MILKY fragrances, a post-COVID-19 trend, offer a diverse range of options to suit different tastes. They strike a balance between the classic lactonic fragrances characterized by creamy white florals like tuberose and jasmine blended with coconut and ripe fruits like peach and plum, and the sticky gourmands that surfaced in the 1990s. Milky scents evoke a nostalgic aroma that transports us back to childhood, from the comfort of breastfeeding to the warmth of freshly baked pastries, offering a sense of care and coziness. In this article, milky fragrances are categorized into seven types: floral, woody, gourmand, powdery sweet, coffee-like, tea-like, and musky.
Some of the earliest milky fragrances include Diesel’s Plus Plus Feminine (1997), Issey Miyake’s Le Feu d’Issey (1998), and Rochas Man (1999). Plus Plus introduced a comforting lotion-like texture with floral and fruity accents and a vanillic, powdery, and musky drydown, which was unusual for the time but relatively easy to please. On the other hand, the controversial Le Feu d’Issey had a closer resemblance to actual milk, almost to the point of smelling spoiled, showcasing a cacophony of notes like coriander, anise, rose, ripe fruits, pepper, sandalwood, and caramel – quickly discontinued. Rochas Man brought something new to men’s shelves with its innovative and elegant cappuccino, lavender, raspberry, and sandalwood accord. The late Oxygène de Lanvin (2000) and its milky blend of pepper, gardenia, iris, sandalwood, and musk is another example.
The milky style was soon embraced by the promising niche market, with Serge Lutens’ Datura Noir (2001) as an early reference, featuring a milky tuberose note enriched with a creamy and powdery accord of almond, heliotrope, coconut, vanilla, and tonka bean. More recent milky florals include the flanker Kilian’s Good Girl Gone Bad Extreme (2018), which distinguishes itself from the original by adding a milky aspect to the main tuberose and osmanthus duo. Amouage’s Love Tuberose (2018) dips its white floral accord (tuberose, jasmine, gardenia) in whipped cream, but without a sticky gourmand vibe.
Milky woody fragrances typically feature a prominent sandalwood note, the creamiest of all woods, sometimes enhanced by others. Examples include Kilian’s Sacred Wood (2014), with its sensual and mysterious aura from spicy, smoky, and musky accents; Carner Barcelona’s Palo Santo (2015), which offers an autumnal rum, tonka bean, vanilla, and guaiac wood accord bathed in milk; and Parle Moi de Parfum’s Milky Musk 39 (2016), a minimalist composition centered on a milky, musky sandalwood with hints of fig and coconut.
In the gourmand territory, notable examples of milky fragrances are Amour Nocturne (2013) by L’Artisan Parfumeur, Lait Concentré (2014) by Chabaud Maison de Parfum, and one of the most coveted perfumes of the moment with meteoric success – Bianco Latte (2022) by Giardini Di Toscana’s. Amour Nocturne focuses on milky caramel accompanied by an exotic smoky and mineral gunpowder note. Lait Concentré evokes childhood memories by recreating the confectionery aroma of condensed milk. Bianco Latte escapes the stereotypical caramel concept and delivers a scent that falls between café latte and condensed milk.
Milky compositions can also have a baked and/or powdery aspect, like Xerjoff’s Italica (2016), Memo Paris’ Sintra (2020), and Commodity’s Milk (2021). Italica feels like walking through a pâtisserie filled with croissants, macarons, cookies, and other pastries – some say it’s too literal to be considered a fine fragrance. Sintra offers a sugary, rubbery milk texture like a marshmallow, brightened by a striking and elegant bouquet of orange blossoms. Milk could be a simplistic caramelized milk if it weren’t for its mature and sophisticated base of dark woods.
Although it may seem obvious outside perfumery, the milk and coffee combination is not so common in fragrances. Crema di Latte (2012) by Hilde Soliani, an indie perfumer hailed by connoisseurs as the “queen of gourmands”, is a reference for frothy, creamy milk, here with a touch of burnt sugar and coffee. Intense Café (2013) by Montale crafts the café latte accord with a vanilla-rose twist. Coffee Break (2019) by Maison Martin Margiela, composed by the same perfumer behind Rochas Man, Jacques Cavallier, revisits the cappuccino-lavender theme.
For tea-based milky fragrances, standout options are Jovoy Paris’ Remember Me (2018), Masque Milano’s Lost Alice (2021), and Maison Martin Margiela’s Matcha Meditation (2021). Remember Me contrasts a sweet milk and vanilla accord with a refreshing blend of bergamot, tea, cardamom, and ginger. Lost Alice, focused on black tea, follows a woody, powdery, and musky path with a winter vibe. Matcha Meditation, a warmer tea scent, brings a milky aspect close to buttery white chocolate.
Finally, we have the clean, soothing, skin-like musky milky scents, such as Blanche Bête (2021) by Les Liquides Imaginaires with its creamy florals; The Ghost In The Shell (2021) by État Libre d’Orange with its metallic florals; and Musc Outreblanc (2022) by Guerlain with its powdery florals. By enhancing the comfort of vanilla and musk with milky accords, this particular interpretation of the milky style has become one of the hottest trends post-COVID 19 .
(text by Daniel Barros)
