Goodbye Coffee Scents—The Matcha Fragrance Trend Is Whisking Me Away
The biggest perfume trends of 2026 are comprised of fragrance notes I never in a million years would have thought to try. I’ve had rice water scents cluttering up my desk, tomato-flavored mists on my vanity, and too many pistachio, banana, and olive extracts in my inbox to process. But the most unexpected—and shockingly my personal favorite—has been matcha perfumes. Now don’t get me wrong: I like a Blank Street Daydream Matcha Latte as much as the next person, but I can’t say that I always dreamt of smelling like my afternoon pick-me-up. And yet, once I started smelling an assortment of matcha notes, I realized the note was surprisingly complex. It’s green, but not too grassy. There’s a bitterness that reads as vegetal, and, in many, an underlying creaminess that softens the scent into something intimate and skin-like.
Formulating it isn’t the easiest—there’s no real matcha plant to extract from. “Perfumers have to layer ingredients that together evoke the full sensory impression of matcha: green tea notes that capture that fresh, slightly bitter top, alongside softer, creamier elements that mimic a perfectly prepared bowl,” says Carol Han, the founder of Nette. The result is an accord that’s often reminiscent of peace and stillness. “We’re all looking for ways to slow down, and there’s something so inherently meditative about match, and it’s almost become this symbol of mindful living,” says Han. “Fragrance, at its best, does the same thing. It pulls you into a moment. People are drawn to matcha in perfumery for the same reason they’re drawn to it in life: it feels really grounding.”
Intrigued by summer's latest, and most enticing, perfume trend? Keep scrolling for the five best matcha fragrances to try before fall hits.
The Best Matcha Fragrances
- Best Gourmand Matcha Perfume: Nette La Vanillé
- Best Green Matcha Perfume: Dossier Green Lush
- Best Matcha Skin Scent: Le Labo Matcha 26
- Best Matcha Body Mist: Matcha Milk
- Best Floral Matcha Perfume: La Monde Gourmand Thé Matcha
Best Gourmand Matcha Perfume
This is not your average vanilla. I consider myself somewhat of a vanilla perfume connoisseur, and to be completely honest, I’ve never smelled something as unique as this blend. Despite vanilla being the most prominent note, it’s not necessarily gourmand—a heavy dose of salt cuts the sweetness and adds a sharpness that is bolstered by the matcha. It took me a few days of wearing this consecutively to really match up on the unique profile, but now? I can’t stop smelling my wrist to get a whiff.
Review: “In Thé Vanille, matcha leads but it has what I'd describe as a confident restraint. When I was developing this scent, I kept coming back to the tea houses of Tokyo, which I visited a few years ago. These spaces are so precise, so considered, and yet completely serene! Matcha as a note has that same quality. It leads the fragrance without dominating it, which I think is actually the more sophisticated choice.” — Carol Han, Nette Founder
Best Green Matcha Perfume
If you’re unfamiliar with Dossier, here’s a little crash course. The brand has made it its mission to offer luxury fragrance at an affordable price point. They work directly with perfumers in France and refuse to add unnecessary markups for packaging or marketing. The result is genuinely nice scents—and the occasional dupe—that don’t cost a mini fortune. This particular fragrance places matcha in the middle and flanks it with bergamot and pistachio.
Review: “Out of all the matcha fragrances on this list, this guy is probably the most true to the matcha profile—I picked up on it instantly. It’s very earthy and definitely the greenest of the bunch. A spray instantly transports me to a herb garden. I personally like to layer it with a mandarin-forward scent, but if you normally gravitate towards green scents, you’ll likely enjoy this solo.” — Samantha Holender, Senior Beauty Editor
Best Matcha Skin Scent
As someone who was a bit hesitant on the matcha perfume front (I’ve come a very long way), I definitely found this to be the most beginner-friendly. It’s a skin scent, meaning the notes mesh with your body’s natural scent to develop into a profile that’s uniquely you, so it’s on the softer, lighter side of the spectrum. There’s not a ton of projection either, which makes this an incredible layering piece.
Review: “I have an obsession with fig fragrances in the summer. The note is unexpectedly creamy and warm, despite falling into the citrus family. Add the grounding aspect of matcha and a woody touch of cedar, and this perfume really has a comforting and warm edge, which is pretty hard to find in a summer perfume.” — Samantha Holender, Senior Beauty Editor
Best Matcha Body Mist
Phlur is a trend-setting brand, so it’s no surprise they were among the first to launch a matcha perfume. Well, technically it’s a mist—but that’s exactly why I love it. Matcha can be a pretty divisive note, but the developers at Phlur have softened it tremendously. Not only does a mist have less heaviness, but it’s balanced with a musky, milky profile that forces this particular scent to read more latte than tea.
Review: “I absolutely love matcha drinks and the earthiness and softness of it so I had to get this and try it! It’s smells so good like a matcha milk tea or latte. I have layered it with heavy cream, and/or caramel skin and I smell like a whole treat! I get a ton of compliments when wearing any of the combinations above with the delicious scent of Matcha milk. Sadly, my bottle leaks so I’ve had to take it out and switch with another phlur scent.” — Phlur
Best Floral Matcha Perfume
While I am not personally a floral girlie, I can respect a well-made one. This shockingly well-priced creation falls on the powdery side of the spectrum and adds a touch of amber. The brand recommends pairing it with Miele Bébé if you want to double down on the floral profile. I personally pair it with an amber-forward scent to lean a bit more into the gourmand category. Matcha becomes a background note either way.
Review: “This has become my go-to fragrance for the stifling days of summer. One spritz and you are instantly refreshed by a delightful wave of invigorating, pure, clean scent. The feeling is like being on board a ship and catching a mist of cool water at the rail, though the fragrance is a bit soapy, a bit gourmand with the overtones of fresh tea leaves, even (on me) a touch of something faintly like lime.”
What Does Matcha Perfume Smell Like?
“In fragrances, matcha is calming and clean, with both earthy and creamy notes,” says COO and Head of Creative Dossier, Ines Guien. Think of it more like how your matcha latte smells than the powder itself. “Matcha in fragrance appears as an accord of notes that balances the earthiness of green tea with more powdery or creamy lactonic notes for that scent we associate with matcha.” Matcha cannot be extracted, so creating the aura takes the careful work of an expert perfumer. It’ll differ brand to brand, but expect to see a combination of violet, coumarin (a tonka bean-like ingredient), milky or frothy lactones, and bergamot or cardamom.
What Notes Pair Well With Matcha Perfumes?
Matcha is a team player—you’ll typically see it alongside woody, citrus, or floral notes to help balance out its earthy energy. That being said, it’s a note that sits closer to the skin, so don’t expect the matcha sillage to project far; it’s much more intimate. But as is the case with everything in fragrance, the goal is to have fun. Layer as you see fit and create an olfactory personality that's uniquely you.
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