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In perfumery, coffee notes can take many different forms, embodying the multifaceted character of this beloved beverage. Here’s three popular interpretations of coffee notes we’ll be covering in our recommended perfumes: espresso, crème de café, and cappuccino.
Espresso: Representing the purest and strongest form of coffee, an espresso note in perfume delivers a bold, robust scent profile. It mimics the dark, slightly bitter, and rich aroma of a freshly pulled shot of espresso. This note can lend a fragrance an invigorating energy and deep intensity, making it perfect for those who appreciate strong, full-bodied scents.
Crème de Café: Crème de café, or coffee cream, signifies a coffee note that is smooth, sweet, and slightly milky. It blends the rich, robust aroma of coffee with the smooth, creamy essence of dairy, often accompanied by a hint of sweetness. This note brings a velvety, comforting quality to a fragrance, making it ideal for those who love gourmand, or food-inspired, scents.
Cappuccino: A cappuccino note in a perfume reflects the balanced harmony of strong coffee, steamed milk, and frothy foam found in the namesake drink. This note provides a more balanced and nuanced coffee scent, offering a harmonious blend of coffee’s robustness, milk’s creaminess, and a hint of sweetness. Fragrances with a cappuccino note can be both comforting and energizing, mirroring the uplifting experience of sipping a warm cappuccino on a slow morning.
The use of coffee in perfumery has an interesting and relatively recent history. Unlike some perfume notes that have been used for centuries, coffee is a relatively new player in the fragrance world.
Coffee is a native plant of tropical regions in Africa, primarily Ethiopia, and it was not until the 15th century that it began to be cultivated and consumed in Yemen, in the Arabian Peninsula. From there, it quickly spread to other parts of the world, becoming a staple in cultures globally. Despite its consumption history, the use of coffee as a perfume note didn’t take off until the 20th century.
The first recorded perfume to use coffee as a note was “Cafe” by Cafe Parfums, launched in 1978. This fragrance was a unique concoction for its time, centering around a heart of coffee and rose, enveloped by warm, spicy, and woody notes. This launched a trend for coffee-based fragrances that slowly gained momentum.
In the late 20th and early 21st century, coffee emerged as a popular note in both designer and niche perfumery. It became a sought-after note for its ability to add a rich, warm, and slightly bitter twist to a scent, lending a unique and appealing complexity. Today, coffee is a key player in the gourmand category of fragrances, often paired with notes like vanilla, chocolate, and caramel to create scents reminiscent of delicious desserts or comforting beverages.
The popularity of coffee as a perfume note also ties in with the trend for foodie, or ‘gourmand’, scents, which took off in the late 20th century.
In short, the history of coffee in perfume, while relatively recent, has seen this note become a beloved staple in many fragrances. Its rich, comforting aroma and versatile nature make it a favorite among perfume lovers and creators alike. It represents the continued evolution of perfumery and our endless desire to capture and wear the scents we love from the world around us.
Here’s some of the benefits to wearing a coffee perfume:
Awakening and Stimulating: The aroma of coffee is known for its awakening and stimulating effect. Wearing a coffee perfume can give you a sense of alertness and focus, making it perfect for early mornings or when you need a midday pick-me-up.
Comforting and Familiar: Coffee has a comforting, familiar scent that many people associate with home, relaxation, and warmth. Wearing a coffee perfume can evoke these feelings, providing a sense of comfort throughout your day.
Long-Lasting: Coffee notes are typically used as base notes in perfumery, which means they have excellent longevity. Wearing a coffee perfume can ensure your fragrance lasts throughout the day.
Unique and Unconventional: While floral and citrus scents are common in perfumery, coffee is a more unique note. Wearing a coffee perfume can make you stand out and showcase your unconventional, bold style.
Versatile: Coffee notes can be combined with various other notes to create diverse perfume profiles. Whether it’s paired with sweet notes like vanilla, floral notes like jasmine, or spicy notes like cinnamon, a coffee perfume can offer a wide range of scent experiences.
Gender-Neutral: Coffee is a note that is often found in both men’s and women’s fragrances, making it a great choice for those seeking a gender-neutral scent.
Creates a Sensual Ambiance: The rich, warm, and deep notes of coffee can create a sensual and inviting ambiance, making coffee perfumes an excellent choice for romantic or intimate occasions.
Memory Enhancer: Scents have a strong connection to memory. The unique aroma of coffee can trigger pleasant memories and experiences, contributing to a more positive mood and outlook.
Sophisticated and Elegant: Coffee-scented perfumes, especially when blended with notes like patchouli, amber, or sandalwood, can add a touch of sophistication and elegance, enhancing your overall personal style.
Early Mornings: To start your day on a high note, the energizing scent of coffee can serve as a fragrant pick-me-up.
At Work: A coffee-based perfume can keep you alert and focused during long meetings or intensive tasks.
Social Gatherings: The unique and enticing scent of coffee can make you stand out in social situations and spark interesting conversations.
Romantic Occasions: The rich and sensual notes of coffee can set a romantic tone, making it perfect for dates or anniversaries.
Evening Events: Given its typically deep and long-lasting nature, a coffee perfume is well-suited for evening events or parties.
