Latest news with #GucciFloraGorgeousOrchid
Refinery29
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Rare Beauty's First Fragrance Is Here — & I'm Obsessed
All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. As much as I love the idea of smelling like a sexy cupcake, the truth is that most gourmand scents aren't really my cup of tea. I'm all for intoxicating and warm, but heady and saccharine get a pass from me. I have a few fragrances that I genuinely love and reach for often — 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods and Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid being a couple favorites — but a new bombshell has entered the villa, and her name is Rare. When Selena Gomez announced her debut fine fragrance for Rare Beauty, I was intrigued and cautiously optimistic; I'm a genuine fan of the brand, and admit that there isn't a Rare product that I haven't tried and loved. Described as a 'warm, spicy scent' with notes of vanilla, caramel, and sandalwood, the scent intrigued me. It's admittedly hard to judge a fragrance from an on-paper description alone, but I was eager to test it nonetheless. Perhaps most notably, Rare Beauty also announced an accompanying suite of fragrance layering balms designed to be worn alone or with the Rare eau de parfum to customize the scent to the wearer. To establish a control, I first embarked on wearing Rare alone to see how much I liked the juice itself before adding the balms. At first sniff, I definitely got that creme brûlée-y, vanilla scent, but it was more warm than sugary. However, as it dried down, I noticed that it was the nutty, woody notes that lingered most. (Also, it's worth shouting out the bottle design; it was designed in partnership with certified hand therapists and a team of packaging engineers to be ergonomic and easier to dispense for those with limited mobility and dexterity.) Onto the layering balms — there are four in total, retailing for $19 apiece: Amber, Fresh, Floral, and Woody. While the names reflect some of the most popular categories in perfumery, each balm has a curated blend of notes and can be worn alone as its own fragrance. Unlike solid perfumes (which can be kind of Vaseline-y), these remind me of a silicone makeup primer in texture — clear, with a satiny-matte, dry-touch feel. As I tested each balm over the course of a (very good-smelling) week, I found that each one really transformed the Rare scent itself into something totally different. (This is a nerdy analogy, but it's sort of like how the Pokémon Eevee can be evolved into a variety of different forms depending on the stone used.) I must be full of surprises lately, because my favorite of the bunch ended up being Amber, which has prominent notes of vanilla and candied amber. When paired with the Rare perfume, it truly felt like the olfactive equivalent of a warm hug with your favorite person, with a subtle hint of fresh cookies being baked in the background. Honorable mention went to Floral (again, not something I would've predicted), which was a youthful, bright blend of peony blossom that made me lean into my feminine side. (Bonus: I feel like the balms helped extend the wear of the fragrance itself – I couldn't stop smelling my wrists throughout the whole day.) I almost preferred Fresh and Woody worn alone, but I can't wait to experiment with layering the balms with other fragrances in my collection — the concept itself is a true joy for any perfume lover. At $75 for a 1.7 fluid ounce bottle, Rare is actually one of the more affordable scents in the prestige scent space. It's a really elevated take on gourmands, and one that I personally haven't stopped wearing ever since receiving it. Because it has such a warm, almost skin-like quality, it doesn't feel seasonal or trend-focused; rather, it feels at once modern yet timeless – and that's rare.
TimesLIVE
07-08-2025
- TimesLIVE
Jet settin'
From luggage upgrades, cabin saviours to wanderlust-inducing staples, get into the travel mood with an arsenal built for miles By MON MONOOGRAM Louis Vuitton wants you to have the most sought-after luggage at baggage claim facilities— thanks to Mon Monogram, their newly enhanced personalisation service. Originally just a means to identify trunks while travelling, Louis Vuitton elevated the marking of travel pieces into a status symbol, and a canvas for creativity, even allowing the creation of your own monogram in the 1920s. An integral service that builds on the House's 'art of travel' heritage, Mon Monogram allows you to customise-to-order a variety of iconic Monogram pieces. From travel bags, rolling luggage, travel accessories, city bags, and small leather goods such as passport covers — personalise with a range of unique motifs, new colours, typefaces, stripe designs and patches. ADD TO CART: GUCCI FLORA GORGEOUS ORCHID If you're in the market for a new scent to tie your next travel memories to, look no further than this luminous gem from Gucci. Keeping the wellbeing of the planet in mind with its refillable bottle, Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid is a sunny floral bouquet in a bottle that you'll want to reach for time and time again, with its Ozonic gourmand floral profile comprising notes of vanilla orchid, and a duo of vanilla and marine ozonic accord. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid EDP 100ml R2,950 Image: Supplied Image: Supplied MIST OPPORTUNITY Chanel's N°1 De Chanel Serum-in-Mist has been given the most perfect design refresh, solidifying its place in our travel arsenal. Now in a compact, bubble-shaped bottle in the signature red hue, it's made for on-the-go application. Merging technology with craftsmanship, the hero ingredient — red camellia extract — shines in a new, concentrated, bi-phase formula that gives you a potent yet lightweight antioxidant-rich mist. Whether popped into your handbag or pocket, applied after makeup or on bare skin, enjoy its powerful abilities to soothe, protect from oxidative stress, boost barrier strength, and restore radiance. Chanel N°1 DE CHANEL Serum-in-Mist R2,365 TRAVEL TO: RIO DE JANIERO Slather on a first-class sensory ticket to sunny Brazil with Sol De Janiero's new Body Badalada Vitamin-Infused Lotion. Come for the deliciously, addictive Cheirosa 62 scent with notes of pistachio, almond, salted caramel and vanilla, but stay for its lightweight, fast-absorbing formula that your skin will drink up; packed with Brazilian sugarcane, hyaluronic acid blend, Brazil nut oil, and cactus pear extract for skin that feels instantly soft and hydrated. Sol De Janiero Body Badalada Vitamin-Infused Lotion Cheirosa 62 400ml R735 Image: Supplied
