The Cream Of The Crop: Why milk perfumes are udderly irresistible 

Creamy, smooth, delicious.

These are words that may appear in an old-school TV advertisement describing a carton of milky goodness to be paired with a comforting bowl of breakfast cereal, but for a bottle of fragrance? Colour me intrigued.

Don’t yuck my yum.

But let’s address the elephant in the room; what in the actual world is a ‘milk perfume?’ If you have ever torn open the safety seal of a carton and taken in the first whiff of its distinctly sweet, velvety essence and wished you could do a dive right into it, that is exactly what perfumery ‘noses’ are trying to recreate here. An ode to a nostalgic childhood, this soft, creamy note is more commonly known as a lactonic scent that features the familiar hint of dairy products to create blends in different styles. While there are many variations of recreating the rich lactic memory of sloshing white liquid, there is often a fine balance between keeping it elegantly gourmand and sickeningly cloying.

Good news is, milk perfumes are often paired with various kinds of underlying notes for an elevated olfactory ride; think tonka beans, sandalwood, mahogany and vanilla musk to name a few. Despite its seemingly polarising and somewhat confusing mix, don’t be quick to dismiss this experience yet. With this strange concoction, it helps with making the creamy perfume less baby vomit and more refreshing, comforting, warm and skin-like - much more wearable than you think.

Fleeting trend or timeless blend?

Recently, the internet has gone on a wild hunt for gourmand scents, perhaps even redefining what this generation looks for in a perfume. I mean, who doesn’t desire to smell like an absolute snack? If the mouth-watering waft of freshly baked chocolate muffins or your grandmother’s golden brown banana cake bring back a flood of memories, gourmand perfumes serve to do just that - evoke intense emotions and ride the nostalgia wave; which could also explain why they have us hooked and wanting more.

While milk perfumes may be in trend at the moment, it certainly isn’t something new in the market. In 1998, Issey Miyake released Le Feu d’lssey, a bold, spicy and woody aromatic for women that was truly way ahead of its time. Packed with a whole creamy goodness of milk, sichuan pepper, coriander leaf and coconut, it may seem to resemble a hearty bowl of malatang at the moment, but its jasmine, bergamot, sandalwood and mahogany notes truly takes this fragrance to the next dimension.

A tapestry of modern whimsy and elegance, milk perfumes offer the allure of luxuriously creamy notes mixed with simply playful but delectable accords to deliver an incredibly rich, warm and assuring sentiment with each spritz. To date, perfumers have blazed a trail for new lactonic scents in the market that certainly have the potential to withstand the test of time.

The best milk fragrances, recommended

While the legend of Cleopatra’s milk baths remains shrouded in mystery, we can at least now get a whiff of imagining how divine she might have smelt like.

From farm-to-vanity table, here are some milk perfumes and body lotions you need to sink your teeth into right now, guaranteed to be 100% safe for lactose intolerant folks.

Milk, $192, from Commodity

Cozying up by the crackling fire with a skewered toasted marshmallow in hand and a glass of milk in another is exactly how I would describe this complexly layered Eau De Parfum. In fact, Commodity themselves have offered to paint a vivid picture with a single spray; think warm, sweet, fluffy marshmallows and the nutty fragrance of roasting sesame, then come the middle notes of musky tonka beans, and finally, a tall, satisfying glass of icy cold milk that resembles a comforting hug. Made to expertly evolve throughout your wear, be ready for an olfactory experience you can never quite shake. 

REPLICA Coffee Break EDT, $220, Maison Margiela from BHG 

Imagine coming across a quiet little cafe hidden amidst the hustle and bustle of city life and as you walk through the glass doors, you are greeted with freshly baked pastries and the low humming of a coffee machine nearby. Call it an escape or a hideout, Coffee Break by Maison Margiela will take you right in the middle of the scene, sipping on a warm cup of creamy latte enjoying a delightful dance of rich espresso and notes of a soft, milk mousse accord. Layered with lavender, spearmint and vetiver, Coffee Break truly encapsulates the vibrant setting of a charming, cosy spot. 

