The celebs who have become a brand

Let's be honest, Jessica Alba never made much of an impact as an actress. And if we define her Hollywood peer group by age, does her name sit comfortably in the talent stakes alongside the Knightleys, Johanssons, Blunts and Portmans? In short, no. So, what's a beautiful girl to do when she's not seeing the Oscar-bait scripts and she probably can't get Harvey Weinstein to return her calls, but she's become accustomed to a standard of living celebrities not only grow to expect, but that we expect from them too?

The answer: Become a brand. And the 31-year-old is just the latest in a line of celebs - some already super-successful in showbiz, others not so - who have evolved beyond merely being a Paltrow or a Timberlake, to become someone who gets involved in all aspects of your life, from deciding on your diet regime and travel plans, to picking out your curtains and selecting your jewellery.

Scene reveals which stars want the biggest control over your life… 

Jessica Alba

Brand extension: Parenting and family guru

In the past year or so, Jessica has added author, blogger, counsellor and businesswoman to her resume, with Hollywood-watchers agreeing that becoming a mother to two girls, Honor, three, and Haven, nine months, was the best career move the Sin City star ever made.

Having made it clear she wasn't getting the roles she wanted in T-town - sniping of the sexy parts she was being offered, "Somehow, I don't think this is happening to Natalie Portman" - Jessica Alba recently took the decision to make acting less of a priority in her career trajectory, to focus on becoming a family and parenting authority.

"I'm not extreme. This book is for people who are in the middle but want to create a healthier life, like me," she says of her literary debut, The Honest Life - the latest offshoot venture from her business, The Honest Company. "Everything in this book will be something meaningful that I've incorporated into our lives. I wanted some kind of handbook with all the information I was consuming so I could apply it in a practical way."

And along with her company, which so far produces chlorine-free nappies and toxin-free cleaning products, Jessica has also set herself up as a marriage authority on her iVillage blog, recently advising, "Cash and I have found that maintaining a family schedule is the key to making time for each other. Making time for our relationship in our daily routine - even though it's surprisingly predictable and may not seem as spicy as our spontaneous pre-kiddo days - really helps keep the romance alive."

Justin Timberlake

Brand extension: Interior design expert

As well as designing his own fashion line for his William Rast label and designing the six-carat engagement ring he presented to fiancée Jessica Biel last year, Justin has also turned his hand to designing a range of home furnishings for website HomeMint.com.

Teaming up with his long-term decorator, Estee Stanley, the 31-year-old singer and actor revealed of his collection, "I like very clean, almost modern architecture, and the obstacle with something like that is making it extremely warm, because it doesn't naturally lend itself to that." Adding, "With everything we do together, we try to get the juxtaposition right. To make pieces and rooms that are multifaceted, that blend different genres of architecture and design."

And moving into home furnishings is just the latest in a long line of ventures that make up the Timberlake brand, with Justin also counting three restaurants, a vodka brand and an eco-friendly golf course in Tennessee among his many assets.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Brand extension: Food and lifestyle leader

Despite the heavy ridicule her website GOOP.com generates for the expensive fashions, foods and holidays she features, the Oscar-winning actress has made a huge success out of promoting her pricey lifestyle as something her fans can aspire to. Declaring things like, "Column vases can be daunting", when revealing her flower-arranging secrets, Gwyneth covers a huge range of areas in her weekly blog, from putting together new season looks - and her recommendations for spring 2012 included eight outfits at a cost of Dh72,000 - to relationship advice and also her favourite tunes and coconut water brand. But Gwyneth's biggest non-Hollywood forays have been into the world of food, where, despite being pin-thin, she has produced a cookbook called My Father's Daughter and appeared in her own TV show, Spain…On The Road Again, alongside celebrity chef, Mario Batali, that showcased the food and culture of Spain.

"I cook wherever I am, really. I tend to cook the most in London and in our beach house on Long Island. I cook seven days a week when I am at the beach because I have a huge vegetable garden and I love to use all that stuff," says the actress. "As a birthday present [Jamie Oliver] came to my house and gave me a cooking lesson."

Rachel Bilson

Brand extension: Fashion and homeware designer

Having failed to replicate the huge career success she enjoyed playing Summer Roberts on hit TV show, The OC, Rachel Bilson was forced to move into other business areas in a bid to keep her name in the spotlight after her movie career failed to take off.

However, the 30-year-old actress was quick to deny she was using her fame in any way to promote her Edie Rose fashion range, insisting, "I wanted to keep it as separate as possible from ‘Rachel Bilson the actress'. I'm hoping people will appreciate it for the clothes, not the person behind them." And the star, who has recently enjoyed small screen success again in US show, Hart Of Dixie, has branched out into shoe design for online store, BeachMint.com, and a vintage-inspired homeware range.

"To stick with fashion, that would be a little more predictable. But there's no one in my demographic, or really any celebrity, who has a similar aesthetic as me, who's doing home or tabletop design," she insists. "I'm sort of obsessed with dishes. I'm always cooking and baking at home, and I hate going out. I'd love to do bedding, too."