Bella Hadid's Orebella has had no trouble standing out from the bustling perfume market. Since making waves State-side over a year ago, Hadid's first foray into beauty has made its mark as one of the most industry disrupting fragrance brands in recent years IMHO. That buzz reached fever pitch in May earlier this year, when the brand finally dropped on home soil via Selfridges and caused swarms of fans to flock to Oxford Street, London, to catch a whiff of the viral juice and a glimpse of the brand founder, who made an appearance for her UK launch. It's not just the lure of the model and activist at the helm that is drawing everyone in, but the powerful presence each perfume commands, including its latest addition Orebella's Eternal Roots, £67, which may just be our favourite from the now five-piece collection.
Hadid's fifth instalment is multifaceted, much like the existing line-up, and touches on all that is fruity and woody to create a wholly uplifting yet grounding experience. That juxtaposition is achieved through a combination of well balanced sweet and earthy fine fragrance notes, including lychee, raspberry blossom, and pink sugar with papyrus, vetiver, and birch smoke. Paired with its essential oil blend of papyrus, bergamot and vetiver, the intention of the fragrance is steadfast in empowering its wearer to seek strength, optimism and a sense of calm. Something only bolstered by the perfume's 'Ôrəlixir™ base (more on that later) of snow mushroom, camellia, sweet almond, olive, jojoba, and shea oils, which tends to skin.
In fact, Hadid explains, 'Eternal Roots is a tribute to personal growth and a reminder for us all to pause, reflect, embrace joy, strength, and balance throughout life’s journey'. But the idea of 'roots' goes beyond a moment of self-care for the Palestinian-Dutch powerhouse, 'Eternal Roots is about more than trees in the earth.. while it is blooming into our strength.. keeping our softness when the world tries to turn us hard.. it’s just as significant to hold onto your lineage when the world makes it hard. Care for others. It’s about protecting the threads that tie us to our families, our heritage, our truth. It’s standing by the causes that matter, even when they’re not easy to speak about. It’s choosing to nurture what you believe in, the way you nurture what you love,' Hadid writes on Instagram.
What is Orebella?
Pronounced 'aura-bella', Orebella (styled ‘Ôrəbella) first launched with four otherworldly looking scents: Window2Soul, Salted Muse, Blooming Fire and Nightcap. Even at first glance, this is no run-of-the-mill celebrity beauty brand. More sensorial than sickly sweet, Hadid's take on the fragrance world is loaded with intention. Drawing from her own personal experiences, the brand's ethos is set on redefining the fragrance category. Orebella leans into 'The Skinification of Scent' (or skin-first perfumes), where scent is reimagined as being a part of your skincare routine rather than the final beauty step of your daily regimen.
The collection was consciously crafted as an answer to Hadid's own skin sensitivity to traditional fragrances. The innovative clean, vegan, alcohol-free offerings blends high-quality essential oils with a skin-loving base to create a 'bi-phase' formula, that's two layers: a top layer of aromatherapeutic essential oils and fine fragrances, and then the brand’s proprietary scent-extending Ôrəlixir™ base, which boasts a nourishing cocktail of snow mushroom and five moisturising oils (think: camellia, jojoba and shea) that makes skin glisten and glow. Far from being a quick spritz-and-go, the nature of the fragrances means you'll need to take your time with them. First shake to activate, which combines both layers of the juice for seamless scent-filled application, then rub it into the skin for a grounding moment of self-care.
The story behind the brand is one that is intrinsically personal to Hadid. Its origins can be traced back to Hadid's family farm where she grew lavender and distilled oils to create her own essential oil blends and bespoke olfactive concoctions that functioned as healing rituals. But when turning, what she calls, her 'art project' into a fully fledged product, Hadid enlisted the industry's most esteemed noses from world-leading fragrance houses Firmenich and Robertet, to create a set of genderless and ageless scents that are inspired by nature and intended to enhance our individual auras.
My honest thoughts on Orebella
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'By now we are almost always primed to anticipate a new celebrity beauty brand at any given moment, and while some feel like a failed attempt to capture the beauty zeitgeist, Orebella is anything but. If you've been following Bella Hadid on socials for as long as I have, the brand will feel entirely authentic. Whether it's the angel numbers she frequently posts on social media now being etched into each of the bottles or the fact that Salted Muse is inspired by her own Palestinian heritage, her soulful and intentional approach from packaging to formula is immediately felt. As someone with very reactive skin, I was keen to see how the brand's revolutionary, first-of-its-kind skin perfumes would perform on my skin type and I'm happy to report they did not disappoint. Once you shake the bottle to combine the dual layered formula, the mist spritzes much like any other perfume but leaves a nourishing, comfortable second skin veil that smells refined and sophisticated. I immediately took to the brand's aphrodisiac Nightcap, which brims with warm cardamom, creamy vanilla and earthy sandalwood and leaves a slight sheen to the skin. While full bodied and potent as far as ingredients are concerned, the scent develops subtly and slowly for a wholly uplifting experience.'
