current obsession: rare eau de parfum and fragrance layering balm

There have been Sephora gift cards burning a hole in my wallet for months and months and months. Despite this, there hasn't been anything that really caught my eye. (Or if it did, the product didn't seem to be in stock.) When the Rare Beauty perfume, Rare Eau de Parfum, was released, it was a no brainer. I love perfume, Rare Beauty products, and Selena Gomez. Unfortunately, it was harder to use my Sephora gift cards than anticipated. The perfume was sold out online and in every store that I visited. In fact, even the tester bottle was completely empty. When my mom was out and about, she happened to find one of the layering balms and purchased it for me. Finally, I was able to find one of the travel sized versions of the Rare Eau de Parfum and used some gift cards to add it to my collection. Keep reading for a review of the perfume and one of the layering balms.

The full sized bottle of the Rare Eau de Parfum looks beautiful with a flat top and rounded base. It was designed to be accessible, so the perfume can be applied with one or more fingers pressing down on the top or with a flat palm. Something I like about Rare Beauty products is the fact that the brand is intentional and thoughtful when it comes to product design. Since this is a travel version of the perfume, it is not nearly as thoughtful and comes in a standard bottle. There is 0.34 fluid ounces in the travel sized version rather than the 1.69 fluid ounces in the full sized version. (Maybe one of these days, the full sized version will be added to my perfume collection. In the meantime, it is exciting to have the travel sized version to enjoy.) 

Rare Eau de Parfum is described as warm and spicy and is supposed to last for up to 12 hours. There are also four different layering balms that can be used to customize the scent. Selena Gomez explained this choice by stating: "My days are never the same, so I wanted a fragrance that evolves for the moment and always feels just right." I love the idea of the different layering balms (more on that later) and also love the perfume all on its own. The top notes are caramel, pistachio, and pink pepper. The heart notes are ginger, cocoa beans, and vanilla. The dry notes are sandalwood, tonka beans, and skin musks. This is an elegant perfume. It is warm, inviting, and sophisticated. It can be worn year round, but seems especially well suited for the fall season. 

Now for the fragrance layering balm. The one that I have been able to use is Woody Oak, but there is also Amber Vanilla, Floral Peony Blossom, and Fresh Bergamot. I would absolutely love to try out the other layering balms, but have been enjoying the Woody Oak one. It is described as rich and earthy, and can be worn alone or with the Rare Eau de Parfum. Since the Woody Oak Fragrance Layering Balm was in my possession before the travel sized version of the perfume, it is something that I have been wearing on its own for the last several weeks. It is different from many of the other perfumes in my collection, since I often reach for warm and sweet scents, but has been really wonderful to use. Now that I have been able to layer it with the Rare Eau de Parfum? Wow. The balm and the perfume together create something that is complex and interesting. It feels more grounded. I love that the perfume can be customized with the different balms - and have enjoyed using Woody Oak. 

Have you tried Rare Eau de Parfum yet? What do you think of the Fragrance Layering Balms?