Rare Beauty is at it again, releasing game-changing products in a market that feels hard to innovate in like there Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and Tinted Lip Oils. With Rare Eau de Parfum, Selena Gomez’s brand has stepped into the world of fine fragrance for the first time, and I haven’t been so impressed with a celebrity perfume in years.
Team Cosmo UK was lucky enough to get our hands on the much-anticipated launch over two months ago to test it before it hit shelves. So yes, I’ve been carrying around this little vial of top-secret juice for weeks, fibbing whenever someone asks me, ‘You smell great, what are you wearing?’ And now, finally, we can spill the tea. So, below I’m sharing my thoughts on the new launch that hits Sephora on August 7. A full size bottle (50ml) will retail for $75, but the scene will also be available for purchase in a travel size (10mil) for $30.
Rare Eau de Parfum notes
- Top: Caramel, Pistachio, Pink Pepper
- Heart: Vanilla, Ginger, Cocoa Beans
- Dry: Sandalwood, Tonka Beans, Skin Musks
What does Rare Eau de Parfum smell like?
Grown-up, yet girlish and feminine without the need to be floral. To me, it smells like nuzzling into a fuzzy knit co-ord set that already has some of your favorite perfume on it from the last time you had it on. On first spray, and when you sniff it in the bottle, it really smells quite sweet—you can only overwhelmingly smell the caramel, pistachio and vanilla melding together and while it really smells like a fun, youthful bubble bath, I immediately thought I would hate it.
If I were to judge it by its opening notes only, this would be an entirely different review. As it settles in, though, the sandalwood really pulls through, and it becomes a scent you will be obsessed with. It wears really well on me, as time passes it becomes a scent I like more and more throughout the day, to the point that I feel a little reluctant to re-spray, in case it ruins what the scent has become.
A note on projection, now I don’t think anyone was expecting a #beastmode type of perfume from our girl Selena, but in case you were wondering this is a personal fragrance. When people would comment on my scent, it would be when they reached in for a hug, not when I walked into a room.
Similar scents to Rare Eau de Parfum
Thanks to the pink pepper at the top and the skin musks at the base, it has a real sense of Glossier You about it, and the buttercream that specifically gives Glossier You Rêve that lingering vanilla sweetness is super similar in Rare Eau de Parfum.
A note on the bottle
Beauty can be so slapdash when it comes to inclusivity, and especially when it comes to accessibility being top of mind during product creation. But, for this launch, the team worked with a certified hand therapist and a team of packaging engineers to create an ergonomic fragrance bottle that makes dispensing the bottle comfortable for those with dexterity issues.
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
