I do love coconuts

As I live in a country where coconuts don’t grow, it’s actually, now I think of it, a wonder how I seem to know forever now what it smells like. Probably since the first time I was taken for a beach summer vacation by my parents. The coconut note was quite dominant  in sunscreens then (well, it still can be found everywhere today as well). It was definitely the first tropical note embedded in my mind forever.

Unfortunately as I grew older and wanted to try and discover all kinds of cosmetics, I stumbled upon several different products pairing the coconut with vanilla and ending up with seriously upset stomach. That smell is also embedded in my mind as an example of how two things that smell so nice by themselves and sometimes together as well, can be made into an obnoxiously artificial and nauseating thing.

Ok, now that I put that off my chest, I can get to the subject of the post. Honoré des Prés. Or more precisely, Olivia Giacobetti. Or to be completely clear here – Love Coco.

After being lucky enough (and fast enough) to win a sample of Vamp a NY (and fall in love with it) from Grain de Musc and reading a really good review by Nathan Branch, I knew I had to get my hands on the coconut thingy. And I was right. 🙂 I just love it when I buy something unsniffed and it turns out a complete success.

It is difficult to describe a coconut perfume since, well, the most true thing you can say is that it smells coconuty (you surely didn’t know that?). 🙂
Luckily for me, even though the notes mention vanilla, my teenage nauseating experience was firmly forgotten with the first sniff of this joyful elixir.

I don’t know how many of you had the chance to use or smell coconut butter (which has some seriously good hydrating properties) but that is the closest smell Love Coco gets to. It’s not too sweet, it’s exactly like that coconut butter, like there is some bark mixed in with that milky-nutty lushness.

I feel a bit stupid saying this, but adding that coriander leaf into this mix was a stroke of brilliance. I mean Ms Giacobetti obviously knows what she’s doing. I would never guess that coconut smell can get this wonderful herbal sharpishness and spiciness. Makes me want to breathe it in more and more. And even though I forswore wearing coconut scents during my teenage years, I obviously found one that made me change my mind.

The good thing is, I cannot see myself wearing this outside summer, beach ambient so my bottle is going to last a while. That is, I’m hoping it will because I keep spraying my arms so I can inhale it during the day.

Notes: coconut, coriander leaf, vanilla.

Pic by: http://www.honoredespres.com/

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8 thoughts on “I do love coconuts

  1. Beautiful Things September 2, 2010 at 13:02 Reply

    Yes, I love coconut too but it has to be in the right situation. In the right situation it's so evocative but in the wrong one it's just sickly.

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  2. kjanicki September 2, 2010 at 18:25 Reply

    I'd like to try this one, I didn't like Vamp a NY but I like other Olivia Giacobetti perfumes and I love coconut too! Great review.

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  3. flittersniffer September 2, 2010 at 19:57 Reply

    Lovethescents is a big coconut fiend – will tip her off about this one!

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  4. Ines September 3, 2010 at 09:49 Reply

    Beautiful things, that's exactly what happened to me. Now I warily approach coconut smells. 🙂

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  5. Ines September 3, 2010 at 09:50 Reply

    Kjanicki, I'll contact you regarding the Tauer sample and maybe we can find some other things and swap? I wonder what you will think of it – but I adore Vamp a NY. It just hits all my buttons. 🙂

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  6. Ines September 3, 2010 at 10:02 Reply

    FS, you think she might change her mind? 🙂 I would like to hear what someone like that thought about Love Coco…I can't wait to try Les Carottes now.

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  7. EauMG September 28, 2010 at 05:23 Reply

    This sounds like a fragrance worth trying. I always think I like coconut/vanilla scents too but they are bit well, sickly sweet and remind me of my teenage years too! This one sounds like a "grown-up" coconut fragrance because of the herbaceous notes.

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  8. Ines September 28, 2010 at 11:32 Reply

    EauMG, it is definitely worth trying. You are right, both vanilla and coconut are really tricky to get right and not evoke that childhood/teenage sweetness. Let me know what you think of it once you try it. 🙂

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