Truly, every stylish person I know shops at COS. The retailer is practically bursting with elegant, “quiet luxury” basics that are versatile, timeless, and just make you look expensive. Think The Row energy without the $1000+ price tag. When I’m painfully bored with my closet or want to look chic without breaking the bank, I sprint to my nearest COS (which, lucky for me, happens to be a brisk 10-minute walk away).
So when I had the opportunity to test the brand’s first-ever fragrance collection (crafted in Grasse, France, the known perfume capital of the world), I had high hopes it would make me feel just as sophisticated as the airy cotton trousers I hold dear. I won’t bury the lede: COS absolutely delivered. I rotated through the new perfumes for four weeks, and each has a rich, main-character quality, though I did ultimately crown a favorite. Find all my honest thoughts below.
The COS Eau de Parfum collection includes four exclusive fragrances, each bottling modern elegance in unique ways. Depending on your preferred scent profile, you might gravitate towards a dark, ambery potion or a bright, solar situation (and so on). In true minimalistic-chic fashion, COS somehow captures every craving with just those four bottles. So let’s get to know each scent character, shall we?
Auburn
Auburn is earthy, sweet, and slightly spicy, and the fragrance equivalent of a dark romance. Notes of vanilla, cardamom, and coffee give it a rich, syrupy quality that doesn’t wind up too saccharine, given the subtle woody components. It’s the only gourmand scent of the bunch (and a great choice if you typically gravitate towards sweeter fragrances), but it doesn’t lean dessert-like, a far cry from the trending, bakery-inspired scents we’ve seen this year. Imagine a cooler, grown-up gourmand with an air of mystery—that’s Auburn on the nose.
Suffice it to say, this is an incredible date-night fragrance. I tend to save gourmands like these for evening occasions or whenever I’m feeling a bit bold, but you could wear it during the day for a moodier vibe.
Mythe
For me, Mythe is the surprise hit. I don’t usually fawn over green scents, so this fresh blend of ginger, green cardamom pods, and vetiver didn’t jump out to me on paper. Now? It’s genuinely all I want to wear, every single day. It’s probably the most complex scent I’ve smelled in a minute. I like that it has the elements of a chypre, the ultimate cool-girl olfactory family if there ever was one. To me, it simply oozes confidence. “Mythe reinterprets timeless, woody fragrances,” says master perfumer Nathalie Lorson in press materials. “By blending earthy, textured, and fresh elements, I have created an elegant and sensuous signature, a mark of taste.” I certainly feel sophisticated every time I wear it.
Fleuriste
As you can probably guess from its name, Fleuriste is for the floral fragrance lovers among us. Rather than taking inspiration from a single bloom, Lorson aimed to capture the scent of walking into a florist shop, “where floral bouquets intertwine with the air.” So, yes, you’ll catch whiffs of delicate rose, but you’ll also notice bright Hesperides (from the citrus family), soft musk, and subtle woody undertones—a modern, skin-like version of your favorite floral perfume. “It’s my interpretation of pure joy and lightness,” Lorson adds.
Solaire
I think olibanum—aka, frankincense—might just be my favorite fragrance note. (My treasured body wash and lotion duo also features the woody, spicy aromatic.) That said, if I had to choose a favorite COS fragrance, it would have to be this vibrant solar scent. Take my word for it: Solaire smells so freaking good. It’s at once bright and herbaceous with myrrh, benzoin, cistus, and amber, grounded by comforting musk to give it a softer, cozier dry-down.
As far as summer fragrances go, this is a top notch pick I’ll be wearing all season. It’s gorgeous on its own, but I like to also layer it with Mythe to add some fresh elements to the mix. Try the concoction, and thank me later.
If you do wish to layer multiple potions (and I highly recommend you do!), you can snag a discovery set with travel-size bottles to help suss out your favorite pairings. Otherwise, the fragrances come in sleek 100ml or 15ml bottles tagged at $99 and $49 (respectively). You really can’t go wrong with either of the four blends, so go ahead and shop the entire collection below.
Shop All the COS Eau de Parfums
COS
Auburn Perfumery Eau De Parfum
COS
Solaire Eau De Parfum
COS
Fleuriste Eau De Parfum
COS
Solaire Eau De Parfum
COS
Fleuriste Eau De Parfum
COS
COS Perfumery Discovery Set
COS
COS Perfumery Travel Case
