Bella Belara

Bella Belara was an impulsive blind buy for me - I was a total sucker for the packaging. I picked up the crème perfume travel case for $6 and the shimmering body powder for $8 at an eBay auction, with no expectations beyond “this is cute.” What I didn’t realize at the time was that Bella Belara features an apricot note, one of my favorite notes in modern perfumery (my large bottle of Tocca Graciella can personally vouch for this!) The crème perfume comes in a 4-gram (0.14 oz) black plastic case with a transparent pink lid, tucked inside an adorable pearlized pink faux-leather zip pouch. The presentation is genuinely lovely and feels more luxe than you’d expect. It was immediately added to my handbag as an always-appropriate touch-up fragrance, and it never fails to spark curiosity when I pull it out. There’s a discreet Mary Kay stamp on the gunmetal zipper pull; otherwise, nothing about the packaging announces its origins. On a personal note, Bella Belara reminds me of one of my aunties who was a Mary Kay consultant years ago and likely wore this when it launched in the late 2000s. The scent opens with warm, juicy summer fruits, and that fruitiness stays present throughout the wear. As it develops, a soft floral blend, gentle white woods and warm sandalwood bloom alongside the fruit; creating a cozy, seamless and comforting blend. There’s no sharpness, no chill, no abrasive edges - which aligns perfectly with my own fragrance preferences. It’s a fragrance that meshes perfectly with your own body heat. This isn’t a complex or cerebral fragrance, and it doesn’t try to be. But if you want people to tell you that you “smell pretty,” Bella Belara absolutely delivers. It’s endlessly wearable and appropriate in virtually any setting — from a casual day at home in loungewear to a fun relaxed evening out. It’s a scent for all ages. I can’t imagine a scenario where this fragrance would feel out of place or offensive to the nose; it is absolutely workplace appropriate. And for the record: this does not smell “old-lady.” Yes, my aunt wore it years ago - it smelled lovely then, just as it does now. Bella Belara has earned a permanent place of honor in my fragrance armoire! Below is the official fragrance note pyramid from Mary Kay’s online store - yes Bella Belara is still being sold in 2026, which attests to its popularity! This note pyramid is more complete than Fragrantica’s. Top Notes: Mandarin, Strawberry Leaves, Nectarine, Apricot, Cassis Middle Notes: Rose Petals, Freesia, Lily of the Valley, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine Bottom Notes: Blonde Woods, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Moss, Tolu Balsam

Beautiful fragrance. Sort of reminds me of a really lovely shampoo or something. Very fruity, sweet and floral with woody and spicy sort of undertones. Tried this perfume along with the body shimmer lotion for the first time 10 years ago when I was 12 years old and completely forogt about it until just recently. My bottle arrived today and I'm so happy I remembered about this fragrance. I love it so much, can't get enough of it. Very strong smelling <3

I’ve worn this for years!! I just added another bottle back to my perfume collection. I fly through these bottles. It smells very fruity and fresh! Definitely sweet and the projection is amazing. I had a woman foots away from me tell me I smell so good in the grocery store! A great budget friendly feminine perfume!

This is some really good stuff right here. I never could stop smelling the cap when I was at my grandmother’s house. I’m going to have to get her and me a bottle for Christmas This is just a beautiful. This is a wonderful smell that reminds me of a wonderful person. God forbid this fragrance gets discontinued

To me this one is the sexiest perfume in the world, that's for sure! Pure M I S T E R Y in the bottle - very sensual, feminine, alluring and deep. Great combination of fruits, juicy rose and the woodsy dry-down. It lasts all night:) I love it so badly that i would kill for another bottle.

It's very pretty! It smells quite different from any other perfume I have. Sweet, feminine, elegant.

My grandma has a bottle of this. But personally I find this sickening sweet. Like if I was a woman and I had to wear this, I'd probably gag and start sneezing if it was applied to me neck. The smell is okay, but it is like I said before a sickening kind of sweet.

The notes listed for this fragrance doesn’t really come across at all for me. I smell it with a distinct banana scent, very unique banana. It’s a creamy, banana, that sits in a garden. I like it a lot, it’s feminine, fresh banana floral to me.

