U Beauty is a beloved minimalist skin-care brand with hardworking, no-nonsense formulas, so when they launched a fragrance marketed as “boldly feminine,” we were a bit surprised—but pleasantly so. PROEM ($190) is a no-holds-barred, fruity, floral scent in a space that’s sometimes hesitant to lean too heavily into femininity.
Through experimentation, I found that this maximalist scent smells different when paired with different skin, as many do. On myself, it’s very fruit-forward, with the lychee and rhubarb notes acting as the stars. At first whiff I had positive associations with the sparkling fruit juice you’re given as a champagne substitute as a kid on New Year’s Eve. On a friend, the night-blooming jasmine and centifolia rose were the immediate highlights. On another, the peppercorn punch came through loud and clear.
Jérôme Epinette and Roger Schmid are the expert noses behind the unique 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 fragrance 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 beauty of the florals melding beautifully 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!”
