Merit Expands Into Fragrance

Merit, the minimalist beauty brand celebrated for its premium multi-use products, is expanding into fragrance with the launch of Retrospect.

Marking a new category for the brand, Retrospect is described as a complex, layered scent that runs counter to the linear, one-note scents dominating today’s fragrance market.

“After hundreds of rounds and years of perfecting, Retrospect embodies the meeting place between old and new, softness and depth – it’s not just a fragrance for right now, but something you’ll keep coming back to for years to come. It’s a new perspective on modern fragrance,” the brand explained in a statement.

Taking over two years to perfect and involving more than 200 formulation trials, Retrospect is a testament to Merit’s focus on quality and innovation. The fragrance draws its rich complexity from the grand tradition of perfumery, echoing the expertly crafted scents of the past. Collaborating with master perfumer Fanny Bal in Paris, the fragrance boasts a sophisticated olfactory profile that evolves and changes as you wear it. It opens with notes of bergamot, pear, and aldehydes, is followed by heart notes of jasmine, synthetic rose, rosemary, violet, and orris; and is grounded by a base of vanilla, musk, and moss.

To further distinguish itself in the market, Retrospect is crafted as a concentrated extrait de parfum, containing nearly 30% fragrance oil—significantly higher than most perfumes on the market. This high concentration delivers great projection and longevity, with just a single spray detectable throughout the day.

Founded in January 2021 by Katherine Power, a serial entrepreneur who co-founded the digital fashion publication Who What Wear and the wine brand Avaline, Merit Beauty has quickly established itself as a significant player in the beauty industry. Just two years after its launch, in 2023, the brand surpassed $100M in sales and emerged as a top growth makeup brand at Sephora. With a philosophy centred on simplifying beauty routines, Merit offers high-quality, multi-use products that adhere to stringent clean beauty standards, merging luxury with simplicity. Committed to sustainability, the brand also utilises recyclable materials for packaging and ensures all products are vegan and cruelty-free.

Retrospect will officially launch on 22nd October, with a waitlist opening earlier on 8th October. The fragrance will be priced at £79 ($92) for a 30ml bottle and will be available at meritbeauty.com.