I first heard of Costa Brazil through a fashion industry veteran; he asked me if I was familiar with Francisco Costa’s (Women's Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection) new beauty brand. I wasn’t, but thankfully that changed because I have had a wholehearted obsession with Costa Brazil since. And most of that is all due to the brand’s first perfume, Aroma. 

I inherited my mom’s firm belief in a signature scent since I first started wearing perfume. It was Marc Jacobs’ Daisy as a teenager, and then from college onwards, it’s been Byredo’s Gypsy Water. But Costa Brazils’ Aroma is so divine that for the first time in my life, I have inaugurated a second perfume into my routine. 

The unisex perfume is housed in a clean and minimal, sustainably-sourced white ash wood box that perfectly mirrors the fragrance notes waiting for you inside. A small spritz will release a woodsy, musky fragrance accentuated and perked up by notes of flowers and grapefruit. When I think of the perfume, I see a white flower with large petals growing at the base of a tree trunk, dotted in mist and saturation while the sun rises in the Amazonian Rainforest. (Something somewhat reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s Tango in the Night album cover.) 

Shop now: $198; livecostabrazil.com 

I am enamored with the warm, comforting scent and that is enough but there’s been an added bonus which is that I have been stopped by numerous strangers marveling at how incredible I smell. 

This is a lasting, powerful scent; one spritz gets the job done and two spritzes will have you getting whiffs of the fragrance for a couple of days. I think this is what makes it so entrancing — I’ve come to think I subtly and delightfully announce my presence as the people surrounding me first pick up on the citrus notes which eventually give way to a smoky woodiness. 

Besides the scent literally improving my day, it’s almost made me more social in a sense. I have never had so many conversations with strangers before — someone riding in the elevator, while checking out at the grocery store, at the Museum of the City of New York gift shop, at a dimly lit dive bar, etc. It really has been a transformative experience. 

The last thing I’ll highlight is that the wood packaging is refillable. Should you run out of Aroma (which I most certainly will) you can slide off the base and replace it with a new glass bottle. And, if you are willing to forgo the wood box, you can simply opt for the refill for $150 ($49 less). 

Obviously, I love it for myself, but the chic packaging and the ritual-like experience of unboxing this treat also make it a great gift for even the pickiest people in your life. Head to Costa Brazil to peruse the scent and its other fragrance, skin and body care products. 

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