During Autumn and Winter: Coffee’s warm and comforting scent makes it an excellent choice for the cooler months.
While Traveling: Coffee perfumes can bring a sense of comfort and familiarity when you’re away from home, making them a great travel companion.
Casual Outings: A coffee scent can be an unconventional yet pleasant choice for casual outings like shopping or a movie date.
When You Want To Feel Confident: The bold and distinctive aroma of coffee can boost your confidence, making it a great option for important presentations or interviews.
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee: The Best Coffee-Inspired Perfumes
Are you a coffee lover looking for a way to incorporate your favorite scent into your daily routine? Look no further than coffee-inspired perfumes! These fragrances all smell delicious, but are all unique. You’re sure to find the perfect coffee perfume to satisfy your palette!
No matter how amazing each of these coffee perfumes sound, we always recommend trying before buying – so for each perfume, we include helpful tips on this! Everyone’s nose is different and perfumes perform differently based on individual body chemistry.
Here are the best coffee perfumes:
Fragrance Notes: Cappuccino, Vanilla, Caramelized Cedar
Skylar’s Vanilla Sky will have you smelling like coffee shop. Notes of cappuccino, caramel and vanilla really shine through. This perfume is creamy, sweet and delectable. It’s quite popular among the masses, so this is a safe bet. If smelling like a frothy, creamy vanilla cappuccino sounds appealing, then definitely check out Skylar Vanilla Sky.
You can get this perfume in a full-sized bottle or rollerball. P.S. You can also get this scent in candle form! Yum!
Try before you buy: There are often testers of Skylar Vanilla Sky out at Sephora. Skylar also has a Discovery Set you can buy to try several of their scents, including Vanilla Sky.
Fragrance Notes: Crème de Café, Jasmine Absolute, Patchouli
This edgy and alluring fragrance is a cheaper dupe for YSL’s Black Opium. To us it smells like a rich blend of coffee and vanilla, with a touch of floral. And we’re super impressed with the longevity. Even after 8+ hours, the scent of Midnight Cafe is still going strong!
Fine’ry is only available at Target & this perfume brand has gone viral on Tiktok. P.S. Be sure to check out the other 8 perfumes in the collection – they are all dupes for high-end, expensive perfumes.
Try before you buy: Head to your local Target – most have testers out for each Fine’ry perfume so you can try before you buy! Fine’ry also has a discovery set you can buy, but it doesn’t include all the fragrances. Unfortunately Midnight Cafe is one of the scents not included in the discovery set – Probably because coffee notes in perfumes can be polarizing! People seem to love them or hate them!
Fragrance Notes: Bergamot, Espresso, and Cedarwood
If Ariana Grade’s Cloud & YSL’s Black Opium had a baby, it would be this perfume. It shares similarities with both, and is absolutely delectable.
We sprayed Good Chemistry on one arm and fine’ry’s Midnight Cafe (YSL Black Opium dupe) on the other, and could definitely smell the similarities, especially during the dry down, which is super creamy. The espresso note is there, but subtle.
This is a non-offensive every day perfume. It’s very comforting and cozy.
Good Chemistry is another affordable perfume brand sold exclusively at Target (as well as from good-chemistry.com). In an ode to the name, the full-sized bottles are shaped like chemistry beakers! LOVE! Coffee Cloud also comes in a travel size, as well as a body spray.
Try before you buy: There are often testers of Skylar Vanilla Sky out at Sephora. Skylar also has a Discovery Set you can buy.
Fragrance Notes: Bergamot, Espresso, and Cedarwood
If you’re looking for a strong, intense coffee smelling perfume, then this one is for you – Ylang Ylang Espresso by Floral Street. It combines the smell of freshly brewed cofeee with florals. Specifically, ylang ylang. What does ylang ylang smell like you ask? ylang yland has a heavy, sweet, slightly fruity floral scent.
Floral Street Ylang Ylang Espresso perfume is unqiue. It’s bold. It’s intense. The scent projects and the scent lasts.
Try before you buy: Ylang Ylang Espresso is one of the more “obscure” scents from Floral Street. Some say it’s polarizing (i.e. not a safe blind buy). Because it’s not one of the more “popular” Floral Street perfumes, we haven’t ever seen a tester of it at Sephora. However, Floral Street does have a discovery set so you can try before you buy!
Here at scentmovement, we take pride in our perfume recommendations. We have high-standards when it comes to the ingredients. We only recommend perfumes that don’t contain concerning ingredients like:
You’ll notice several coffee perfumes didn’t make the list:
The scent of coffee in the air,
With notes of sweetness, rich and rare,
A fragrance bold, yet smooth and fair,
Coffee perfumes, beyond compare.
As coffee beans roast in the fire,
Aromas dance and never tire,
A symphony of scents inspire,
Coffee perfumes, take us higher.
A hint of cinnamon, a touch of cream,
A burst of citrus, a dreamy steam,
A whiff of chocolate, a hazelnut dream,
Coffee perfumes, the perfect team.
In every spray, a new surprise,
Aromas mix and harmonize,
A sensual, warming, comforting guise,
Coffee perfumes, a real prize.
From morning brew to evening cup,
Coffee perfumes, we can’t give up,
A fragrance that always picks us up,
Coffee perfumes, our morning sup.
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