You know when you’re walking along the beach and a perfectly faded piece of sea glass washes ashore? That’s exactly what this smells like. I loved searching for them as a kid, and this is the grown-up version of that adventure. Essentially ocean-worn blue glass in olfactive form, it’s a coconut take on a skin scent. The blend of coconut nectar, ylang ylang, and sandalwood creates a slightly sweet, cozy seaside vibe.

When you want to smell like Lydia Deetz at the beach (possibly the person I’d most want to hang out with under a black beach umbrella), this is the scent for you. Essentially a gothic spin on a coconut perfume, true to its name, it smells like a naughty version of the genre—a little spice, a little deeper, a little more mysterious. Paired with unexpected notes like cedar and vanilla derived from clove, it’s the perfect way to add a sultry twist to a basic coconut perfume.

Got milk? This floral tropical take on a coconut perfume certainly does. I’ve long been a fan of the Miu Miu scents, and this is my favorite yet. Delightfully creamy, it’s delicious yet still delicate. It smells like eating a refreshing, fruity dessert out of a coconut shell on a beach in Thailand while you can feel the sun on your shoulders.

Mist this on and it will indeed feel like you swam out to a coconut grove on your beach vacation. (Hey, a girl can dream.) It’s bright, airy, and breezy, like the perfect day spent at the shoreline. It’s just sweet enough without being cloying. Even better, it’ll make your skin feel as good as it smells, since it leaves skin hydrated and soft, courtesy of hyaluronic acid, aloe, and glycerin. It can also be spritzed onto your hair or clothes, and since it’s a lightweight body mist, I spray it all over to smell like a pina colada cloud.

Ever hear of those lamps designed to beat seasonal blues? Well, if you’re not into basking in front of bright lights, consider this mood booster in a bottle. With notes of coconut milk, banana, and pineapple—alongside more unexpected hints of plastic and pool water (!!!)—this eau de toilette transports me to a pool deck sipping a pina colada. Some reviewers, however, say that this is akin to glorified sunscreen, and if you aren’t into that smell, this might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, this is perhaps the purest coconut fragrance on my list. While I typically don't favor coconut as a standalone note, this one blends perfectly with my skin and body chemistry. It’s sweet, but not overly so. I also gotta mention, I love the story behind this woman-owned brand. Following her friend's injury in the army, founder Barb Stegemann vowed to carry forward his mission of peace, leading to the creation of The 7 Virtues and their motto: "Make Perfume Not War."

If you want to extend your beach day (sans the heat and sand), spritz on some of this body spray. With notes of coconut milk and sand (yup, sand!), it's beachy and tropical without smelling too much like sunscreen, IMO. It's a body mist instead of an EDP, so it wears off faster than a rich, full-bodied perfume would; however, I get about six hours of this scent when I spray it all over my clothes and on top of Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum cream. The sweet, almond scent of the Bum Bum cream mixes with the already creamy vanilla, making it extra delectable.

I’ve been having a bit of a love affair with Byredo fragrances since their flagship store landed in New York City in 2015, and have racked up quite a few of their bottles over the years. I’m serious when I say I get compliments every time I wear one of my Byredo scents—and this musky coconut and patchouli fragrance is no exception. Think of a more elevated version of Estee Lauder’s 2010 Bronze Goddess (which I wore the heck out of over a decade ago). Fair warning: I do sometimes carry a tester-size vial of this in my purse, because it needs to be reapplied after about three to four hours.

This perfume just screams sexy to me, like the perfect date night perfume. So it came as no surprise when I realized that Emily Ratajkowski is the face for this new version of Flowerbomb. While it definitely leans feminine with its warm tropical and candy-like sweetness, I discovered its universal appeal firsthand in a packed elevator, when a random guy broke the awkward silence with a compliment on my “damn good” scent.

Philosophy scents are celebrated for their understated charm, speaking softly rather than shouting. And while sometimes it’s nice to draw attention from everybody in the room, there are other times you just want to wear something for yourself. At just over 4 ounces, this pear, jasmine, and coconut milk perfume gives you complete control on how loud you want to be. Personally, I prefer to use this as a "no-fragrance" fragrance (see what I did there? 😉). One to two spritzes in the morning provides just enough to pique my senses, but by the afternoon I’m left with a clean canvas if I’m looking to rock something else.

How to choose the best coconut perfume for you:

Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?