FRAGRANTICA: COCO DE MER COLLECTION LAUNCHES IN THE US
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By Bella van der Weerd, first published on Fragrantica
Coco de Mer is an exclusive fragrance collection from the Seychelles archipelago featuring the rare, natural scent of one of the world's most precious and coveted plants. As the brand explained, "Working on [our region's] Coco De Mer nuts, we noticed a unique fragrance coming from the husks. We invested significantly in R&D, working with various Universities and Cosmetic laboratories. After two years, we were able to gain the unique chemical profile of the Coco de Mer and thus begin the formulation of cosmetics from the unique aroma."
"The Coco de Mer palm, a living testament to the Earth's primeval past, is a magnificent example of island gigantism that has captivated imaginations for millennia. With only 5,000 palms in the world, the Coco de Mer is found nowhere else but the Seychelles, the paradisiacal island nation, part of the African Union, flourishing isolated and undisturbed in the Indian Ocean between Kenya, Madagascar, and the Maldives until recent times. Featured by David Attenborough in his documentary The Living Planet, the Coco de Mer (Lodoicea Maldivica) is believed to have coexisted with dinosaurs, its lineage stretching back to an era shrouded in myth and legend. The tree's colossal seeds, the largest and heaviest in the plant kingdom, have inspired countless tales and imbued the Seychelles with an aura of enchantment."
"Highly prized and fiercely protected in the island's National Parks, the Coco de Mer Palm takes 25-50 years to mature, and 6-10 years to produce its iconic, aromatic seed. The suggestive shape of this rare forbidden fruit adds to its potent mystique. One glance and you can see why they had reverence with the original island inhabitants, and inspired British sailors to believe they had found the true Garden of Eden. The female Coco de Mer grows the iconic seeds with their sensual, feminine shape, and the "heart of the goddess" fruit inside is a potent natural aphrodisiac and traditional medicine. The male Coco de Mer palms have an eye-opening stamen that is often a meter in length. The stamen grows beautiful, delicate yellow flowers (used in the collection's Sovaz perfume), and it dramatically lifts upright when the flowers are mature and ready to be cross-pollinated by geckos and spread by the wind." -Coco de Mer brand.
What is described by the brand as "the most prized and dizzyingly expensive natural perfume essence of Coco de Mer" will finally be able to reach collectors of rare perfumes in the United States. Launching this May (2025) with a limited initial release of less than 1,000 bottles, and less than 50,000 bottles available globally each year, the Coco de Mer collection offers a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the singular essence of the Coco de Mer palm.
The Coco de Mer Collection is a true olfactory journey. With five distinctive fragrances, each made with primarily natural plant-derived ingredients, including the rare Coco de Mer and fragrant botanicals local to Seychelles, the Coco de Mer Collection invites you to escape the everyday and take a journey of the senses—no passport required. The line is an invitation to immerse yourself in Seychelles' breathtaking beauty. Each of the five distinct fragrances evokes the islands' dense aromatic rainforests, pristine beaches, azure waters, and vibrant red sunsets—a realm of pure sensory delight.
The fragrances carry Seychellois Creole Names:
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
The Coco de Mer Collection is the culmination of a remarkable family legacy: the brainchild of Sharon Bonne, a local Seychellois Creole woman, and her inventive parents. Her mother and father created the patented extraction process to release the unique, heady aroma of the Coco de Mer's husk, a scent that, until recently, remained a closely guarded secret of the area. Sharon and her family work with the only Seychelles artisan with the passed-down skill to open the Coco de Mer while preserving its shell and fruit.
Coco de Mer is unwavering in its commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing. The company harvests only naturally fallen Coco de Mer seeds from wild palms, adhering to stringent government regulations that safeguard this precious natural resource. Furthermore, Coco de Mer proudly contributes 1% of all sales to Nature Seychelles, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the Coco de Mer's fragile ecosystem. Coco de Mer is also proudly woman and Seychellois-owned, partnering with the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), the longest-established local organization working in nature conservation. Each exquisite seed is purchased from the National Parks for an average of US$ 1,300, with proceeds going towards protecting the precious seeds from poachers.
For more information on the Coco de Mer Collection, please visit the brand's website. Sample sachets (5 sachets with 1ml of each fragrance) are already available, temporarily for only the cost of shipping (Ends May 3rd, 2025).