Charli D’Amelio’s First Perfume Isn’t Just For Her Fans

TikToker and Dancing With The Stars contestant Charli D'Amelio is part of a crop of multi-hyphenate Gen Z celebs who seem to do a little bit of everything these days. So it makes sense that her first perfume is designed to be spritzed any and everywhere. "I wanted to start with something that I can wear every single day for the rest of my life, whether I'm wearing it on a zoom call or I'm wearing it on a red carpet," D'Amelio shared with Refinery29 as part of a group interview. And while her latest project may be aimed at her TikTok fans, it's a perfume for everyone that was two years in the making. Born Dreamer is a fruity, floral, and musky fragrance that's sophisticated enough to warrant a spot on your shelf even if you don't have the video app.

Born Dreamer features notes of anjou pear, orange zest essential oil, jasmine petals, pink sugar, cashmere woods, skin musks, ambroxan, and cedarwood. Right out of the star-shaped bottle, the scent is a complex blend of musk and florals — cashmere, cedarwood, and jasmine in particular. You wouldn't think there are any fruity notes at all here, going by bottle alone. But on my skin, I smell those pear and orange top notes right away, which transform beautifully into a fresh and floral scent. Once it fully dries, hints of musk shine right at the end.

The scent also reminded me of something else. It's very similar to Ariana Grande's God Is A Woman perfume; they both have top notes of pear, floral middle notes, and a cedarwood base. They're not identical, Ariana Grande's has more sweetness and Born Dreamer has way more oomph with its base notes.

For an eau de toilette, it lasts a surprisingly long time. If I spray it in the morning, I'll still smell it on me by the end of my day. That's because the vast majority of Born Dreamer's scents are in its base notes — cashmere woods, skin musks, ambroxan, and cedarwood — and those are the most long-lasting notes in a perfume. "Generally speaking, woody and spicy notes tend to last longer, while fruity and floral notes fade faster," Nausheen Qureshi, a cosmetic chemist, told Refinery29 UK. So, while that musk is what lasts, that doesn't mean there's a lack of balance — the ending scent is warm sophistication with a hint of fresh floral chicness. And if you run out, no need to rebuy for the bottle; you can purchase its refills for a way better deal.

This doesn't fall under my personal favorite scent type (I prefer clean and crisp fragrances a la DedCool's Milk), and yet I was left impressed. Born Dreamer is a definite under-$50 buy that lasts way longer than you'd expect and is far more complex than you'd think. This perfume speaks for itself and I would recommend it to anyone, whether you know who Charli D'Amelio is or not.