Get ready, Fashion Bomb Daily readers, because a fragrance as rare and captivating as you are has officially landed in the U.S.! The Coco de Mer Collection, featuring one of the world’s most precious natural perfume essences, is making its highly anticipated debut, offering an olfactory experience unlike any other. With less than 1,000 bottles in its initial U.S. release and under 50,000 globally each year, this isn’t just a perfume—it’s a priceless piece of paradise.
A Natural Marvel with a Mystical Legacy
Imagine a plant so ancient it coexisted with dinosaurs, growing only in the paradisiacal Seychelles, part of the African Union. That’s the Coco de Mer palm, a magnificent example of “island gigantism” with the largest and most exquisitely aromatic seeds in the plant kingdom. As Sharon Bonne, Seychellois Creole entrepreneur and conservationist behind the Coco de Mer Collection, beautifully puts it, “We fall in love with the Coco de Mer like we fall in love with a woman… The Coco de Mer is more than just a plant; it’s a symbol of our heritage, a source of wonder and inspiration.”
These mystical palms and their suggestive, sensually shaped seeds have inspired lore for centuries. British sailors believed they’d found the lost Garden of Eden, and locals whisper tales of the trees coming alive at night to mate. The female Coco de Mer palm yields the iconic seeds, whose “heart of the goddess” fruit is believed to naturally ignite passion and is sought after for traditional medicine. Talk about a forbidden fruit!
The Only True Scent of the Seychelles
Each fragrance is a unique story, made primarily with natural plant-derived ingredients, including the exquisite Coco de Mer and botanicals local to the Seychelles and countries surrounding the Indian Ocean.
While other luxury perfumeries have tried to mimic the intoxicating aroma of the Coco de Mer with blends of ylang-ylang, orange blossom, and jasmine, the Coco de Mer Collection perfumes are the only ones in the world to feature the authentic, natural essence of the Coco de Mer.
What does it smell like? My favorite, Fanm, features Coco de Mer as the top note and primary ingredient with heart notes of Jasmine and Gardenia and base notes of saffron, patchouli, vanilla, caramel and amber. It starts off strong and sweet, and then develops depth, nuance and just the right amount of “come hither” spiciness on the skin.
Sharon Bonne, the collection creator describes the aromatic experience of walking through the Vallee de Mai, a natural park and Unesco World Heritage site where travelers from all over the world come to behold the Coco de Mer palms, as being enveloped in aromas of ripe mango, tropical flowers and citrus, intermingled with the salty, fresh ocean breeze.
Luxury with a Conscience: Ethical and Sustainable
For the fashion-forward and ethically-minded, the Coco de Mer Collection delivers. This brand is deeply committed to ethical and sustainable sourcing. They only harvest naturally fallen Coco de Mer seeds from wild palms, strictly adhering to government regulations that protect this precious resource. Each exquisite seed is purchased from the National Parks for an average of $1,300, directly supporting efforts to safeguard them from poachers. Plus, 1% of all sales contribute to Nature Seychelles, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the Coco de Mer’s delicate ecosystem. It’s also proudly woman and Seychellois owned, partnering with the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) for nature conservation.
The Collection with their Seychellois Creole Names + Fragrance Notes
Fanm – “Woman” Luminous · Floral · Commanding
Zonm – “Man” Seductive · Marine · Intriguing
Sovaz – “Wild” Provocative · Fresh · Unruly
Lodas – “Audacity” Effervescent · Verdant · Wanderlust
Oud – “Agarwood” Enigmatic · Smoldering · Sacred
A Family’s Olfactory Masterpiece
The Coco de Mer Collection is a beautiful testament to family legacy. It’s the brainchild of Sharon Bonne and her ingenious parents, who developed a patented extraction process to unlock the unique, heady aroma from the Coco de Mer’s husk—a scent that was once a closely guarded Seychellois secret. Sharon and her family also work with the only Seychellois artisan who possesses the ancestral skill to open the Coco de Mer husk while preserving its highly prized shell and fruit.
This collection truly is an olfactory journey, inviting you to escape the everyday and immerse yourself in a world of pure sensory delight—no passport required!
To explore the Coco de Mer Collection and experience these never-before-smelled scents in the United States, visit www.cocodemerfragrances.com.