Welcome back to Worth It, a breakdown of the new beauty products I’ve tested and adored: I’m talking that drain-it-to-the-bottom-and-tell-my-friends-I’ve-found-The-One kind of love. If it's featured here, consider this permission to splurge. Read on for the product you don’t want to live without, and catch up on the latest Worth It breakdown here.
THE PROMISE:
If you love a good blowout, chances are you've experienced the near-addictive fragrance of Oribe's haircare. It's become the signature scent of salons, runway backstages, and makeup trailers everywhere, thanks to the brand's stellar products (their cult-favorite texturizing spray is the gold standard for hair stylists and beauty editors alike). The French Riviera–inspired scent became so popular the brand actually bottled it, and now, Oribe is re-releasing the perfume along with two brand new fragrances in stunning glass bottles. Yes, I'm partial to the beachy classic, but one of the other releases made me re-evaluate all my fall fragrance ideations and consider investing in some cowgirl boots: meet Desertland Eau de Parfum.
Housed in a weighty, reflective bottle made from the highest quality glass the brand could find, Desertland is an airy, earthy perfume that transports you to a rolling, tranquil desert in one spritz. The perfume, inspired by a trip to Marfa, Texas, by Oribe co-founder Daniel Kaner and his team, was formulated to capture the fresh, green air of the Heartland: think wafts of desert wildflowers, juniper berry, and pine.
WHY I'M OBSESSED:
Truthfully, earthy green fragrances are normally not my jam. I tend to go for sultry gourmands, warm musks, or even the occasional funeral flower. But when I spritzed this onto my pulse points—first catching its fresh lavender and vetiver—there was one ingredient that swept me up and made me a believer: Texas cedar wood, sourced straight from Marfa. That rich, woody base note helps me imagine I'm lounging in the shade of a cedar tree, staring up at rolling hills as dusk falls and the sandy air cools. And while totally androgynous and a little rugged at its core—even my Heartland-bred boyfriend, who typically doesn't wear fragrance, has been stealing spritzes before work—it's still ultra-glamorous. It would make a rhinestone cowgirl of us all—like a Kacey Musgraves breakup song, atomized.
I say this as someone who's tested literally thousands of fragrances: Oribe's done something damn impressive. The perfume achieves a specific sense of place that I've never traveled to on an olfactory level, and for that, they get the Worth It stamp from me.