If You Want to Emulate Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, You Should Probably Own Her Understated ‘90s Fragrance
Hint: It's briefly mentioned in an episode of Love Story.
If you count Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy as your biggest style inspiration (long before Ryan Murphy's Love Story has dominated your algorithms), then you likely have a penchant for timeless neutrals—a crisp white button-down, a tailored, black coat—simple jewelry, and tortoiseshell hair accessories. Perhaps you've even committed to her signature butter-blonde hue; you wouldn't be alone, as her iconic color has inspired a slew of salon appointments since the '90s.
But only the true loyalists are familiar with CBK's go-to fragrance—the clean, understated scent she'd restock on the regular from an NYC street vendor. You'll even hear it mentioned in the FX show: "By the way, I wore your Egyptian musk last night, and I'm not kidding, three different guys, like, inhaled me," Viveca Chow, who portrays CBK's on-screen co-worker Grace, quips in the pilot. It's a split second of dialogue, but of course my beauty-editor ears perked right up.
Egyptian musk oil has a fresh, delicate, slightly-sweet aroma reminiscent of soft linens or a basic white tee—an original "skin scent" before the subtle aroma took off into its own perfume category. Bessette-Kennedy's reported favorite was tagged under $20, and she'd keep the rollerball on her person for midday touch-ups, as depicted in Carole Radziwill's memoir, What Remains, and Elizabeth Beller's biography, Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. "If Carolyn ran out to the drugstore, she would bring back a lipstick or a vial of Abdul Kareem Egyptian Musk Oil, which she would buy from street vendors and share with the other girls. 'Here, try this. This shade will look beautiful on you.' 'Try this oil. Doesn't it smell like clean, first love?' This was Carolyn's signature scent," Beller's account reads.
The exact Abdul Kareem scent isn't available anymore—the original vendor sadly passed away in 2023, though you may be able to buy it from a re-seller on eBay—but you can find plenty of pure Egyptian musk oils on Amazon and Etsy at a similar price. Scroll through some vetted picks below, along with other soft, understated fragrances I bet would earn Bessette-Kennedy's stamp of approval today.
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I have to imagine CBK would be a Rosie fan today, as its composition of warm, white musk with a hint of rose oil screams understated elegance. A bonus: It comes in a portable rollerball form.
Sheer and airy, this white amber- and musk-infused scent is the ultimate compliment magnet.
If you're game for something slightly more powdery, Merit's Retrospect is a dream with notes of musk, aldehydes, and moss.
The ultimate skin scent, Not A Perfume always smells light, fresh, and pretty.
I Don't Know What provides a great base for perfume layering, as its "transparent" aroma plays nice with just about any fragrance family. On its own, though, it smells wonderfully clean and mysterious.
If your main goal is for folks to stop you on the street and ask you what fragrance you're wearing, you've got to give Me a whirl. The combination of plum, peach skin, white moss, orris, sandalwood, and musks is subtle yet intoxicating.
