Rare Beauty’s New Fragrance Had Everyone Asking What I Was Wearing

When Selena Gomez released her inaugural fragrance for Rare Beauty, it quickly became one of my breakout favorite scents of 2025. Truthfully, I didn’t think she could outdo herself less than a year after such a successful first foray into the perfume world, but then she did just that earlier this month. Her sophomore scent, Rare Beginnings (which arguably makes a better name for a debut, but alas, I digress), is a departure from the dessert-like gourmand profile of Rare Eau de Parfum, breaking new ground in the world of fruity florals. With notes of tart pear, sweet gardenia, and warm vanilla bean, Rare Beginnings sounded right up my alley on paper. (And it doesn’t hurt that the bottle is utterly gorgeous — a sage-green version of the original — not to mention an accessibility win, thanks to its wide, rounded top that’s easier to press.) I came of age in the 2000s and know my way around more than a few fruity scents; what I couldn’t have predicted,