Coconut perfumes can be divisive. There are those who associate the smell of coconut with their overly sweet teenage perfume that they doused themselves in after P.E. lessons, and those in the know. The latter camp know that the best coconut perfumes smell luxurious without being sickly, and with just a sniff, manage to transport you away to sunnier climes dotted with palm trees. And who doesn’t want a holiday in a bottle?
In my opinion, coconut fragrances are among the best summer perfumes. Whilst classic coconut smells delicious—think sweet, creamy, nutty— coconut perfumes can be done in so many ways, and it’s actually a surprisingly versatile perfume note. Some perfumers call upon the creamy coconut milk note, whereas others might dabble with a splash of coconut water as an ingredient, making the result all the more lighter and refreshing. So, our favourite coconut fragrances showcase many interpretations. Some smell like sun-kissed skin and salty, wind-swept beach days (thank you, Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk); while others, like Byredo’s Velvet Haze, take coconut and make it mysterious and opulent. And paired with fruity notes, it can make you feel like you’re sipping a piña colada poolside, unbothered in the knowledge that your out of office is on for the next two weeks. Bliss.
With so many takes on coconut perfume, where should you start if you’re looking for the one you’re most likely to love? From creamy, sweet and fruity to everything in between, I’ve rounded up the best coconut fragrances below.
Key Notes: Bergamot, pink pepper, lemon, ylang-ylang, coconut milk, heliotrope, transluzone, musks, cedarwood and benzoin. Beach Walk may be one of my favourite summer perfumes—ever. Maison Margiela has captured the feeling of a beach day and bottled it. It’s creamy yet fresh, making you feel like you’ve sunk your toes into warm sand and can feel a cool breeze on your skin. The citrus notes keep things fresh, while the coconut milk and musk create that sun-drenched feeling.
Key Notes: Italian bergamot, ginger extract, mandarin, Indian jasmine sambac absolute, coconut, frangipani, vanilla absolute, cashmere wood, musk and amber. I couldn’t possibly talk about coconut perfumes without mentioning one of the most iconic summer scents of all time: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. To me, this is what a far-flung deserted island would smell like; creamy coconut, hypnotic white florals of jasmine and frangipani with golden amber and sweet vanilla.
Key Notes: Incense essential oil, olibanum, coconut, vanilla, Madagascan ylang-ylang, Australian sandalwood and musk. Our copy editor Georgia Seago recently spritzed this in the office and I was instantly hooked. Turns out, one of the notes is, in fact, coconut.
Key Notes: Coconut, vanilla and caramel. Creamy coconut is paired with warming caramel and sweet vanilla in this delicious scent. There’s also a range of matching body products, which the Who What Wear UK team are all obsessed with—ideal if you want to smell tropical from head to toe.
Key Notes: Coconut, amber, salt, vanilla and orange. M&S’s fragrances keep cropping up on TikTok for their designer-smelling scents at a very affordable price point. Whilst this one isn’t hugely long-lasting, the budget-friendly price tag means topping up a few times throughout the day won’t break the bank long-term. It smells light, not overly sweet, and has a salt note that transports you to the ocean’s edge.
Key Notes: Ambrette, coconut water, patchouli leaves, cocoa absolute and musk. When I first smelt this one, my jaw dropped. I have a soft spot for all Byredo fragrances, and I particularly love how this one uses coconut for an evening twist. Warm ambrette and refreshing coconut water mingle with the smooth cocoa and musk base which is given a woody, earthy twist with patchouli. This is one of the fragrances that will leave a scented trail wherever you walk.
Key Notes: Coco de mer, tuberose, jasmine, orange flower, ylang-ylang and bergamot flower. I’ve adored this coconut fragrance for years, and I return to it every single summer. It reminds me of expensive-smelling suncream on sun-drenched skin, salted from a dip in the sea. It smells expensive and gives private-island energy with coco de mer, floral jasmine, creamy tuberose and salty pistachio.
