Best Coconut Perfumes Guide to Make You Feel Like You’re on a Summer Vacation

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Crystal Schwanke

Socially Fragrant at Scent Chasers

Crystal enjoys investing in expensive perfumes and colgones, so she's usually wearing fragrances in social settings to make a statement. While other people are impressed with fancy jewelry, she can always tell a cheap perfume from an expensive one!

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As soon as the warmer weather hits, I start craving the scents of some of the best coconut perfumes. The ones that stick around in my warm-weather fragrance rotation are the ones with jasmine, gardenias, and tiare flowers paired up with sandalwood and vanilla.

I love creamy, warm coconut scents that feel like a tropical vacation. However, I can also appreciate the sheer joy a good, refreshing coconut perfume that smells like sunscreen can bring. There’s a coconut perfume for anyone who loves coconut–in big or small doses–and at any price. Get ready to make some summer memories that will be forever tied to your next coconut fragrance.

Bottom Line Up Front

I’ve debated with myself on this one because all of the following coconut perfumes are beautiful in their ways. However, if I had to choose just one to recommend, it’d be Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche Skinscent.

It’s a combination of coconut, florals, musk, and warmth like summer in a bottle. It’s also one of the more affordable ones on the list–and relatively easy to find in-person and online.

My Top Picks at a Glance

• Best coconut perfumes that smell like sunscreen and/or a breezy day at the beach: Maison Margiela ‘REPLICA’ Beach Walk
• Best coconut perfumes that make you feel like you’re on a tropical vacation, surrounded by flowers: Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Garden, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, or Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche Skinscent
• Best unisex, refreshing coconut scent: Tom Ford Soleil Blanc
• Best if you want sultry: Versace Crystal Noir
• Best if you like sweet scents: Ariana Grande Thank U, Next or Cheirosa ’39 Sol de Janeiro
• Best if you want every day, anytime kind of coconut scent: Lancome La Nuit Tresor Nude, Mugler Alien Goddess, or Carolina Herrera Good Girl Legere
• Best on a budget: Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar
• Best splurge: Guerlain Coconut Fizz

How to Choose Your Perfect Coconut Perfume

Choosing the perfect coconut perfume for you will boil down to a few questions you should ask yourself:

What vibe are you going for?

For example, do you want a carefree, beachy scent to wear every summer day? Or are you looking for something sultry and sexy, like coconut woven through creamy florals and woods?

What’s your budget?

You can spend as little as $20.00 or as much as almost $400.00.

Do you need to sample it first?

Some perfumes are easy to try in the store before you buy them. Still, others are only available online (that’s not to say you can’t order a sample from a shop before committing to a full bottle).

What time of year do you want to wear it?

Are you looking for a fragrance that’s the epitome of summer, whether it’s a daytime or nighttime scent, or would you prefer the one you can wear year-round?

Selection Criteria

My brain immediately goes in two different directions when I think of the best coconut perfumes.

• First, the “beach day” type of fragrance smells like happy childhood memories and sunscreen.
• Then, there’s the sensual, warm type that blends florals, musks, and woods with coconut creaminess and light sweetness.

I tried to capture both of those, along with anything else that represents the best coconut fragrances. The absolute “best” coconut perfume for me won’t necessarily be the best one for everyone, and I wanted to cover all tastes. My other goal was to find a range of price points, from the one you could pick up at Target to one that’ll require an online order. I chose perfumes from a wide range of brands.

Finally, I looked for coconut fragrances that wouldn’t take a sleuth to find. My ultimate favorite coconut scent, Victoria’s Secret’s Very Sexy Now from 2014, was pretty close to perfect.

I left it off the list because it’s so hard to find, and there’s no guarantee it’d still be in good condition after so many years. If you do happen to come across it somewhere, give it a sniff; it’s outstanding.

The Best Coconut Perfumes to Try

Lancome La Nuit Tresor Nude

I’m obsessed with the Tresor line, and La Nuit Tresor Nude is another beauty. It’s soft, tender, beachy, and warm. There’s bergamot, rose, vanilla, and coconut.

One of my favorite things about this one is how you could wear it all year. Yes, there’s coconut, but it doesn’t scream “summer” the way many fragrances that feature a coconut note do.

Pros

• You can enjoy it all year because it’s not too summery
• All the notes are beautifully blended, so you can barely tell where one ends and another begins
• Not heavy, even though there’s vanilla, which could weigh it down
• Soft enough to be worn almost anywhere

Cons

• It could be a little more difficult than others to get your hands on. Only the original Tresor is sold at Sephora and Ulta (you can still get it at department stores and online, though; it hasn’t been discontinued).

Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Garden

This is a magical spring and summer floral version of the best coconut perfumes. The creamy coconut, vanilla, and almond milk dance among the vibrant magnolia, mandarin, neroli, ylang-ylang, and frangipani, accompanied by the warmth of sandalwood.

Dolce Garden might just be the freedom and beauty of childhood spring break days in a bottle–beautiful florals, sunshine, and a smidge of sunscreen.

Pros

• Lasts all-day
• Well-blended
• Mentally takes you on a tropical beach vacation, but it’s more sophisticated than “just” coconut

Cons

• A little expensive at $78.00 for one ounce
• Sometimes the florals overpower the coconut note

Maison Margiela ‘REPLICA’ Beach Walk

This warm, fresh scent mentally takes you on what the Beach Walk name suggests–a walk along the sea, white sands beneath your feet. It’s bright and breezy, like the perfect summer beach day. Notes include bergamot, pink pepper, lemon, heliotrope, musk, and coconut milk.

Pros

• Mini size is available for $32.00 (0.34 oz.), so you won’t have to spend much to give it a try.
• Not overpowering
• Perfect beach day in a bottle

Cons

• If you love it and want a full-size bottle, you’ll spend at least $76.00 (one ounce) but up to $144.00 (3.4 oz.).
• It’s a little linear and pretty straightforward, so it won’t be the best coconut perfume for those who like their fragrances to be complex.
• If you don’t like sunscreen scents, you won’t enjoy this one.

Ariana Grande Thank U, Next

I often shy away from celebrity scents, but Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next has a sweet, musky, coconutty fragrance that makes it stand out. It’s creamy without being heavy, a perfect sweet summertime scent. The pear and rose add a freshness to it some coconut perfumes miss.

Notes include white pear, wild raspberry, crème de coconut, pink rose petals, macaroon sugar, and velvet musk. 

Pros

• Not overpowering
• Good for everyday wear
• Lasts all-day
• One of the least expensive perfumes on the list at $45.00 for one ounce

Cons

• May be too soft for someone who wants a lot of projection from their perfumes
• Seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it fragrance that smells like pickles to a lot of people, so definitely try it before you buy it.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess and Eau Fraîche Skinscent

I’m a sucker for anything with Tiare flower. It’s floral, perfumey, creamy, and a little earthy. So to pair that with the beloved coconut note is…chef’s kiss! It’s no wonder Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess and its flankers like Eau Fraîche Skinscent have been so popular for years.

The notes of the original Bronze Goddess include Italian bergamot, ginger extract, mandarine, Indian jasmine sambac absolute, creamy coconut, frangipani petals, vanilla absolute, cashmere wood, captive musk, and amber.

The breakdown of the Eau Fraîche notes from the Estee Lauder website goes like this: amber, coconut milk, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver, myrrh, juicy mandarin, Sicilian bergamot, lemon, pulpy orange, tiare flower, jasmine, magnolia petals, orange flower buds, and lavender.

I can’t think of a better coconut masterpiece than these if you want to bottle the feeling of a tropical getaway. If you want the coconut to be the standout note, go with Eau Fraîche.

Pros

• A tropical paradise in a bottle
• Surprisingly inexpensive, comparatively speaking, at $105.00 (original) or $84.00 (Eau Fraîche) for 3.4 oz.
• Sultry, sexy, and relaxing
• Other products within the line, like Bronze Goddess Shimmering Oil Spray for Hair & Body, pair well with these

Cons

• Choosing between the two could be a challenge, but you probably don’t need both.
• The bottles look similar, so it would be easy to accidentally buy the wrong one.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar

I love Pacifica fragrances because they always smell so clean–there’s no muddying of notes; you’ll usually smell exactly what the name implies. I also love that they’re affordable and available at Target and Ulta.

Indian Coconut Nectar is soft and sweet, a gorgeous coconut, vanilla, and vetiver blend. The refreshing, creamy coconut and sweet vanilla intertwine, and the earthy vetiver grounds it and gives it depth.  

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Easy to find
• Refreshing scent that’s a little sweet, but not too sweet
• Vegan

Cons

• Doesn’t last all day

Cheirosa ’39 Sol de Janeiro

Cheirosa ’39 Sol de Janeiro is a little different than your typical perfume. This is a spray designed to be used on your hair or body. It’s a lightweight gourmand featuring creamy coconut, tropical orchid, and toasted praline notes.

Pros

• Smells delicious and sweet
• Inexpensive (only $20.00 for three ounces)
• Other products from this line are available, so you can layer them to make the scent last all-day

Cons

• Fades fast
• Maybe overpowering at first
• Sometimes, it can smell a little like buttered popcorn

Mugler Alien Goddess

In my mind, Mugler can rarely do wrong (other than Womanity, which does not agree with my body chemistry). Alien Goddess is another winner, featuring a coconut note that makes it a sparkling summer option that isn’t your typical “fruity” scent.

