Her father made his name as one of Britain’s most brilliant and funniest comics. But Les Dawson’s daughter Charlotte has trodden a very different path.
The influencer and reality TV star, who boasts 1.4million followers on Instagram, has spent the past year launching a string of new business ventures.
Since her clothing company, Dawsylicious, collapsed with hefty debts in May 2025 due to financial difficulties, the former Ex On The Beach contestant has founded a fake tan brand, a wellness venture called Glow Collective and a new fragrance brand named Makes Scents – all within a few months.
Marketing Makes Scents on social media, Charlotte described the products as ‘hand-crafted’ and ‘cruelty-free’. But while the packaging might look shiny and new, I can reveal that Charlotte’s perfumes are in fact cheap ‘knock-off’ versions of expensive designer fragrance favourites.
Luxury brands including Chanel, Jo Malone and Louis Vuitton may be interested to learn that their famous scents are being replicated by Charlotte’s company and sold for a fraction of the price, at just £25.
One scent, for example, is inventively named ‘Inspired By Lost Cherry by Tom Ford’. Ford’s original perfume retails for around £395. Another is titled: ‘Inspired By Baccarat Rouge,’ based on the Maison Francis Kurkdjian scent that costs more than £265.
Penhaligon’s have also found their well-known scent, Halfeti – which retails for £220 – in Charlotte’s firing line.
In fact, every one of Makes Scents’ products – all 39 perfumes and 36 aftershaves – has been modelled on an existing luxury fragrance.
After her clothing line shut down, Charlotte Dawson is focusing her efforts on perfume
Makes Scents products are described as ‘hand-crafted’ and ‘cruelty-free’, but they appear to not be wholly original
Even the images used on the website to market each perfume are exact replicas of the originals, just without the designer branding or labels. However, it’s a very different story when they arrive at customers’ doors, all packaged in identical black bottles.
That hasn’t stopped mother-of-three Charlotte enlisting her fiancé, former rugby league player Matt Sarsfield, to help promote the range. For Father’s Day, he was pictured posing next to a Ferrari showing off his own aftershave bundle.
And last December she got her close friend and Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby to help promote the brand. A video showed her spraying a bottle of the knock-off ‘Baccarat Rouge’ and calling it, ‘the perfect Christmas present’.
‘This is unreal,’ Charlotte said in the video. She then continued: ‘It’s Charlotte Dawson’s and it’s Baccarat Rouge,’ – referencing the Maison Francis Kurkdjian perfume that usually costs upwards of £250.
Curiously, on their website, Make Scents claims to have more than 5,000 five-star reviews. Yet when I tried to find these rave accounts from shoppers, all I could see was three comments on Trustpilot giving the company a 3.1/5 trust rating.
One review read: ‘Received three bottles yesterday… absolute rubbish… smells nothing like it’s supposed to with zero longevity… 0/5 complete garbage waste of money.’
A spokesman for Charlotte told the Daily Mail: ‘The brand was built on the ethos of affordable luxury and the products are independently developed.’
But Makes Scents isn’t the only business Charlotte has launched recently. She also founded Glow Collective, a subscription club and wellness community which is part of her vegan-friendly fake tan brand called Dawsylicious Tanning.
Launched in April, members of Glow Collective pay £5.99 a month for ‘exclusive content, discounts, support calls, behind-the-scenes chats and the chance to earn commission’ by promoting Charlotte’s tanning products – as well as other beauty lines – online.
Subscribers receive their own discount code and pocket 10 per cent of every sale they generate after promoting the product.
One source said: ‘It’s not a bad deal for those involved and the reviews seem overwhelmingly positive. The only odd thing is that comments on some social media posts appear to be restricted to subscribers and followers only [unapproved accounts cannot comment].’
There is, of course, nothing wrong with starting businesses again after failure. Since the Dawsylicious clothing line went under in 2025 owing creditors £88,200, Charlotte’s multiple reinventions are admirable.
It seems reasonable, however, to ask questions about the structure and transparency of the businesses that have followed. But at least for now, Charlotte’s latest ventures appear to be thriving, powered by an army of loyal followers willing to buy, subscribe and promote.