Key Notes: Madagascan vanilla, coconut and vanilla orchid. Like sweet vanilla perfumes? This one is for you. It features Madagascan vanilla blended with creamy coconut and vanilla orchid. You don’t need much of this perfumed oil, and it will linger for hours on the skin. You could even add a couple of drops into your body moisturiser thanks to the pipette applicator.
Key Notes: Leite de coco (coconut milk), sand, tuberose, ylang-ylang, vanilla and amber. Sol De Janiero’s fragranced mists have been going viral on TikTok, and this one is guaranteed to transport you to the beaches of Rio de Janiero. It’s drenched in coconut, tuberose and vanilla, making it a hypnotic summer scent.
Key Notes: Saffron, pineapple, cardamom, violet, hazelnut, coconut water, patchouli, labdanum and cashmeran. Moody and mysterious, this scent opens with saffron, juicy pineapple and spicy cardamon before the coconut water note pulls through alongside hazelnut and violet; drying down into a blonde wood, patchouli and labdanum base. You’ll be sniffing this one again and again.
Key Notes: White jasmine, watermelon, orange blossom and coconut milk. If light and sunny is your vibe, then you’ll enjoy Caudalie’s French take on coconut, which smells summery without walloping you over the head with overpowering notes. It’s also formulated with a low alcohol percentage, making it safer to wear in the sunshine, too. Simply spritz and you’re transported to a yacht in Saint-Tropez.
Key Notes: Bergamot, lime, coconut milk, coconut water, jasmine, tonka bean and white musk. This might be the fanciest take on coconut on this list, and it smells exactly like gazing out to sea from a remote island. The inspiration behind the scent was the blue seas and breeze among the Caribbean islands, so it’s a summer scent through and through. It’s fresh, breezy and easy to wear—a quiet luxury coconut perfume, if you will.
Key Notes: Coconut, lime, bergamot, mandarin zest, mint and tonka bean. According to a review, this one smells very similar to Creed’s Virgin Island Water, and is particularly long-lasting, too. It has the addition of mouth-watering tonka bean and lime, making it both creamy and zesty.
Key Note: Coconut. If you want to smell like coconutty from head to toe, then you can’t go wrong with The Body Shop’s mist, which is made from 96% ingredients of natural origin and is also vegan. It’s both nutty and sweet, leaving a tropical veil of scent on the skin.
Key Notes: Pear, mandarin, pink pepper, tuberose, ylang-ylang, coconut water, patchouli, black vanilla and tonka bean. We all know that Zara creates luxe-smelling perfumes without the extortionate price tags, and I’ve tracked down coconut water in its Fabulous Sweet perfume. It’s fruity with a splash of coconut water to keep it refreshing, before drying down to a delicious black vanilla and tonka bean base.
Key notes: Honeysuckle, Italian lemon, coconut, jasmine, tuberose, gardenia, sandalwood, musk and patchouli. Both floral and creamy, this scent is almost hypnotic. It’s kept fresh with the addition of lemon and white florals, before drying down to a smooth sandalwood and musk base with a touch of patchouli.
Key Notes: Palm leaf, lotus, hibiscus, tiare, frangipani, coconut milk, vanilla and musk. Imagine sunbathing under palm trees gently swaying in the wind, and you have Hibiscus Palm. This botanic take on coconut also features white florals such as tiare, lotus and frangipani, which lend it a creamy quality on the dry-down. It’s a stunning perfume.
Key Notes: Coconut water, frangipani, fresh citrus, crisp sea salt and gourmand vanilla. The name alone drew me to this fragrance, but the scent is captivating. Drenched in coconut water, it has a salted note that takes you straight to the beach before unfolding into creamy vanilla.
Key Notes: Coconut, rice, mango, tonka bean and vetiver. This might be what paradise smells like. Coconut and rice give it a creamy opener, with a twist of juicy mango, smooth tonka bean and vetiver.