This perfume is very sweet and juicy ..to me it smells like rasberry and flowers ive never smelled a perfume like this before its one of a kind. i love it!

I really smell the fruit opening. Very inexpensive and lasts a long time. Good bang for your buck.

Strong vodka scent at first but quickly changes to a sweet floral. I like this!

Very nostalgic for me, sweet and yummy.

I am not sure why people comment on fragrances in this price point smelling synthetic. In my experience even super luxury scents include very little naturals and most of what I have on my vanity I haven't smelled in nature. If you are looking for a safe pleasant scent that will make you smell clean and well groomed, look no further. Is this a beast mode fragrance or is this incredibly unique, not it's not. I do think it is feminine and though it may smell synthetic it does not smell cheap. I personally prefer Mary Kay scents to Avon but their designer houses in the Mary Kay price point with much more unique and longer lasting scents. I have used my bottle but I won't be repurchasing this scent.

I’m definitely over this perfume lol I liked it years ago a lot but now no. Idk if the formula changed but this is all floral on me! No fruity scent at all. I remember it being fruity on me years ago. Just disappointing.

I was disappointed in this one. I thought this would be a more fruity, fresh version of the wonderful, luxurious Belara, but no. I usually like floral fruity scents, but this doesn't seem to fit in the category. Where are the fruit? Where are the fresh, juicy and sweet notes fruit usually produce? This is almost suffocating, too warm for my taste.

This was too floral, and the fruity notes weren't detectable to me. All I smelled was roses, and I don't really like the smell of roses. It smells elegant and would be good if you like floral perfumes, but I really don't. The smell just gave me a headache. I hate to be part of the minority, but this perfume just wasn't for me.

There seems to be some mixed reviews on here, especially regarding the lasting power. It definitely depends on skin type, and the kind of perfume you like to wear. I took a risk buying this perfume because I find the longevity of a fragrance very important simply because I want value for money. Im so happy I bought this because on me it lasts the whole day! Bella Belara is a fun and flirty fragrance and I absolutely love it, the reason I Love it is that I can't describe the scent. It's so different and I can't identify it any other perfume, it's such a unique scent! The price is great, the lasting power is even better and the scent itself draws compliments! The fruity mixes well with the floral and smells slightly powdery in the dry down which I like. It's a fresh smelling perfume and I feel very flirty whenever I wear it, and it smells so beautiful close to the skin. Strangely it's also quite a seductive fragrance for women! I would definitely recommend this, however I would try before buying in case you don't like the uniqueness of the scent and especially if it doesn't last or mix well with your skin type! I personally love this scent!

Went to a concert with a friend.... She smelled AMAZING...I could'nt stop smelling her fragrance, concert seating being as close as they are. I had to finally ask and I do think this was it. I went home and found I actually had a small bottle and am doing a test run as I write this. If I am correct in my current theory that all perfume can be divine on the right person. They don't have to be expensive or designer. They just need to match the wearers chemistry and preferences. This is fruity at first but developed a smooth, sultry and sophisticated vibe. It's about 15 min in and I am loving it. This is sexy, not at all innocent, think "goddess" not "flower fairy waif".

I like the scent,smell not overly sweet, great for work. but it just doesn't last on me at all, barely an hour it stays,so I ran out within 3 months.(use in the morning most everyday)I got the set include also the body gel and shimmering lotion, the gel was alright, neither moisturing or drying, the lotion is not for me.First of all I am not a fan of glitter, seems unature on my skin,btw they are silver glitter, also I don't if it's just me but something in the lotion change the scent, not only it became rather sharp to start, I get a very slight hint of sweat as well, which isn't pleasant. I only use the lotion cuz the size is not bad for travelling.

I love this stuff with all my heart. This is the longest lasting perfume I've ever tried, every few hours I get a new scent, first it's a powerful combo of fruity floral, then the drydown is light musk with some berries, then a few hours later is a burst of berries and an unidentifiable element, on me it lasts 6 hours. Considering the bulk of my fragrances are VS and BBW, which last 3 hours at best, this is amazing to me.