I receive a slew of samples, and when I find something I like, I can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Let’s face it: In the past 10 years, the Kardashians have gone from just a reality TV show family to a veritable empire, with the sisters banning together for a flurry of early collaborations — remember their Nicole by OPI polish range? — and eventually branching out into each of their own brands. While Kylie has a huge hold on beauty in recent years, she definitely scored her business acumen from big sister Kim, who’s been in the beauty biz for longer than many might remember.
I was completing my first internship when Kim K first hit the beauty counter with her own eponymous fragrance back in 2009, in the midst of a celebrity fragrance frenzy, joining the likes of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and even Justin Bieber on the shelves. In fact, Kardashian released seven different scents during that time. But the tide’s turned in 2014 when the market shifted towards more niche fragrances that beauty buffs could mix and match to create a more personalized perfume.
But last fall, Kardashian came back to the fragrance counter in full force with not just one but three limited-edition offerings under her KKW Beauty line. Just looking at the difference between the bottles for her first perfume and her current crystal iteration was enough to pique my curiosity. After all, I’d been pretty pleased after playing with some of Jenner’s iconic lip kits (I loved her limited edition Halloween hues), so I wanted to give Kardashian the same chance and added it to my cart, along with plenty of other people as they made $10 million in one day! I later learned that the gardenia note featured in the new line was not only a nod to her late father, who often brought home flowers for the family after business trips, that the note was also at the heart of her first fragrance — talk about full circle!
It arrived a week later, complete with three clear quartz crystals that I could keep with me and continue maintaining the “clarity and focus, to open our consciousness to give and receive the love we desire” the scent was meant to evoke even if I wasn’t wearing it, according to the press release. And it was love at first sniff! While it smelled sweet and juicy, thanks to the bergamot and apple blossom notes, it didn’t smell sugary like many celebrity scents I’d spritzed before. The gardenia, sandalwood, and amber notes smelled warm, creamy, and intoxicating when mixed with my body chemistry, which made me smile when on the off chance I’d get a whiff of myself as I went about my day (though I’ll admit it was usually just me sticking my nose down my shirt). It made me feel confident, put-together, and even a little sultry when it was too early to function let alone commute. It’s become one of my go-to scents that I rock throughout the workweek or wearing it over something a little spicer for a date, similar to the line’s Oud iteration.
KIMOJI HEARTS BAE- https://t.co/tbQezJs782
Opening: Bergamot, Juicy mandarin Orpur, Kiwi flower
Heart: Jasmine Sambac, Gardenia blossom, Coconut Water
Finish: Whipped vanilla, White sandalwood, Musk pic.twitter.com/IAbRJjHH9f
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 26, 2018
But I might have to set it aside soon, as Kardashian announced the upcoming release of her Kimoji line on February 1st, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The trio of candy heart-inspired bottles labeled “BFF” in pink, “Ride or Die” in purple, and “BAE” in blue. Fans believed they would smell like candy, and I had a feeling that if so, there might be powder notes found in the formula to balance out the saccharine sweetness. But she took to Twitter today to offer a rundown for Bae, which includes notes of kiwi flower, jasmine sambac, coconut water, whipped vanilla, and musk, adding a tropical twist to her signature bergamot, gardenia, and sandalwood blend. Needless to say, I’ve already set a reminder to snap this scent set up for myself for V-Day before they disappear!
KKW Crystal Gardenia Perfume, $35-$60, available at KKW Fragrance.