Coconut perfumes

A creamy note that is built, not pressed

The coconut used in perfumery is rarely the fruit itself. Perfumers usually compose it from lactones, aroma molecules with a creamy, milky character, and shape the result with vanilla, woods or musk. The name on the notes list tells you which kind to expect. Coconut water suggests something light and watery, coconut milk something rounder, and coconut powder something dry and soft. All of them appear in our collection.

One note, three tiers

On top, coconut tends to open a perfume gently. In Fascent Corn Star it appears as coconut water beside love pear and angelica extract, ahead of a heart of popcorn, sesame and musky marshmallow. Fragrance Du Bois Santal Complet pairs coconut with lemon in the top and then moves to violet, black pepper, musk, sandalwood, amber and vanilla. From the same house, Fragrance Du Bois Oud Orange Intense opens with coconut and fruits, holds bourbon vanilla in the heart and ends in vanilla, musk and pure organic vintage oud. Fragrance Du Bois labels them Gourmand Woody and Gourmand Fruity.

In the heart, coconut becomes part of the body. Jo Milano Paris Game of Spades No Limit lists coffee, coconut, iris, milk chocolate and amyris there, between a top of rosemary and Sicilian mandarin and a base of agarwood and tonka bean. Roja Parfums Isola Blu is labelled Citrus by Roja Parfums and places coconut among apple, blackcurrant, orange blossom, jasmin de Grasse, lily and champaca. Stéphane Humbert Lucas Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss puts it beside ylang ylang and amber, under mango, wild chamomile oil and orange blossom. Lorenzo Pazzaglia Evil Angel keeps it in the heart with rum, cedar, robinia, cinnamon and whiskey.

In the base, coconut turns to powder. Tiziana Terenzi Andromeda lists coconut powder with amber, vanilla, cashmere, ebony, tonka bean and powdered sugar, under a floral heart of lilum, violet leaves, Damask rose, pear nectar, heliotrope and peach.

What coconut does to its partners

It rounds corners. Next to lemon or mandarin it softens the acidity, beside rum or whiskey it adds smoothness, and on woods and oud it lays down a milky layer that takes some of the dryness away. It also asks for company: vanilla, tonka and musk extend it, while orange blossom or ylang ylang keep it from turning heavy.

Choosing a coconut perfume

Choose by tier and by partner. Coconut water on top with a light heart gives an easy, fresh character. Coconut with vanilla and woods leads towards a gourmand perfume. Coconut powder in the base is the quietest way to include the note. Check the family label as well: among these examples you will find citrus, gourmand and floral labels. If you like coconut, vanilla, tonka and mango are the closest notes to explore next.