I’m a creature of habit with most things in beauty, including hair salons, concealers and nail appointments, but scent is not one of them. Yes, I have my favourites and the notes that I'm always drawn to (sandalwood, vanilla, and tonka, I’m looking at you!), but I’m always up for trying something new and adding to my burgeoning collection. I’ve noticed recently, though, there’s been a trend for some, shall we say, more ‘out there’ notes in fragrances. Yep, I’m talking about wet grass, tar, and bananas, y’all. Unsurprisingly, these non-typical notes tend to be picked by more niche fragrance houses and therefore are at a higher price point however, we’re here for these out-of-the-box note mashups. Who wants to smell like everyone else anyway? Take a look below for some of the wackiest perfume notes trending right now.
Weird trending perfume notes
Bananas
According to the song, Hakuna Matata ‘ain’t no passing craze’ and founder of 2787 will be hoping that’s the case for the notes in this unique scent. "As Rodrigo Flores-Roux [the perfumer behind the brand] puts it, banana is already a kind of perfume," says 27 87 founder, Romy Kowalewski. "There’s something deeply olfactive in its natural structure. A green, almost acetone-like sharpness at the top. A lush, ripe body that moves between jasmine, clove, and even something animalic. Then this soft, velvety dry-down, like a memory still warm in your hands."
With bergamot, jasmine and orange flower mixed in with ripe banana and green banana peel accord, it’s hard not to be transported to the tropics. To our Senior Entertainment Lifestyle Writer, Lydia, it smells like foam banana sweets, and I can see why on first spritz, but it settles into a yummy, warm holiday scent in no time.
Tennis balls
Wimbledon fever is not over, not according to D.S. & Durga’s scent, Crush Balls which is now exclusively available at Space NK in the U.K. Naturally, it’s inspired by the energy of tennis appaz, and with the heart note of, ahem, yellow fuzz, you can see the brand leaned all the way into the sport. While the ball scent is harder to pinpoint, the green crisp blend of grass, rosemary and white cotton is pure tennis-on-a-sunny-day vibes.
Wet grass
Personally, to me this scent smells nothing like wet grass and more like clean, sexy man chewing gum, but hey, I could be wrong. The spearmint at the top of the scent is really punchy. To the point where my boyfriend sprayed it in another room, and I was like ‘wait, did you just brush your teeth?’, the way that the minty freshness wafted into the room.
Reviewers say "A refreshing, sparkling fragrance, like fresh sparkling water in which fresh green mint leaves and basil have been crushed. A gem for summer!
No 'pool chlorine' vibe at all, People are crazy!"
Ink
Akro Ink Eau de Parfum 100ml
If anyone can actually pinpoint what ink smells like, I’m all ears. Some people say this gives a Play-Doh plasticky kick at first, but for me, the starring black ink accord is shrouded by the notes of jasmine and vetiver. If you’re a fan of woody, unisex scents, you might like this. The brand was hoping to meld together the worlds of tattoo artistry and perfumery, but actually, they just made a great perfume.
Reviews say “This is absolutely ballpoint pen and doctor’s office at first spray, but I kind of love it. After a while, it does fade to this really nice cedar. Someone described it as santal without the pickle. I could see that.”
Dulce de Leche
This scent is dripping with caramel goodness, so gourmand lovers, brace yourselves, you’re going to want to click add to basket immediately. With cotton candy teaming up with dulce de leche, aka caramelised milk, it’s a sugar-fiend’s delight. Think grown and sexy, SdJ. Warm, alluring and syrupy.
Tar
Not a newbie scent but one that continues to perplex us. That alluring kick of woody tar, the perfect thing to cover your body in after a refreshing shower. Ok, ok, we are being snarky because to be fair, tar is a apart of a tree and, hey, we love woody scents here at Cosmo. This one is a crisp and pretty masculine, which dries down into a really herbaceous scent brimming with green tea.
The brand says, “Perfumer H's Steam eau de parfum conjures images of a cool mist rolling over the hills of an ancient tea plantation forest through a mysterious blend led by aromatic green tea.”
Carrot
While herbs and salad vegetables (i.e. coriander, basil and tomatoes) are common notes in scents nowadays, I definitely double-take when I come across a root veg. Carrot sits in the top notes of this perfume along with peach, but it’s pretty unnoticeable. To me, it’s overwhelmingly iris – a true powdery floral scent.
Champagne
If you’ve ever had a bottle popped on you (it feels less boujee than it sounds, promise), then you know that the smell of champagne on skin is very pungent and not at all inviting. BUT, this scent manages to meld the fun effervescence of champs with the sweetness of honey, smokiness of tobacco and the warmth of amber and leather – a really intoxicating concoction.
Reviewers say “The best fragrance I’ve ever smelled so far, it's so warm and sexy”
Marijuana
For many of us, the smell of weed is not nostalgic, but in this scent it plays into London’s swinging sixties and seventies. The brand says, “The slap of a wood bat on a leather ball, followed by intense giggling and the sound of fabric rustling. It’s five o’clock at Biba in London and Jim Morrison is leading a young Debbie Harry astray with a Long Island Iced tea, and a game of cricket in the stock room. Can you smell all the possibilities that curled into a trippy London afternoon in the Seventies? They certainly could.”
While some reviewers note that it smells earthy and herbal (probs thanks to the Mary J mixed with the sandalwood, basil et al), others say it smells of ‘pure hashish’. Maybe see how it mixes with your pH before you wear it to work? For a less powerful kick, you could try Malin & Goetz Cannabis.
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
