re thinking, candy-scented perfume? Well, looking a little deeper at the brand’s strategy it becomes more sensible. The product is not in a fancy glass bottle- but a gumball machine! Capitalizing on her younger audience, Mariah has teamed with Elizabeth Arden who’s no stranger to the fragrance industry (they also produce Britney Spears’ scents).

Elizabeth Arden is planning on marketing the scents–Honey, Mine Again and Ribbon–using gumball machine gift sets and a lollipop rollerball fragrance set starting this Fall. (The scents sans gimmicky packaging are $35 a pop (pun intended), and will be available at department stores nationwide in July 2010.)

“The partnership between Carolâ€s Daughter and FFAWN is a natural fit. In the true spirit of beauty by nature, Carolâ€s Daughter is proud to support FFAWN in their efforts to empower women and instill confidence. Like FFAWN, Carolâ€s Daughter believes that true beauty comes from within. With their genuinely natural products, they strive everyday to help women look and feel their most beautiful.” {Talking Makeup}

Oprah herself is no stranger to charity work and most celebrities aren’t either. Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Madonna, and of course the patron saint of charitable celebs, Angelina Jolie are only some of  the celebrities who vocally support charities through performances, products and other means that make use of their fame to help those in need. We think that if you can give, you should give and these celebs and other activists around the world are responsible for making life that much better for those in need. What’s your cause?