Shop: Orebella's fragrance collection
www.selfridges.com
Orebella explains Eternal Roots is, 'a multi-layered blend of juicy lychee and raspberry blossom sparkle with pink sugar and suede, grounding into a base of vetiver, papyrus, and birch smoke for an empowering aura.'
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'I'm not one for sweet smelling scents, having long had a penchant for warm and musky fragrance offerings, but Hadid's newest creation has certainly given me food for thought. While it opens bright and sugary thanks to lychee, raspberry blossom, and pink sugar, things are quickly brought back into balance with a woody base of papyrus, vetiver, and birch smoke, which creates a real depth once the scent settles into my skin. If you're anything like me, you'll likely love the nuances this offers, it's like having the best of both worlds.'
Pros
- Newest fragrance addition to Orebella
- Balances sweet and earthy notes
Cons
- Leaves a slight tackiness to the skin
www.selfridges.com
Orebella describes this scent as, 'a delicious gourmand of cozy vanilla and rich woods, wrapped in warmth and depth. Sparkling ginger and cardamom add a layered twist to this warm and spicy aphrodisiac.'
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'As someone with very reactive skin, I was keen to see how the brand's revolutionary, first-of-its-kind skin perfumes would perform and I'm happy to report they did not disappoint. Once you shake the bottle to combine the dual layers, the mist spritzes much like any other perfume but leaves a nourishing, comfortable second skin veil that smells refined and sophisticated. I immediately took to the brand's aphrodisiac Nightcap, which brims with warm cardamom, creamy vanilla and earthy sandalwood and leaves a slight sheen to the skin. While full bodied and potent as far as ingredients are concerned, the scent develops subtly and slowly for a wholly uplifting experience.'
Pros
- Formulated for sensitive skin
- The first-of-its-kind perfume keeps skin hydrated with a long-lasting scent
Cons
- Bottle cap can be tricky to remove
www.selfridges.com
Part of Hadid's first to launch collection, Window2Soul is 'a faceted rose and jasmine bouquet with accents of fresh lemon to bring out the green naturality, contrasted with addictive tonka bean.'
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says, 'Hadid has crowned this her favourite creation and I can see why. Fresh and light, it makes a great pick for everyday scenting. With a bouquet of Damask rose and jasmine at the heart of the scent, it is certainly one for the floral fragrance lovers among us, but it is elevated by zesty notes of lemon and mint, and the warmth of tonka bean.'
Pros
- A warm floral
- Bella Hadid's every day scent
Cons
- Low in stock
www.selfridges.com
Known as the brand's most androgynous scent, Salted Muse is 'a vibrant introduction of sea salt and pink pepper plus an olive tree accord and lavender twist at the heart, finished with a dynamic association of woods and crisp amber.'
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'I think of this scent as the most unique among the collection. As a woody marine, it is clever at quickly conjuring aquatic visions of golden hour on the coast with notes of fresh and airy sea salt, before hitting you with a dose of earthy green fig, lavender and olive tree accord, which lasts. But it's the warm base of cedarwood, sandalwood, and amber that leaves me wanting more. A homage to Hadid's Palestinian roots, it lends a certain oud-y quality without being too heavy.'
Pros
- Androgynous scent
- Unique aquatic scent
Cons
- Those who prefer more punchy scents may not take to this
5.
Orebella Blooming Fire
As the name suggests, Blooming Fire is a warm floral that is defined as 'a transportive tropical oasis of Tahitian monoi flower and exotic patchouli, elevated with a radiant bergamot.'
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'If summer could be bottled up, it would be this. Evoking sun-soaked, glistening skin, beach clubs and the carefree spirit of holidaying, this scent is laced with fresh and zesty bergamot, tropical white florals Tahitian monoi and Jasmine, and musky patchouli, to quickly whisk you away to hotter climates.'
Pros
- Warm floral scent
- Summer-friendly
Cons
- May not work as a year-round scent
Sameeha Shaikh is Grazia's beauty writer, covering all categories to bring you insights on the latest trends, industry news and the products you need to know about, viral or not (most probably viral).
