“First perfume I’ve ever been able to spray by myself”: Selena Gomez’s new perfume hailed as a breakthrough for the disabled community

Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is earning praise for more than just its scent. The brand’s new Rare Eau de Parfum is going viral for its accessible design, which was developed in collaboration with a hand therapist to ensure ease of use for people with limited mobility. The fragrance features notes of creamy caramel, pistachio, rich vanilla, and spicy ginger—and some say it’s the first perfume they can actually spray by themselves.

Accessible packaging is “iconic on Selena Gomez’s part.”

TikTok user @sarahtoddhammer unboxed the perfume in an Aug 4, 2025, video with over 1.3 million views. “This design is incredible,” she said. “This is the first perfume I’ve ever been able to spray by myself.”

@sarahtoddhammer Replying to @k3m3_22 NOT SPONSORED – product was gifted to me for free by Rare Beauty. Opinions are my own :) [Video Description: ST, a young white woman with long blonde hair, is speaking on screen. As she speaks, she tries out the new Rare Beauty perfume. Text on screen at the beginning of the video reads “How accessible is the brand new Rare Beauty perfume?” Text on screen throughout the video reads “NO ADVICE PLEASE”] #DisabilityTikTok #DisabilityAwareness @Rare Beauty ♬ original sound – ST Hammer

@danielrenemusic also did an unboxing video on Aug 2, 2025, in a TikTok video with 1.4 million views. The TikTok creator explained that the shape of the bottle was designed with accessibility in mind. “From what I understand, they worked with a specialist to make sure that it was easy to grab and easy to spray.” @danielrenemusic added that the consideration and execution of the product is, “iconic on Selena Gomez’s part.”

@danielrenemusic #rarebeauty #rarebeautymakeup #rareeaudeparfum #perfume #fragrance #danielrene #selenagomez #selenagomezperfume ♬ original sound – Daniel René

“Selena also has lupus and it can be challenging to open or hold bottles. I love that she created this.”

“I have aggressive rheumatoid arthritis. Many days I can’t even press the spray let alone uncap a water bottle so this would be ideal to me.”

“I’m gonna go broke now 😩😩.”

What the “curb cut effect” has to do with Rare Beauty’s perfume launch

Reddit users discussed Gomez’s new perfume on r/popculturechat. u/moonlightinwinters wrote, “Rare Beauty’s new perfume is designed in collaboration with a hand therapist to make it accessible for everyone!” in a July 30 post with 6.4 thousand upvotes.

u/yourerightaboutthat referenced the curb cut effect in a reply on the thread. They wrote, “I do digital accessibility work, and we like to make the point that everyone will have some sort of disability in their lifetime, whether it becomes permanent or not. Surgeries, accidents, diseases, illnesses, etc. can all cause disabilities.”

“Even if you don’t need something like this now, it doesn’t mean you won’t in the future. We also talk about the curb cut effect and universal design: making accommodations for those who need them still benefits those that don’t. I wish more companies thought like this.”

The term “curb cut” refers to ramps built into sidewalks. The ramps, designed specifically for people using wheelchairs, ultimately benefit all kinds of user groups with and without mobility issues. The curb cut effect demonstrates that accommodations for people with disabilities can lead to broader benefits for society.