Victoria's Secret launches 'Bare,' its first fine fragrance in years

It's 2022, and Victoria's Secret is coming in hot with its first fine fragrance in five years.

"Bare," the brand's latest scent, launched this week. According to the company, "Bare" celebrates individuality and self-expression.

"This soft, warm scent transforms on skin, creating a signature that's uniquely yours," the company captioned the video revealing the launch.

"Bare Eau de Parfum" includes an alluring blend of musky mandarin, floral Egyptian violet petals and warm Australian sandalwood. Victoria's Secret says the fragrance was formulated to adapt to every person's body chemistry to create a unique scent for anyone who wears it.

The packaging for the latest fragrance is created with upcycled materials and responsibly sourced ingredients. Additionally, it uses a new cryptosym technology -- created and trademarked by Symrise, a German chemicals company based in Holzminden -- which has the capability to encrypt scent formulations to preserve its novelty and protect it from future replication.

"Bare Eau de Parfum is our most intimate fragrance yet. It's about a quiet confidence that comes from knowing your authentic self, and celebrates individuality in its most natural form," Kristen Lagoa, Victoria's Secret vice president of merchandising, beauty and accessories, said in a statement.

The ad campaign for the new fragrance features a diverse lineup of women, ranging from social advocates and herbalists to artists and creatives -- all with different backgrounds and body types.

Throughout the imagery, models are seen alongside inspiring quotes such as "Comparison is the thief of joy" and "It's really the simple things that hold the most space for our healing."

The latest campaign marks a major transformation from Victoria's Secret's past branding. In 2018, the company faced criticism after Ed Razek, the former chief marketing officer for L Brands -- Victoria's Secret's parent company -- told Vogue he didn't think the brand should add plus-size or transgender models to its annual fashion show "because the show is a fantasy."

Razek later apologized for his comments and resigned from the company.

The brand ultimately said farewell to its famed "Angel" models last year and launched The VS Collective to revamp its image, featuring a diverse lineup of "ambassadors," including Valentina Sampaio, who is transgender, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and LGBTQIA+ activist and professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe, along with several others.

"Bare" is available nationwide now online and in-stores. It's also slated to launch worldwide starting Aug. 23.