Milk Musk Body Lotion, $62, Molten Brown from Zalora

Milk Musk EDP is a great lactonic scent to acquire if you are just starting out on this journey. While difficult to get a hold of locally, one can take comfort in knowing that Molton Brown offers more accessible options for their best selling scent in the form of shower gels and body lotions. Unlike most milk perfumes that are often sweet and sugary, Milk Musk leans more towards a lactonic musk, as its name suggests, with peppery, woody, vanilla and balsamic undertones that comes across as highly elegant and classy, but unpretentious.

 
Bravi Cologne Elixir, $415, Thameen London from Selfridges 

There’s nothing quite like owning a signature perfume, and Bravi by Thameen London gets the job done with its luxuriously charming scent profile. On first whiff, it opens with a burst of vibrant and refreshing citrus top notes that features spicy orange, bergamot and a hint of lemon, followed closely with a dramatic ensemble of aromatics such as spicy ginger, warm saffron and tuberose before finally settling with a woody, amber vanilla base reminiscent of a nutty fragrance from walnut milk. While complexity is carefully woven into, the end result is of elegance and unmatched depth in a bottle. 

Musc Outreblanc, $580, from Guerlain 

Musc Outreblanc is a true multi-faceted perfume that embodies sensuality and sophistication by weaving a new floral interpretation of white musks with its delicate blend of orange blossom, Bulgarian rose and sandalwood. It is light, clean and offers a hint of sweetness as well as a powdery finish with a lick of creaminess from its milky, lactonic musk base notes that shroud the wearer in a coat of underrated poshness and elegance, much like an alternative take on the ‘clean laundry’ scent. 

Milk Body Lotion, $62, from FRESH

Apart from its intense hydrating power, the Milk Body Lotion from Fresh certainly smells the part. Like its name suggests, one can expect nothing less from the creamy but non-greasy addition to your bedtime routine that perfectly complements that warm cup of milk right before slipping into your pyjamas. In fact, this Milk Body Lotion smells just like it. Gentle yet soothing, the addition of skin-loving ingredients such as niacinamide, vitamin E and hyaluronic acid helps keep your complexion supple and soft with an unparalleled radiance that smells incredibly addicting at the same time.

Pink Drops, $30, Mykonos from Aurel 

A carton of milk might be apt when chilling in the sea of blue and white in Mykonos, Greece; but to spruce up vacation time on paradise island, the Indonesian fragrance brand of the same name has other plans. While we have had strawberry milk nails and makeup, the internet is now obsessed with a certain strawberry milk perfume. Much like a childhood beverage you would reach for as a kid, ‘Pink Drops’ resembles a satisfying blend of strawberries and cream with a drizzle of almond milk and caramel sauce. As delicious as it sounds, Mykonos is sure to include a hint of vanilla and white musk to tone down the sweetness just a tad bit for easier wearability. Also available in original and coffee, one is spoiled for choice. Wear it out or take it to bed, just remember not to drink it. 

Super Milk, $100, from LUSH 

While not entirely a true body fragrance or lotion, some may argue that the Super Milk hair treatment is the OG lactonic scented product that unlocked this generation’s interest towards milk perfumes. Super Milk by LUSH is a hair conditioning spray or leave-in conditioner that helps deliver hydration, serve as a heat protectant, and even acts as a detangler. With a power packed formula, LUSH is careful not to leave out the invigorating aroma that lingers just like a hair mist. In fact, it comes with a slightly bold scent profile leveraging on the smoothness and creaminess of coconut, almond and oat milk, then a hint of citrus and tropical fruitiness, vanilla musk, and tonka beans which may seem like a crazy lineup, but actually works perfectly for an overall sweet but pleasantly inviting effect.