You Can Finally Smell Like Orange Gelée 365 Days a Year

I get little reminders of my Grammy all the time—when I’m shopping and come across a top in her favorite shade of bright lime green, when I randomly see a knitting book she had on a friend’s shelf, and every morning when I spritz on my Kiehls’ Musk, her signature scent. Fragrance is my most powerful reminder of her, and that also extends to her favorite Ban De Soliel Orange Gelée, which I always kept on hand after she died. One sniff of the citrusy “sunscreen” would bring me back to summers by her pool, and I’ve always wished for a perfume version to wear daily. 

Luckily, Vacation has once again answered my prayers regarding the iconic product. In 2024, the retro-inspired suncare brand made dreams come true when they revived Orange Gelée, which was discontinued by its parent company in 2019. The brand brought together a panel of devoted fans of the OG product to work to perfectly recreate the beloved product’s scent and feel, with an updated SPF of 30 from SPF 4. And now, just in time for the product’s 100th birthday, the brand is launching a 100th Anniversary Orange Gelée Fragrance Collection—a set of five fragrances inspired by the classic Gelée, each created by a different perfumer and based on their personal memories of the product. 

Ahead, everything you need to know about the fragrance collection, as well as my honest review.

The Inspiration

Of course, each of the scents was inspired by the original product, which has been around since 1925, when it was created to help get a “St Tropez tan.” However, Bain de Soilel Orange Gelée really boomed in popularity in the ‘70s and ‘80s, hence the nostlagic attachment so many have to it.

"Our mission at Vacation is to create leisure-enhancing' sunscreen that people look forward to applying and wearing," Dakota Green, Founding Partner of Vacation Inc. told Byrdie about bringing back the product in 2024. "Orange Gelée is a product that absolutely embodies the unique sense of joy that we aim to create with all of our sunscreens."

Green adds, "When you talk to lifelong fans of the product, there is an instant twinkle in their eye as they recall its indulgent feel and transportive scent. Add to this the influx of messages from our customers demanding that we bring it back—it was obvious that the iconic product was discontinued before its time! It felt kismet and like the right sort of thing for us to get behind."

The fragrance collection, dropping April 16, kicks off the brand's monthlong “100 Years of Gelée” campaign. For the entire month, all Orange Gelée purchases will be 20%. Then, on April 30, a full size 30 ml bottle of Gelée Eau de Toilette will be available, and on May 7 the brand will be hosting a birthday toast at L.A.'s Hollywood Rosevelt Hotel. Ending the celebration is Gelée week at Target, from April 26-May 7, where shoppers can purchase Orange Gelée for its '90s price of $9.99.

The Fragrances

The fragrance collection is overseen by Arquiste founder Carlos Huber, who hand-picked five perfumers to create their own version of the beloved fragrance inspired by their personal memories of the product. 

The kit comes with five travel-size bottles, the core of which is the Gelée Originale perfume, which is true to the Vacation Orange Gelée scent and as close to the original as possible. From there, each interpreation is a little further from the OG, allowing the perfumer to put their own twist on a classic.

 “Few scents are as recognizable as Orange Gelée. Revisiting it in Eau de Toilette form was a rare privilege,” says perfumer Dana Schmitt, who created the Gelée Originale scent. “We worked with the Orange Gelée Advisory Board—a group of devoted original fans—to capture the essence of the fragrance while subtly updating it with a slightly more wearable twist.” Like the sunscreen, Gelee Originale’s notes iclde bergamot, clove, saffron, sandalwood, and patchouli.

Next in the collection is Gelee Azure, created by Rodrigo Flores-Roux. This is a lighter take on the original, with notes of orange zest, neroli, orange flower, and carnation. “Growing up in Mexico City, the scent of Orange Gelée filled me with dreams of Saint-Tropez—of sunlight, freedom, and joy," Flores-Roux explains. “I wanted to infuse those memories into the original, capturing that spirit through notes that feel like a summer escapade—playful and liberating” 

Gelee Minerale, created by Christina Christie, builds on the beachier aspect of the fragrance, with notes of sea salt, bergamot, driftwood, sage, and a sun-dried linen accord. Christie was inspired by “the essence of summers spent between New York, the Caribbean, and Capri. I set out to honor those memories with a fragrance that balances past and present.”

Created by Caroline Sabas, Gelee Vanille puts a sweeter twist on the spicy scent. “Orange Gelée is inseparable from my childhood in Cannes—the warmth of bronzed skin and the lingering glow of Riviera evenings,” she explains. That translates to notes of orange zest, vanilla absolute, pink pepper, ylang ylang, and amber. 

Rounding out the collection is the furthest from the original, Gelée Tropiques. “Gelée Tropiques is my dreams of Cartagena, distilled—of sun-soaked markets, lush gardens, an abundance of tropical fruit,” perfumer Adriana Medina explains of her “olfactory escape.” Mango accord, monoi oil, orange flower and toasted tonka bean bring a juicy,  tropical vibe to the scent.

My Review

Obviously, I was thrilled to hear about this launch—not only was I getting one Orange Gelée fragrance, but five! I couldn’t wait to dive in. My favorites of the bunch totally surprised me. I expected to like the Gelée Originale the most, given my love for the actual product, but I would put it third in my ranking. It does smell exactly like the OG Gelée, but it’s a little spicier than I usually go for in a perfume. I’ll def wear it from time to time, and I’m really happy to have it around whenever I need a little spritz of nostalgia. 

My top two are tied between Tropiques and Azure. I don’t love fruity fragrances, so I was surprised to like Tropiques so much, but it doesn’t smell overly sweet or syrupy. It smells juicy and bright, and the monoi oil gives it that classic “sunscreen” smell that really connects the dots for me—even though the original has no classic sunscreen notes, this just locks it in with those poolside memories even more. I can’t wait to wear it all summer with a bikini and not much else. 

Azure will be my personal everyday version of the scent. It takes all the familiar notes I love about the original—clove, bergamot—and softens them with light florals. It smells just like getting a whiff of Gelée in the breeze, paired with the flowers in my Grammy's garden. I haven't tried layering it with the Kheil's Musk yet, but I imagine it would be a lovely pairing.

If, like me, you have an emotional connection to Orange Gelée, you're going to want to snap the collection up ASAP, as I have a feeling it will sell out quickly. And even if you don't have a personal connection but love retro products and inventive perfume, it's also certainly worth a sniff.

Starting April 16, shop the Anniversary Orange Gelée Fragrance Collection for $79 on vacation.inc.