Moroccanoil Taps Adria Arjona to Front First Fragrance

Moroccanoil has a new category — and a new celebrity face fronting it.

The prestige hair care brand is getting into fragrance with the launch of L’Originale, an eau de parfum debuting on the Sephora app Feb. 18 and on the brand’s website, the retailer’s website as well as select travel retail points of sale the following day. It will then roll out with Sephora globally. Prices range from $98 to $130, depending on the size.

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Moroccanoil’s assortment spans both hair and body skin care, and given the brand’s signature scents, the extension into fragrance was a natural one. “From the very beginning, our customer has been captivated by the signature fragrance in our hair and body products,” said Carmen Tal, the brand’s cofounder. “That alone opens the door for us to consider the idea since it’s always been at the heart of our products.”

The fragrance highlights notes of citrus, violet, camellia, and dries down to muguet, velvet woods and vanilla mid-notes. Base notes include white sandalwood, musk and amber.

Industry sources expect the product to reach $20 million in retail sales for its first year on the market.

Tal didn’t comment on the estimate, but did note the consumer appetite was high.

“Consumers have been asking for it for years. Any time we do any work with the consumer, this is the first thing that comes up,” Tal said. “We spent years perfecting the fragrance, balancing the notes. This is a category expansion, but it’s about offering our customer an experience that is both familiar and transformative.”

The marketing blitz accompanying the launch is also casting a wide net. “Since launching our Moroccanoil treatment, we have developed a 360 plan to drive awareness and buzz around not only the fragrance, but for the brand at large,” pointing to out-of-home advertising and social campaigns.

Fronting the Mikael Jansson-lensed campaign is Adria Arjona, whom Tal said “captures that feeling of being an original. We knew she was the perfect Moroccanoil muse — she’s striking, she has a natural beauty, she grew up immersing herself in new cultures and she’s multicultural through travel.”

“I’ve loved the brand’s luxurious quality for years,” said Arjona. “The partnership was a natural fit. Moroccanoil has been a brand I’ve used forever, from their iconic Moroccanoil treatment in my hair to nourishing my skin with their rich body offerings.”

Fragrance is now the second largest category in prestige beauty, as reported, with higher-concentration products such as eaux de parfum leading as a key growth driver. Myriad brands have gone into the category recently, from U Beauty to Sage & Salt.

“Powered by the brand’s hero scent from their fan-favorite Moroccanoil Treatment, this fragrance launch represents the next step in their retail journey and multi-category evolution, which we are proud to support and build together,” said Priya Venkatesh, Sephora’s global chief merchandising officer, via email. “We look forward to introducing this highly anticipated product to our Sephora community and know that it will be a valuable addition to our fragrance assortment across regions.”

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