A Night of Scent and Story with NYABJ

By: Kahshanna Evans

Courtesy Serge Fils Aime

As the season’s first heatwave broke, members of NYABJ headed to an invitation-only media salon at Modern Urban Sensory Experiences (MUSE) in Harlem to be among the first to experience the Coco de Mer Collection, a luxury perfume line from the Seychelles newly available in the U.S.

MUSE is a Black-owned perfume salon helmed by Kimberly Waters. Nestled within a modern townhouse, the acclaimed experiential venue Waters founded in 2017 has grown to become Harlem’s destination for creating sensory experiences for community and culture. It's been recognized by the New York Times as one of the most sought out perfume destinations in the world,

Seychelles, a proud member of the African Union, is home to the Coco de Mer palm, which produces the largest, rarest, and most aromatically exquisite seed in the world. Renowned for its evocative shape, the seed has inspired centuries of lore, mystery and desire. Now available in the U.S. for the first time, the recent Coco de Mer Collection debut, as Waters puts it, was “a chance for guests to experience the Seychelles right from Harlem.”

Courtesy Serge Fils Aime

The guests in attendance to the intimate debut included iconic former fashion model and perfume lover Norma Jean Darden, known for her role in The Battle of Versailles battle between French and American fashion designers, and subsequent documentary and book prior to founding Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too, which catered the event.

As a perfume lover, Darden described attending the event as a real pleasure. “The display [at Culture and Connection] was just gorgeous and the presentation about the collection at MUSE Harlem was a real treat. It took you to the island. It was really creative and made you feel like you were in Africa. The wonderful aroma of the cologne just clung in the best way, not like perfume with less quality. It was filled with mystery, glamour, and uniqueness. I enjoyed the uniqueness of it and supporting African women. Coco de Mer is a scent that will rival the best of French perfume. I can’t wait to wear it.”

For Love & Hip Hop personality and beauty influencer Taranasha Wallace and her sister, Alicia Wallace, aka singer Empress Ali, attending the salon was a family affair. Wallace stated, "I enjoyed the Muse experience, and as a content creator, I certainly appreciated the opportunity to mingle with the other guests and savor the ambience along with my sister. The Coco de Mer Collection is an experience.”

"What a wonderful occasion,” Ali stated. “I'm new to the area, and I had a great time. I absolutely love fragrances, and when I received the invitation to accompany Cynthia Horner, I couldn't wait to try the different fragrances. I loved them so much that I had difficulty deciding on my ultimate fragrance, but I ultimately selected one and purchased it from this business owner. As a fellow business owner who focuses on hair and beauty, I feel that it is important to support other women."

Cynthia Horner, Publisher of Right On! Digital, and NYABJ Member at Large describes her experience, "I am still musing about The Muse experience as it was an unforgettable time of exploring our sensual side in the Village of Harlem. As guests nibbled on jerk wingettes, deviled eggs, and other light bites catered by Norma Jean Darden's Spoonbread and sipped fruit drinks, we savored the heady ambience of sheer luxury. After being pampered by our hosts, I veered towards the jasmine and sandalwood fragrances, and couldn't resist applying additional samples to my skin. I commended Kimberly Waters on her outstanding array of samples, which were nestled on the beautifully decorated table."

Also in attendance were Tanazia Jenkins of MEFEater magazine, Lorraine Chambers of Whiffs & Wares, TV Diva Fonda Sanders, sustainability expert Zoe Jiminez, and wellness educator Lalita Dunbar.

While enjoying cocktails inspired by the natural essences in the perfumes and delicious local catering, Waters and a Coco de Mer ambassador led guests on an aromatic journey as they held and examined the giant and majestic seed at the heart of the signature scent notes of the collection. Waters shared an expert’s steps to developing one’s nose, which involves awakening the sense of smell to distinguish and identify fragrance notes, exploring favorite perfumes in the collection worthy of being deemed “The One”, and announced a Coco de Mer Fragrance Co. residency at MUSE. Guests explored the notes of individual ingredients such as cardamom, saffron, vanilla pods, pink pepper, rose, sandalwood, and patchouli while discovering the five perfumes in the collection: FANM, ZONM, LODAS, SOVAZ, and the only OUD on the market with real Coco de Mer.

The rare ingredient at the heart of the newly launched Coco de Mer Fragrance Company’s line of perfumes, created by Seychellois Creole conservationist Sharon Bonne, is extracted from the deliciously aromatic seed’s husk, an olfactory experience which is described as an intoxicating mix of ripe mangos, citrus, tropical flowers, and spices carried on the ocean air. With only 5,000 palms in the world, the majestic Coco de Mer is found nowhere else but the Seychelles, the paradisiacal island nation that was flourishing isolated and undisturbed in the Indian Ocean between Kenya, Madagascar and the Maldives until recent times. Now beloved and highly sought after, the Coco de Mer Collection purchases their seeds directly from the national parks to help protect the palms from poachers. They only collect them when they naturally fall to the ground and donate 1% of each sale to the Seychelles Island Foundation.

What resonated with the audience was the Coco de Mer origin story, which introduces a different cultural world view on heritage, ancestral legends, conservancy, ethics, sustainability, innovation, and the history of luxury that Afro-descendant communities are still writing for themselves.