U Magnificence is a beloved minimalist skin-care model with hardworking, no-nonsense formulation, so after they launched a perfume marketed as “boldly feminine,” we have been a bit stunned—however pleasantly so. PROEM ($190) is a no-holds-barred, fruity, floral scent in an area that’s generally hesitant to lean too closely into femininity.
By way of experimentation, I discovered that this maximalist scent smells completely different when paired with completely different pores and skin, as many do. On myself, it’s very fruit-forward, with the lychee and rhubarb notes performing as the celebs. At first whiff I had optimistic associations with the glowing fruit juice you’re given as a champagne substitute as a child on New Yr’s Eve. On a buddy, the night-blooming jasmine and centifolia rose have been the quick highlights. On one other, the peppercorn punch got here via loud and clear.
Jérôme Epinette and Roger Schmid are the skilled noses behind the distinctive scent. “There is a lot of color and vibrancy, yet at the same time, there is a comfort to PROEM, which has a great deal of diffusion, so it lingers and lasts,” says Epinette. “It acts as a cocoon—not one that inspires the wearer to hide but emerge with confidence.” Schmind says the perfume is “a return to a clearly feminine scent. Not an invention of the past, but rather an expression of contemporary femininity.”
Schmid describes “an unusual energy in this scent,” with the lightness and fantastic thing about the florals melding superbly with the succulence of the lychee. “It captures [founder] Tina’s dualities: lover and entrepreneur, softness and strength, emotional and rational. This is the new modern, a return to femininity—but a femininity with guts!”