Thanks to jasmine and vanilla it’s warm and sweet, with bergamot in the top notes for brightness. It’s perfect for summer evenings.

Pros

• Easy to find at department stores, Sephora, and Ulta
• Warm and sensual, but not too strong for the summer heat
• Good longevity
• Good projection
• Beachy, but not in the simple “sunscreen” way

Cons

• Some people may find it too strong, though it’s not at the same level as Angel as far as projection and sillage are concerned.

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is a unisex perfume that features coconut in the base notes, along with amber, tonka bean, and benzoin. At first spray, it’s bright and nutty: pistachio, cardamom, pink pepper, and bergamot open, followed by creamy tuberose, ylang-ylang, and jasmine.

This is a crossover scent between sophistication and sunscreen. Thanks to the florals and spices, there’s more complexity here than your average “day at the beach” type of scent, but that warming, relaxing feeling is there.

Pros

• You can try it before you buy it at Sephora locations (consider asking for a sample so you can try it for a few days before you commit).
• It’s exciting and complex, but not in a way that it’ll take a perfume-obsessed individual to truly appreciate.
• It’s especially magical on hot summer days (and nights), which is exactly when you’ll probably want to wear it.

Cons

• It’s one of the most expensive ones at $65.00 for a 0.3 oz. sample or $163.00 for a one-ounce bottle.
• Considering the price, some people may be overwhelmed by how much it smells like sunscreen, even though there’s more to the scent. 
• May lean a little too feminine for people seeking a unisex option

Versace Crystal Noir

If your best coconut perfume is dark with a side of mystery, you’ll probably like Versace Crystal Noir. Don’t be surprised if the ginger and pepper tickle your nose at first. It’s got a spiciness to counterbalance the sweet, creamy coconut, musk, and sandalwood. It settles down into something beautiful and warm.

Crystal Noir is good for date nights any time of year.

Pros

• It’s unusual but doesn’t incorporate any “weird” notes that would turn many people off.
• Sexy and sensual
• Good year-round

Cons

• Doesn’t last all day 
• Won’t be a feminine enough perfume for some (Though I wouldn’t call it masculine or even unisex, there are a few notes that could turn someone off if they’re looking for coconut and florals.)

Guerlain Coconut Fizz

Guerlain doesn’t strike me as a house that would even offer a coconut scent, but they have one–Coconut Fizz–and it’s incredible. They even provide advice for layering it with their other fragrances to create something custom to your personality or mood.

Notes include coconut nectar, bergamot, water fruit, freesia, sandalwood, and tonka bean. 

Pros

• Comes in a beautiful bottle with a vintage feel
• Combines some unusual notes with the coconut, like freesia, with some expected ones like sandalwood and bergamot. The result is stunning and not like anything else. 
• Fresh and lighthearted for summer, but not overly beachy

Cons

• It’s Guerlain, so it’s one of the more expensive ones on the list.
• It can be hard to track down in person, but the Guerlain site has it.

Carolina Herrera Good Girl Legere

Even though I don’t see coconut listed anywhere in the notes, I have to add Carolina Herrera Good Girl Legere anyway. It smells like a warm, sensual coconut perfume on my skin, and it was one of the first that came to mind. (The other was the 2014 version of Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Now, which was sadly a limited edition fragrance and next to impossible to find now.) Of course, the white florals, citrus notes, dulce de leche, and woods show up, too. 

Pros

• Light, warm, sensual summer and spring scent that you could probably safely blind-buy if you already love the original Good Girl
• Interesting bottle

Cons

• No coconut is listed in the notes, so your mileage may vary with this one; it may not smell like coconut on your skin.
• Not everyone will love the bottle that looks like a high-heel pump.

FAQs

Conclusion: If You Love Coconut, Get One of These Perfumes for Summer

If you love coconut perfumes in general, run through the questions I asked initially to narrow down the type of coconut fragrance you’d enjoy the most. If you want one that smells like the beach–the sunscreen, the breeze, the warmth–take a whiff of Maison Margiela ‘REPLICA’ Beach Walk next time you get the chance.

Want something warmer and more sensual, like a tropical vacation? Try Mugler Alien Goddess. For an everyday, relaxing scent that smells like all the best childhood memories from spring and summer breaks, go with Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Garden.

Suppose you can’t decide and want a perfume that does it all. In that case, I recommend starting with Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche Skinscent. Coconut is such a magical note. You can’t go wrong with any of the best coconut perfume recommendations above.