I Stopped Someone Mid-Workout to Ask What Perfume They Were Wearing—It's $23, and I Can't Stop Spraying It

"You smell so good" is the best beauty compliment—full stop. Nothing brightens my day quite like someone praising my signature scent and begging to know how to snag one for themselves. (The WWW beauty team agrees!) So when I personally catch a whiff of something glorious, you better believe I'm letting the wearer know.

I found myself in such a situation in Pilates (of all places). The girl on the reformer next to me sent gentle wafts of jasmine and honey my way as we lunged, planked, and curled for 50 minutes, and I was so impressed by her unique fragrance du jour that I had to say something during the stretching portion of class. "What perfume are you wearing? It smells so good," I said, twisted in Pigeon Pose. She laughed—not the reaction I was expecting, but color me very intrigued. "Oh, it's kind of random… Lionel Richie's perfume." Yep, my jaw was on the floor. Of all the celebrity-led brands she could have tossed out, I was not expecting this soulful icon to influence my fragrance game; though, his daughter is one of the most trendsetting GRWM muses of TikTok, so an eye for beauty hits clearly runs in the family.

Post-Pilates, I furiously googled "Lionel Richie perfume" and discovered Hello, the elixir he launched over five years ago. The price: $23 at Walmart. It seemed like a no-brainer, so I added it to my cart and started wearing it daily—and received plenty of "I need to know what perfume you're wearing" comments of my own.

Hello Eau de Parfum: The Details

Hello Eau de Parfum is named after Richie's iconic 1983 single, a track that's arguably one of the greatest ballads of all time. You might expect the fragrance version to be just as romantic—a warm, heady floral or cozy gourmand, perhaps—but Hello is actually quite fresh, crisp, and fruity. Notes of pear, grapefruit, and lemon brighten the blend upon first spritz, pink pepper creating a vibrant zing; jasmine and tuberose then make an appearance for a creamy sweetness before the fragrance dries down to a musky base of tonka bean, honey, ambroxan, and patchouli. It's sweet without smelling too cloying, floral and juicy without feeling too juvenile.

These bright, airy notes also make Hello the perfect gym scent (aka, a delicate fragrance you'd wear while exercising), which is probably why I noticed it shine during a workout class. But honestly, Hello is ideal for daily wear—whether you hit the gym or not.

How It Became My Favorite Scent

Admittedly, I don't usually gravitate toward bright, fresh scents like this on a regular basis. I typically love a fragrance with a spicier punch, like, say, a smoky vanilla or amber-infused situation you can't quite figure out. Light, airy scents—while great for the gym—don't tend to last in my daily rotation, but like I mentioned, Hello is special. I must have a thing for tuberose since it's present in a number of fragrances I adore (most notably Amouage's Love Tuberose and Henry Rose's Flora Carnivora); the white floral note has a creamy, captivating quality I legitimately can't stop sniffing, which is likely why I've become enamored with Hello. Tuberose is also famously a nocturnal bloom (meaning it only releases its fragrance after dark), which makes it feel mysterious and seductive. Fitting for Hello's namesake serenade, no?

Delicate florals tend to evaporate faster on the skin, which is why I was surprised to discover Hello's impressive longevity. No, it doesn't exactly last all night long (cue Richie's upbeat, R&B hit), but it lingers more than other lighter eau de parfums I've tried, thanks to that sweet, musky base of tonka bean, honey, ambroxan, and patchouli. It also helps that I practically bathe in it each morning before heading out the door, and given the $23 price tag, I don't feel too precious about spritzing with abandon.

That said, don't think the wallet-friendly price means the juice isn't top tier. I personally find it smells wildly expensive, that marvelous tuberose providing just enough intrigue to have people wondering (out loud), "What perfume are you wearing?" Hello isn't a fragrance that boldly announces its arrival but inspires people to lean in and learn more—sparkling poise in a bottle, I'd say. If you want to smell fresh, clean, and tantalizing, this is the ultimate fragrance to reach for.

I can officially report that the tables have flipped since that Pilates class; shortly after adding Hello to my collection, multiple friends and coworkers have asked me what scent I'm wearing. When I quickly reply with "It's Lionel Richie's perfume!" I'm met with raised eyebrows and some iteration of "Sorry, what did you just say?" Understandable, I've been there. But trust me, this $23 elixir is the epitome of elegance and mystique—which, coming from Richie, actually makes perfect sense. After all, he's a legendary, award-winning musician known for his smooth love songs. Of course he'd know how to create a perfume that attracts the folks around you.

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