R.E.M. by Ariana Grande is the fragrance from Ariana’s signature collection that is inspired by her music hit. This famous singer and movie star released her women’s fragrance in August 2020. Like most of the fragrances in Ariana’s collection, R.E.M. also comes in a concentration of Eau de Perfume, as a limited edition series.
This addition to Ariana’s line is done in collaboration with perfumer Alexis Grugeon. It is the first time this famous perfumer worked on a fragrance made by the Ariana Grande brand.
| Perfume Name | R.E.M by Ariana Grande |
| Brand | Ariana Grande |
| Year Released | 2020 |
| Concentration | Eau de parfum |
| Scent Family | Flower, Fruity |
| Gender | Women |
One of my very close friends recently purchased R.E.M., and she was kind enough to let me try it. I have already used some of Ariana’s fragrances, so I was interested to see what is so new and unique about R.E.M.
What Does R.E.M by Ariana Grande Smell Like?
R.E.M by Ariana Grande is an amber vanilla fragrance whose top notes include zefir, caramel, salt, fig, and quince. Traditionally the middle notes belong to flower scents, and in R.E.M, they are based on lavender and pear blossom. Lastly, the base notes are musk, tonka bean, and sandalwood.
| Top Notes | Zefir, Caramel, Salt, Fig, Quince |
| Middle Notes | Lavender, Pear Blossom |
| Base Notes | Musk, Tonka Bean and Sandalwood |
The R.E.M. song that is inspiring the fragrance was released the year before. Ariana shared that, like a song, this fragrance is very much based on her love for space and the universe. She believed this fragrance could empower women due to its more calming and toned notes, giving them a dash of femininity.
My Experience
As I am a huge fan of stronger and “darker “scents, therefore I was looking forward to trying R.E.M by Ariana Grande. It was described as mature and classy due to its more masculine and not-so-sweet scent.
On the first try, I immediately noticed the lavender note, which is not my favorite choice when it comes to top tones in a fragrance. Once I managed to pass over the lavender scent, I could identify the fruity notes of the fragrance. Primarily I noticed a fig that is followed by lovely quince and zefir. This made my overall first impression of R.E.M as a very creamy fragrance. It immediately reminded me of a fresh winter day.
This fragrance has a nice moderate sweetness, which is a great feature. It is achieved by the caramel and salt combination that was correctly dosed. Besides balanced sweetness, this combination was also supposed to tone down the overall mix of scents. Despite this, I don’t think the creators successfully kept the lavender from being overwhelming.
Additionally, the fragrance had deeper notes, which I enjoyed. Even though tonka beans and musk that make this deep aroma are not new elements of Ariana’s collection, R.E.M. felt innovative. This was because Ariana’s fragrances are typically brighter and not toned down. Therefore, I think the base notes concentration is higher in R.E.M., which made it so dark.
Regarding comparisons, R.E.M. is similar to Coffee Break Maison by Maison Margiela due to its formula’s scents of tonka beans and lavender. This fragrance is also often referred to as Better “Cloud,” which is another fragrance by Ariana. But I do not see that much similarity besides the vanilla note. Cloud is much sweeter and has a different combination of scents. I think R.E.M. is much more subtle and pleasant, even compared to Cloud Intense, which is a darker fragrance.
Even though I liked the creamy tones that came in the first few minutes I put on R.E.M., the initial lavender domination never faded. This is also the case with musk, leaving this complex formula dominated by few elements.
Sillage & Projection
As opposed to some of the other Ariana perfumes I tested, I believe that R.E.M. has a strong but not overpowering scent. It has a good sillage, and with a truly good spray, it will have decent projection.
Longetivity & Versitility
The longevity of R.E.M. can be better since it lasted for about 6 hours. I found the scent change problematic since the fragrance lost its creamy appearance after a while. Despite this, R.E.M. is still a very versatile fragrance. I would wear it in autumn and winter, especially in cold weather. It is an excellent choice for every day, more relaxed environments.
Conclusion
R.E.M by Ariana Grande is one of the most mature fragrances I tried from this pop star’s collection. It was moderately sweet, and I liked the initial fresh vibes. I think this fragrance combines different elements of other scents in this line. Lastly, I like the unique sensation or at least unique compared to other Ariana fragrances.
I chose to wear it during winter, so it gave me cozy vibes, but the overall experience for me was ruined by the lavender scent being too strong. I also felt disappointed since the initial impression changed. The transition only made the fragrance lose significant elements.
Because of all things mentioned, I will not spend money on R.E.M, but my friend, who loves lavender scents, considers it to be a good investment.