People Are Freaking Out Over This New, Rainforest-Inspired Scent—So We Tried It

Costa Brazil’s first foray into fragrance has the beauty industry abuzz. The sustainable beauty line, created by Francisco Costa and endlessly inspired by Brazil, has been beloved by beauty editors since its conception. Each Costa Brazil product keeps the earth in mind while nourishing your body. 

Aroma, the brand’s new fragrance, is intended to smell like the Amazon rainforest at dawn. It’s inspired by Breu resin, a resin extracted from the Almacega tree. In the Amazon, this resin is considered sacred by the Yawanawá tribe for its aromatherapy properties to lift your mood and provide mental clarity. In fragrance form, the resin is transformative—it’s invigorating, woodsy, sharp, and floral. 

This new scent has quickly taken the beauty world by storm, so we knew that we needed to try it for ourselves. Keep reading to find out Who What Wear’s beauty team’s thoughts on this sustainable fragrance, and if we would keep using it (spoiler: yes).

Erin Jahns, Senior Beauty Editor

"This is Costa Brazil's first-ever perfume and boy let me tell you—it's a banger. Uni-sex and inspired by Breu, a natural resin that grows in the Amazon, the brand says Aroma smells like a Brazilian rainforest, and while I personally have never been to a Brazilian rainforest, this perfume is exactly what I would imagine one smelling like. It's composed of a complex mix of notes featuring white jungle flora, Brazil orange oil, pink pepper, grapefruit zest, geranium bourban, nutmeg oil, cedarwood, myrrh, vetiver, plant-based musks, amber, cypriol, and patchouli. It smells like a $700 spa appointment when they've lit incense and you're just like how the eff can I get my house (or in this case, my body) to smell like this?! It smells yummy before you even spritz it but definitely evolves quite differently for everyone once it mingles with your skin. Now that I'm in L.A., I miss the rain and thunderstorms I was so accustomed to growing up in Minnesota, and spritzing this gives me the richest sense of nostalgia—going outside after it's rained when everything is soaked and dewy. This perfume is such an experience, and somehow bridges the gap between chic and elevated yet wearable and cozy. I highly recommend."—Jahns

Katie Berohn, Associate Beauty Editor

In college, one of my roommates often burned palo santo to clear negative energy. At first, I thought the scent was too strong, but over time, it became comforting and grounding. To this day, the scent will always remind me of her, and how the smell of palo santo in our house was a point of calm in a storm (living with seven other 22 year old girls). Breu resin, the scent that inspired Costa Brazil’s fragrance, reminds me of the swirls of palo santo smoke that used to waft through our hallways. This woodsy note is blended with the smell of fresh earth and florals for a mind-bendingly good scent. One sniff of it makes me feel more at ease. It has a sharper scent right out of the bottle, but once it hits your pulse point, this perfume mellows out quite a bit. Plus, I can’t get over the bottle—I don’t know if I’ve ever owned a perfume that’s housed in a more appropriate vessel for the way it smells. It’s easy to refill and made of sustainably-sourced white ash with a red cedar finish. More creative and intentional perfume bottles in 2022, please!

Shawna Hudson, Associate Beauty Editor

"This fragrance definitely smells a lot woodier than I was anticipating. It's very unique with notes of white jungle flora, orange oil, pink pepper, myrrh, and cedarwood. I like the scent, but I don't think it's something I'd want to exactly spritz on on a daily basis. It's more of a room fragrance for me that I would put in a diffuser to uplift the space. If you like a rich, woody fragrance with a very subtle floral scent, however, this one's for you!"—Hudson

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