Every scent evokes an emotion. In Scent Stories, TZR asks tastemakers, celebrities, and industry insiders to share the stories behind the smells of their past and present.
It takes a significant number of spritzes to find your signature scent. A fragrance that feels like you whenever you catch a whiff of it throughout the day. But what really solidifies your choice is a compliment from a passerby — think an Uber driver, barista, or, in Khloé Kardashian’s case, a parent at your daughter’s dance class. “One of the moms was like, ‘You smell so good,’” says the reality star to TZR. “[Her comment] got the ball rolling. I remember that moment; I was like, ‘OK, this is the bottle, but I know I want to make [a few more] tweaks to it."
The perfume bottle in question was an early prototype of XO KHLOÉ, her just-launched signature fragrance. The juice is a blend of sweet florals and fruits (crystalized rose petals, orange blossom water, juicy peach) with warm woods (moss, soft wood) and musks. Together, the notes create a joyful, radiant, uplifting aroma — not unlike Kardashian herself.
“I love fragrances and I've done a couple scents either with my sisters or my ex-husband, but I've never done a solo scent before. And it is quite intimidating, but exciting,” she says. “I've wanted to do something in the beauty world. My sisters obviously have skin care and makeup and all these fabulous things. I love that and I'm never saying never, but my passion has always been fragrance.”
Ahead, Kardashian shares details on her first solo fragrance, plus the scent memories that make up her life.
The XO KHLOÉ Creation Process
“The juice is a love-hate relationship because you love it at the end, but when you are picking and trying to select it, it's quite frustrating because you have to start somewhere. You start by either giving your favorite notes or giving examples of scents you love, like a candle, except you don’t want [to wear] a candle on your body. Then you're trying to describe them to [the fragrance house] and they have to get what you're envisioning in your head. It's a very scary process. I’ve learned what notes I like, what I want to last longer, and what I want to die down. I also discovered notes I wouldn't think I would like, like moss or woodsy scents. I realized that I needed to [have them to] balance the scent.
“I would say the most fun part is having the creative freedom to create a beautiful bottle. I actually had a Pinterest board going of interior design stuff [and] things I wanted for my house. And then when I decided to do a fragrance, I had already a folder of all these vases and beautiful things that I loved. It's different prisms and multifaceted things because I love how light pokes through them. So I took bits and pieces from all of that and created a beautiful crystal bottle.”
The Role Scent Plays In Her Life
“I think scents have such a special place. You could walk in, it could be a bakery, and you're like, ‘Oh my gosh. It smells like my grandmother,’ or anything like that. I love the nostalgia of a scent or just the memories that they walk you down.”
The Scent Of Comfort
“I would say comfort smells like my mom, but it's a specific scent. She wears this body lotion called China Rain. I don't know what's in it, but this lotion just is her and it's comfort. And I wear the lotion too because of her.”
The Scent Of Positivity
“I want to say sunshine because it’s happy and bright. I don't know why, but the first thing that comes to mind is sunshine.”
The Scent Of Confidence
“For me, it's [feeling like a] badass [just getting] out of the gym. I know that's not a good smell, that's why I'm laughing at myself. Half the time I don't want to be there, so I'm like, ‘I have to do this.’ But every time I'm done, I've never regretted it. I'm always like, ‘I'm so proud of myself that I just did that.’ I also always feel very confident.”
The Scent Of Joy
“Joy smells of baking. That just makes me happy, whether it’s cookies or cake. I don't know if it's because it [baking] makes me feel like it's family time. Even when I'm alone on a Sunday and my TV's on, I like to cook. It just makes me happy.”
The Scent Of Nostalgia
“Joy could be Christmas, too — I could make everything Christmas. Yeah, Christmas is the best ‘effing time of year. I feel like everything goes back to normal [around the holidays].
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