Noel’s daughter Anaïs launches YouTube channel
Anaïs Gallagher, 26, is giving fans more insight into her day-to-day life on YouTube
What do you do when your dad and uncle are two of the most famous musicians on the planet? If you’re Anaïs Gallagher, you become an influencer. The daughter of Noel Gallagher and Meg Mathews has officially launched her own YouTube channel, posting weekly vlogs to give fans a glimpse into her decidedly privileged life.
Viewers can watch Anaïs making breakfast, shopping and spending time with her actor boyfriend, Callum Scott Howells, best known for his role in Channel 4’s It’s A Sin. She also chats openly about her family, including trips to have breakfast with Noel and her brothers and weekends at the family’s countryside home. In one recent video, Anaïs was filmed wrapping her father’s birthday presents, admitting he’s ‘the hardest person to buy for’. Her solution? A tiny book cataloguing every UK crisp packet released between 1970 and 2000. Let’s hope Noel appreciated the thought.
P.Louise City set to finally open
Finally, after months of delays, beauty entrepreneur Paige Williams – known as P.Louise online – is ready to throw open the doors to her much-hyped P.Louise City. Described by some as ‘a beauty lover’s answer to a Disney theme park’, the 19,000 sq ft attraction spans two floors in Manchester’s Trafford Palazzo shopping centre and promises an immersive shopping experience unlike anything currently on the High Street.
Opening on July 5, visitors will find themed zones including a P.Louise pharmacy, supermarket and the crudely named Bad B*tch Juice Bar, alongside a salon, dancefloor, interactive experiences and countless social media photo opportunities.
I revealed last October that the opening had been pushed back from its original launch date in the Autumn, with perfectionist founder Paige insisting the project wasn’t quite ready. Now the finishing touches are finally complete. Paige says the concept is designed to ‘challenge everything consumers expect from traditional retail’ and create memorable experiences for fans of the brand. No doubt adorned with P.Louise’s gaudy branding, it certainly won’t be easy to miss.
UP
This week, the world-famous DJ Fred Again announced his debut India tour in partnership with the whisky brand Monkey Shoulder, marking the start of a three-year global creative collaboration. Affordability was central to the partnership from the outset. Both Fred and the Scotch whisky brand wanted to ensure the shows remained accessible, with Monkey Shoulder helping make lower ticket prices possible. Fans can attend for around £15 or £30 while experiencing Fred’s full live production. ‘I desperately want anyone who would like to come to be able to come,’ Fred said, thanking Monkey Shoulder for helping make the pricing a reality for his first-ever India shows.
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Zara McDermott has announced a new podcast with a twist: instead of celebrity guests, she’ll be interviewing ‘ordinary’ people
Did we really need another influencer podcast? Apparently so. TV personality Zara McDermott has announced a new series with a twist: instead of celebrity guests, she’ll be interviewing ‘ordinary’ people. Revealing the news to her TikTok followers, McDermott said she is leaving boyfriend and former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson’s US tour early to return home and launch the project. ‘Everyone is making a podcast using celebrities and public figures, and there is a space for ordinary people,’ she explained. McDermott added that she has been quietly developing the idea since December, hoping to spotlight stories that might otherwise go unheard.
A who’s who of social media’s biggest names descended on Ibiza courtesy of fashion brand Outcast. The cult Australian label pulled out all the stops for its annual ‘Le Club Outcast’ trip, flying out 14 influencers to the island. The trip included huge names like Brianna LaPaglia, Kennedy Eurich, Gabriela Moura and Love Island’s Iris Kendall – for a lavish three-day stay at a private villa. Guests enjoyed candlelit dinners, DJ sets and VIP nights at some of the island’s hottest venues. The highlight? A day aboard a 28-metre luxury yacht cruising the Mediterranean, complete with jet-skis, inflatables and plenty of content opportunities. Just your average work trip, then.
Wimbledon season is almost upon us, and my recommendation of the week is perfectly timed: the second Miu Miu x New Balance collaboration, fronted by tennis star Coco Gauff. Think crisp whites, sporty silhouettes and effortlessly chic trainers that capture the elegance of the grass-court season while remaining unmistakably modern. Gauff brings her trademark confidence to the campaign, making this the ultimate courtside-inspired collection, whether you’re heading to SW19 or simply dressing the part this summer.
Email me – molly.clayton@dailymail.co.uk
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