Niche coffee perfumes: 7 ways to wear it

Coffee is the smell of a Paris morning: the zinc counter, the scalding cup, the croissant waiting beside it. In perfume it does the same thing: it wakes you up, warms you up and makes people lean in. And depending on what surrounds it, it can turn spicy, sweet, woody or even floral.

Here are seven perfumes from our catalogue where coffee plays a real part, sorted by style. The notes we mention are the ones on our product pages, nothing more.

Pure coffee: Amore Caffè, Mancera

Just one note on our page: coffee. That's the whole point. Amore Caffè is espresso with no detours, for anyone who wants to smell of coffee and nothing else. Simple, direct, comforting. See Amore Caffè.

The wake-up coffee: Awake, Akro

The name doesn't lie. On our page, Awake pairs coffee with cardamom, lemon and vetiver. Lemon and cardamom give it sparkle, vetiver a dry, woody base. A coffee that's fresher than it is gourmand, easy to wear in the daytime. See Awake.

The spiced coffee: Kahwa, Boadicea the Victorious

Kahwa opens on cardamom, saffron, clove, eucalyptus and bay leaf. In the heart, coffee meets Bulgarian rose, neroli and jasmine sambac. At the base, oud, amber, cedar, patchouli and moss. A coffee with spice and flowers, rich and warm, for winter evenings. See Kahwa.

The dessert coffee: Sensual Instinct, Montale

Sensual Instinct opens on bergamot, mandarin, cardamom, saffron and whisky. The heart blends amberwood, jasmine, rose, tiramisu and patchouli leaf. The base brings cocoa, coffee, vanilla, oakmoss, cedar and white musk. Tiramisu, cocoa, coffee: it's a dessert in a bottle. See Sensual Instinct.

The tender coffee: Divin'Enfant, Etat Libre d'Orange

Released in 2006, Divin'Enfant brings together orange blossom, marshmallow, coffee and tobacco on our page. Orange blossom and marshmallow add softness, coffee and tobacco a warm base. A rounded, almost cuddly coffee. See Divin'Enfant.

The woody coffee: Gambling, The House of Oud

Gambling opens on bergamot, Sichuan pepper, whisky and coffee. In the heart, elemi, galbanum, mastic and cypress. At the base, ambrette, amyris wood, cedar, guaiac wood, musk, vetiver and benzoin. The coffee shows up right at the start, then hands over to resins and woods. For you if you love coffee but not sugar. See Gambling.

The gourmand coffee: Drunk Maple, Borntostandout

Drunk Maple starts on pink pepper, davana and rum. In the heart, coffee, maple syrup and suede. At the base, vanilla, sandalwood, benzoin and Orcanox. Rum, maple, coffee: a Sunday breakfast that goes on and on. The most gourmand on the list. See Drunk Maple.

How to choose your coffee

• Pure and simple: Amore Caffè.
• Fresh, for daytime: Awake.
• Spicy and floral: Kahwa.
• Dessert-like: Sensual Instinct or Drunk Maple.
• Soft and tender: Divin'Enfant.
• Woody and dry: Gambling.

Always test on skin: coffee is often loud at the start, then makes room for what surrounds it. On every product page you can see the shops that sell the perfume, compare offers and set a price alert to hear when it drops.