Coco Blanc

At first spray, I really loved this unique, woody vanilla. I had never smelled anything like it and I was quite impressed. Later on as the drydown occurred I found myself not that into it though. Two days later I decided to try it again and it really grew on me. In fact, there are a few scents from HoM where I had this very same experience. After seeing many good reviews and recommendations regarding this house I purchased a sample kit. The packaging and unboxing alone was an awesome experience in itself. Meticulously and eloquently designed and packaged, right down to the silky cardstock of the boxes and description cards. And I think that's one thing people are missing here regarding the price: when you go with this house you're not just buying the juice, but the whole experience and philosophy surrounding HoM. You're also paying for the all-natural ingredients, which are not cheap. You may not care about natural ingredients or presentation, but that's up to you. All of that said, it is still quite pricey for my budget, and I say that having now fallen in love with this scent as well as a few others. (But I'm a sucker for anything vanilla.) Many have mentioned the lack of projection as a negative but fail to realize not all of us wish to blast every person with whom we come in contact. Some people like skin scents. More importantly, some people like wearing low-projecting scents certain times and high-projecting scents other times. (For instance, at work. Don't be that guy or gal drowning your co-workers into olfactory hatred of your presence!) This be may blasphemous to the fragrance community, but I feel projection shouldn't be such a huge deciding factor in whether something is good or not. Many have said Coco Blanc is better fit for women, but I'm a straight man in my mid-30s and I say if you like a scent, no matter what it is, rock it like there's no tomorrow. If you like woody, musky vanilla you will like this, no question. House of Matriarch may be too expensive for most, but they definitely make some very uniquely exquisite fragrances. Coco Blanc is one my current favorites.

LOVE this. It was a total blind buy but I've been eyeing it for years and I read up on it a lot to really make sure it would be for me. I just knew it was. And it is! But don't get it twisted- this is not a true gourmand, at least not to me. There is a faint white chocolate element but no more than in for example Coromandel. This is no foody scent, and it is not sweet. Coco Blanc is, at it's heart, a woody scent, and that is it's main purpose. I don't want anyone to get disappointed because they were expecting a gourmand, foody scent. This is not that. The website mentions sandalwood so that is in there as well as some generally woody notes. This perfume stands out for me, obviously, because of it being a natural perfume. I believe this one is 100% natural (some of hers are 99% natural, etc, but HoM is considered a natural perfume house). This leads the woody notes to smell very complex, soft (no harsh edges anywhere!) and realistic. TBH, this is everything I was expecting from Santal Blush but didn't get- wood-focused, slightly spicy scent- and HoM does it so much better. But of course with these kinds of quality, natural raw materials, there is so much potential. Okay so to describe the scent more completely- I get an initial hit of woods upon spraying- soft, sensual, almost creamy, very SMOOTH woods, with that hint of white chocolate, and the chai spices floating in the background. This is the main part of the scent and lasts a couple hours. Then maybe around hour 3 you hit the final stage- vanilla and musk, and the perfume gets a tad sweeter in this stage. Overall the perfume is VERY soft so you will have to apply much more heavily than normal. It also doesn't last too long, but that's due to the lack of chemical fixatives, and inherent in most natural perfumes, so I can't fault her for that. Overall I HIGHLY recommend if you are looking for a gorgeous woody scent. The only downsides- the scent is VERY expensive, VERY soft, and doesn't last long. But while it lasts- HEAVEN!

Time for me to revise my previous review here. Over time I have found that this perfume just feels like “me” more than anything else I’ve ever come across. I just love it so much and will continue to buy it as long as it is available (which is hopefully forever). There’s just nothing like it. The sandalwood in here is so pure, so high quality and just perfect. I love sandalwood and can be picky about it. The white chocolate is sweet and smooth. The vanilla is sweet but not overdone. I am a huge chai fan, as well, and the chai spices in here are scrumptious. It’s like this was made for me. I tried to fight loving it because it is expensive but I do feel it is worth it. Projection is not beast mode, but is enough for my husband to notice and spontaneously compliment me whenever I wear it. I also love that Coco Blanc is all natural. I have a little one and I worry about exposing him to chemicals from fragrance. Also, the packaging is just beautiful and fits my taste perfectly. If this were more affordable it could definitely be my signature. Now that I’m more into niche I don’t really understand the hate that this gets for being pricey when there are so many expensive luxury niche perfumes. At least with House of Matriarch you know you are getting the highest quality natural ingredients. Plus, it’s made in my hometown Seattle. Just another reason for me to love!!!

I love love love Coco Blanc. I think I've never come across anything like it before. On me it's a heavenly concoction of woods, spices and vanilla, with the spices and woods taking up most of the space as it progresses. It's also slightly buttery. I wish I could bathe in this stuff and I've received some very nice compliments while wearing it. Especially the one my boyfriend gave me shortly after getting my bottle. I was standing quite far away from him when I was getting ready to go out and sprayed some Coco Blanc on. Only 30 seconds later he says without looking up from his phone, "whatever you just put on smells great". He is really fussy when it comes to perfumes so a compliment from him means he really likes it. I was also surprised that he could smell it from that far away from me. The only negative thing I can say about it is the performance. Like with other HOM perfumes, the longevity isn't major, although if sprayed in hair it will last surprisingly long, and it doesn't radiate loudly at all. After only 2 hours on me it's a skin scent. But that is to be expected with an all natural perfume. If a delicious combination of chai spices, smoky wood and heavenly vanilla and white chocolate, with some smooth butter sound appealing to you, definitely try it out.

Huh. Somehow I never got around to reviewing this, though I've worn it quite a bit and it's probably my favorite House of Matriarch fragrance. This one is a strong like for me. It reminds me a bit of Coromandel with the creamy vanilla, spices, white chocolate and wood. I'm not a huge fan of the musk notes at the end which keeps it from being a love. As for complaints about the price, I don't find it unreasonable. It's very strong and long lasting for a natural. I hit myself with three sprays this morning, got whiffs for about five hours and nine hours later can still smell it as a skin scent and this is on a pretty hot day when I've been doing housework. One thing I have noticed about House of Matriarch, it says in the packaging that if you leave it sit in a cool dark place the scents will mature. I've found that to be true. They seem to get deeper and better blended, if that makes any sense. I don't know what to say about people not smelling anything. I guess it's possible if your nose is accustomed to synthetics it takes some recalibration to appreciate naturals. I've found plenty of synthetics that are weaker than Coco Blanc. If you like Coromandel or other gourmands and are interested in naturals, I think it's a good scent to try.