Beautycounter Is Making a Foray Into (Clean) Fine Fragrance
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With its minimalist packaging and thoroughly vetted formulas, Santa Monica–based Beautycounter helped pioneer “clean beauty” well before it became a viral TikTok trend. The term is used most prominently in skincare and gets far less attention when tied to fragrances—but Beautycounter is looking to change that.
The release of its first fragrance collection, Clean Eau de Parfum (out now) gives Beautycounter one more way to double down on producing nontoxic products. “In so many ways [Clean Eau de Parfum] perfectly depicts our movement, the disruptive and innovative nature of this brand, and our leadership in clean,” founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew says in an exclusive interview with Bazaar about her brand’s new collection.
With so many consumers purchasing so many different fragrances, it is becoming exceedingly difficult to stay on top of harmful chemicals and compounds in formulas—especially as they are often hidden under catchall descriptors on ingredient lists. Beautycounter tested over 300 natural and synthetic potential Clean ingredients for possible skin irritation and environmental impact.
Renfrew adds that venturing into perfumery with the help of “nose” Clement Marx of Robertet Group over the past 10 years felt like a natural next step for Beautycounter. The five-piece line taps into the brand’s sustainably minded DNA and delivers what she considers “highly covetable, aspirational, and high-performance products.” It also runs the olfactory gamut, featuring bright citrus-forward perfumes, subtle sensual scents, and more.
Sun Spill
A bright, uplifting citrus and floral scent
Sun Spill contains notes of grapefruit alongside a blend of sweet neroli, rose petals, and warm jasmine. Once it dries down, its robust formula gives way to coriander and smoky vetiver for a warm, spicy finish.
Miles Away
A woody, fresh herbal green scent
Notes of lemon and bergamot add vibrance to this earthy fragrance, along with blue chamomile and jasmine petals that lend to its overall softness. Miles Away is also nicely warmed up with notes of cedarwood, sandalwood, and vetiver.
Hyper Rose
A whimsical floral
For a fresh take on floral, consider Beautycounter’s Hyper Rose. It delivers timeless notes of gardenia, tuberose, jasmine, and rose, and also happens to be Renfrew’s personal favorite.
Second Skin
A soft, barely-there scent
Second Skin has all the makings of an everyday perfume since its softer scent profile features layerable notes of vanilla creme and sandalwood. It aims to tap into the nuances of your unique scent, like that distinctively you smell left behind on a T-shirt.
Pacific Dreams
An aquatic, musky scent
One spritz of Pacific Dreams will mentally transport you to the seaside, thanks to its uplifting citrus and musky base notes. This aquatic blend is designed to help capture a meditative state that can be enjoyed near or under the water.
Along with Henry Rose, Beautycounter is now just the second brand to be Environmental Working Group–certified in fragrance—no easy feat, considering the company’s rigorous requirements, including full ingredient transparency. “It’s important because if 25 to 26 percent of all dollars are being spent on fragrance, over 80 percent of people are purchasing a fragrance, and we’re allowing that to continue to be based on trade secrets and toxic chemicals, then we’re not doing our job,” Renfrew says. While crafting the Clean fragrances, Beautycounter flagged over 60 new ingredients to add to its growing Never List: a catalog of more than 2,800 questionable or harmful chemicals the company has vowed to avoid using in its products.
Clean Eau de Parfum is available in 50 ml bottles for $96 each, and as 9 ml rollerballs for $35 each, at Beautycounter.com.
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