If autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, surely summer is one of SPF and coconut smells. That’s my take on it anyway.
Whisper it, but summer feels in full flow lately. We’ve seen highs of 29°C this year already, leaving me, and I suspect you, in a thoroughly sunshine state of mind.
While I have my signature scents, there’s always space on my fragrance tray to welcome something new, especially when the weather changes to lighter and brighter.
I’m usually a fan of fresh, cut-grass, citrus scents with lemon as a go-to. A slightly sugared lemon, so I don’t feel like I’m using a bathroom cleaner, but not cloying.
Then I tried Le Monde Gourmand’s Lait de Coco and it’s become my new obsession.
The fragrance, which comes in a 30ml square glass bottle that’s ideal for sticking in a weekend bag, is packed with holiday-evoking notes: coconut, of course, with a little vanilla praline to make it creamy and a drop of bergamot for that zip of floral freshness that slices right through. It must have been a sight to the rest of the airport queue when I first tried it, sniffing my wrist like a bloodhound who’d caught the scent.
I tend to save new fragrances for long-awaited holidays to remind me of them long after I’m back (and stuck in the office) for hints of escapism whenever I catch a waft. I might even wear some in the deep midwinter when sunlight hasn’t been seen for weeks to remind me that it does exist.
Le Monde Gourmand woke me up and started me on a coconut fragrance sniffing journey, the bounty of which you will find below.
I’ve listed the delicious concoctions that lift my heart and trick my mind into thinking it’s somewhere hot, sandy and with a piña colada on the way. Hopefully, they’ll do the same for you too.
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Le Monde Gourmand Lait de Coco Eau De Parfum 30ml
Light, sweet and with the tropical scent of coconut, the bergamot notes in this lovely little fragrance remind me of sunshine. It’s an ideal beach holiday spritz, or something to wear when you’re desperate to escape a gloomy forecast at home.
Buy now £24.00, Lookfantastic
Kilian Paris Moonlight in Heaven Eau de Parfum
From Paris to French Polynesia, the ingredient list in this Killian fragrance reads like a juice bar. Key notes include mango, coconut milk and rice, but there's sambac jasmine, tonka bean and delicate vetiver present too.
Fresh, fruity, oh-so citrussy, the exotic concoction comes in a lacquered bottle in a zippy shade of blue.
The formula is more intense on pulse points, so along with your neck and wrists, apply some to your knees and elbows if you want it to stick around all day.
Buy now £225.00, Sephora
Maison Margiela Beach Walk Eau de Toilette 30ml
Perfectly named, this EDT practically vibrates with vitality. In it, you'll find wafts of bergamot, coconut milk, musk, pink pepper and ylang-ylang, all coming together to give the effect of walking alongside the ocean on a quintessential summer's day.
If you enjoy a solar scent, add this to your collection immediately.
Buy now £62.00, Space NK
PHLUR Coconut Skin Body Mist
If you're hoping to wear a scent to the beach - other than SPF, of course - then the lighter veil a body mist provides will feel more comfortable than an EDP or EDT.
Enter PHLUR, which has just the one in its Coconut Skin offering. It may offer a lighter scent, but it's no less indulgent with a gourmand bevvy of notes: think an opener of coconut, palm leaves, caramel gelato; a heart of jasmine absolute, frangipani and tiare blossom; and sandalwood and salted amber in the dry down.
It's so gentle, you can use this on hair, too.
Buy now £38.00, Space NK
DKNY Be Delicious Coconuts About Summer Eau De Toilette
You may associate DKNY's Be Delicious with apples, and you wouldn't be wrong. Crisp apple was the theme behind the original scents. Now the brand has diversified into other fruits, namely coconut, in this summer-ready scent.
The star note is coupled with magnolia and musk that will have you itching to book a flight and schedule an OOO email.
Buy now £37.00, Amazon
Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Eau De Parfum
Succulent coconut melts into warm, comforting almond and vanilla notes in Laura Mercier's hypoallergenic fragrance, perfect for breezy summer days. There's heliotrope here too, plus a little musk to add longevity. Evocative and addictive, this might be the summer fragrance romance you've been yearning for.
Buy now £72.50, Space NK
SOL DE JANEIRO Hair & Body Fragrance Mist 90ml
Sol de Janeiro already has a cult following thanks to its Bum Bum Cream and other moisturisers, but it's fast becoming a fragrance favourite with its line of body mists which echo the scent in sister products.
If it's coconut on your must-have list, the 87 is the one for you. BFFs coconut and vanilla mingle with floral notes to create a scent that will make you think of sunny beach holidays. It's ready for travel in a 90ml bottle.
Buy now £21.60, Amazon
M&S Womens Discover White Coconut Eau de Toilette 30ml
Changing perfumes per the seasons can be an expensive task, but high street retailers are answering the call with great-smelling options that won't dent your budget.
Trusty M&S is a fine example, and in the coconut category, offers this 100ml EDT to revitalise tired fragrance wardrobes.
Sea salt-speckled coconut notes muddle with sweet blossom and cool citrus to create a dreamy scent that will become as essential as your passport and flip-flops. At just a tenner, who can resist?
Buy now £10.00, M&S
The Body Shop Coconut Body Mist
Another budget option - because good scent should be for everyone. The Body Shop has an entire coconut-themed beauty collection, but set your sights on this vegan body mist for a light layer over your vacay wardrobe.
The sweet coconut scent feels instantly refreshing. One fan said: "Lovely coconut smell that is not overpowering. The smell of summer!"
Buy now £12.00, The Body Shop
Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum
Topping the music and fragrance charts simultaneously, there’s nothing Ariana can’t do.
Released in 2019, Cloud is inspired by a euphoric world that smells of juicy pear, whipped coconut cream and praline for the most mouth-watering mix. You’ve also got nuances of lavender blossom and musk to add a touch of mystery.
Possibly the most eye-catching perfume a dressing table could ask for, the bottle slots into the cloud creating a piece of art.
Buy now £42.95, Amazon
