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It’s early to call it, but we’re prepared to crown Sabrina Carpenter the soundtrack of summer 2024. The Short n’ Sweet singer has enjoyed back-to-back summer bops in the form of “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please,” — but only one of those anthems inspired this writer to embark on an olfactive journey of coffee-scented perfume. And while coffee seems like an unlikely ingredient outside of our morning cup of joe, think again. Smoky-sweet coffee accords have long been favored in the niche world of gourmand scents, but they have the potential to be mainstream, IMHO. (Carpenter’s very own fragrances are both textbook gourmands: Sweet Tooth has notes of marshmallow, bergamot, candied ginger, and coconut milk while Caramel Dream features sugared lemon, almond milk, caramelized amber, and cashmere wood.)
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“I find the scent of coffee very energizing and addictive, it’s the best way to start your day and puts you me in the mood to get things done,” Kayali founder Mona Kattan tells Refinery29. “I love pairing [Kayali] Café Oud 19 with either Vanilla Oud 36 or Vanilla 28 — it immediately transforms into a very cozy warm vanilla latte scent that you’ll want to smell over and over again.” Need further proof that coffee is primed to become the new “it” note? Keep reading to find some of our personal favorites that we’re spritzing on repeat.
Ever wish you could bottle the cozy ambiance of your favorite local café? Maison Margiela did precisely that with Coffee Break, a unique blend of warm coffee and milk mousse accord juxtaposed with fresh spearmint and lavender notes. The result? A little sweet, a little spicy, and totally unique.
“I love the smell of coffee and our perfumer, Hamid Merati-Keshani, suggested cappuccino as a note to add more texture to the fragrance; From this, Café Oud was born,” Kattan tells us. “I really wanted to create an electrifying yet creamy scent, and the notes of coffee combined with rose, geranium, and oud create this very intriguing and sexy trail that follows you every time you enter – and leave - a room.”
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YSL’s Black Opium is a modern classic in its own right, and has inspired numerous offshoots within the fragrance family. The latest: Black Opium Over Red adds a rush of fruity flavor — cherry accord, jasmine, and cassis — to a base of coffee and Madagascar vanilla. (I’m also partial to the Black Opium Illicit Green, which also has a base of coffee accord alongside bright notes of green mandarin and fig.)
Looking to get in on the coffee perfume trend without breaking the bank? Good Chemistry’s Coffee Cloud is a perfect entry-level eau with notes of bergamot, espresso, and cedarwood. (Plus, we’re willing to bet you don’t already have an Erlenmeyer flask-shaped bottle in your fragrance wardrobe.)
Leave it to Tom Ford to create an unlikely pairing between coffee and rose absolute — but trust us, it works. The result is a warm chypre floral experience that’s elevated, romantic, and utterly luxurious.
If you can’t stop into Olfactory NYC’s boutique to concoct a bespoke fragrance of your own, the next best thing is to shop the brand’s array of signature scents (and if you so choose, layer at home). For the aptly named Espresso Martini, notes of coffee and mocha meet sandalwood and hazelnut for an uplifting, smooth vibe.
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