Ciara and Russell Wilson aren't the first couple to design a fragrance together, but they may have cracked the code on how to do it really well. Out today, the R&C Fragrance Duo ($90) is a set of two distinct, sultry scents connected by magnets to form a modern sculptural glass bottle (the first of its kind). The scents can be worn by all and don't conform to traditional perfume and cologne gendered notes.
The couple worked on the fragrances during the early days of COVID-19 quarantine while Ciara was pregnant with her third child. "We would have our little unique date nights at home and smelling our scents was really fun," says Ciara. "There was a lot of love put into the process." Fragrance has always been a part of their lives. For Ciara, it started with memories of her grandmother's perfume collection. For Russell, it was memories of watching his late father shave and apply cologne as he got ready for the day.
The C scent is a spicy floral with notes of red berries, freesia, pink peppercorn, jasmine, peony, gardenia, musk, sandalwood, and vanilla. "You smell like you just stepped fresh out of the shower. But then there's this little extra touch that adds a sexy to it, adds a signature smell to it," notes Ciara. "Most importantly, I wanted for it to be a fragrance that lasts. So you know, if you happen to fall asleep in your fragrance, when you wake up, you're still going to be smelling as fresh."
The couple mentioned the concept of sillage—the lingering trail fragrance leaves behind when you walk away—as being key. "When someone meets you, by what you wear you can leave a mark on them," Ciara adds. "And people can also remember the conversation they had with you but they can remember that scent—the aroma that you left in the air."
Wilson describes the R scent as "effortlessly sexy." It's a woody aromatic with notes of bergamot, ambroxan, black tea, lavender, pear blossom, waterlily, patchouli, musk, and vetiver. The two scents are sensual and sexy without being overpowering, and both are easy to wear. They can even be layered. The couple worked with perfumers Catherine Selig and Linda Chinery from Takasago.
Ciara says that daily beauty rituals like wearing fragrance have been key to her overall wellbeing after giving birth in July. "I just had my third baby. And I will say that when you enter that phase, third baby, as a woman, you're like, 'Okay, this is a new world. What do I feel like? What's my identity now?' I just want to say to everyone...I've enjoyed the self-care part of this time. I had to make a conscious effort to do that, though," she says. "Love on yourself during this time. It does give you an extra little bit of support in the process of it."
This marks the first beauty venture for the Grammy Award-Winning Singer Songwriter and NFL Seattle Seahawk Quarterback and Superbowl Champion. Ciara previously worked with Revlon for makeup campaigns. "It's just been a blessing to be able to do this journey together and to create this fragrance together, and we got many more to come," adds Wilson.
A portion of all proceeds will benefit the couple's Why Not You Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to education, children’s health, and fighting poverty.
Jenna Rosenstein is the Beauty Director at Harper's BAZAAR across both print and digital. While attending NYU, she held internships at Women’s Wear Daily, Bloomingdale’s, Harper’s BAZAAR, and Allure, the latter of which she parlayed into her first job as the Beauty Assistant. She left Allure three years later as the Senior Beauty Editor. She spent a few months at Refinery29 overseeing branded content in the same title, before finally landing back at BAZAAR to manage all beauty content. When she's not testing every lipstick known to mankind, getting zapped by new lasers, or interviewing experts and celebrities, you can find Rosenstein at home in New Jersey with her son, husband, and black cat named Maddie.
