Traveling the world has always felt intuitive to me. I love the idea of selecting a personal scent before each new journey, capturing the mood and the destination. But if I’m being honest, I can’t remember the last time I actually finished a perfume bottle.
My curiosity is always pulling me elsewhere…often toward the world’s most iconic perfume destinations and other unique experiences. For me, scent is inseparable from place, memory, and transformation. Yet most bottles remain half-full: loved, then left behind.
That’s why I didn’t expect what happened when Pink Girls Run The World stepped into MUSE in Harlem, New York City for a guided Coco de Mer fragrance experience.
Coco de Mer at MUSE Harlem: An Immersive Fragrance Experience
Somewhere between the first inhale of Coco de Mer perfume and the conversations that followed, the room softened. The city noise faded. Shoulders dropped. Breaths deepened. In that moment, I felt fully immersed in the intentional space created by MUSE Harlem owner Kimberly (a sanctuary rooted in beauty, ritual, and presence). That moment captured a broader cultural reset—one where people pause before movement, choosing presence over pace.
That was the shift.
That was the reset.
Perfume Tourism, Reimagined
Fragrance is no longer just something you wear; it’s a way you travel, reset, and remember.
Travel centered around fragrance experiences (such as guided scent rituals) perfume tourism isn’t new, but it’s evolving.
Rather than transactional shopping, today’s travelers are seeking:
Cultural storytelling over product shelves
Story-led fragrance experiences
Ritual and intention over samples
Community-centered luxury over mass retail
Today, fragrance travel is recognized as a form of experiential luxury, centered on culture, ritual, and personal meaning. As the global fragrance tourism market is projected to reach $2.08 billion by 2033, the demand is clear: people want scent as culture, ritual, and journey—not just product.
What we experienced at MUSE Harlem reflected this shift perfectly. It was immersive and intentional…proof that fragrance as journey is not commodity.
This is what modern fragrance travel looks like.
A Modern Harlem Renaissance Through Scent
The experience felt like a contemporary echo of the Harlem Renaissance: women gathered in a beautifully curated salon, curious and present, exchanging stories, memory, and intention. Through mindful scent exploration, we made space for clarity; allowing 2026 intentions to form organically without pressure or urgency.
This is luxury rooted in culture: community-centered and slow.
Coco de Mer: Rare, Bold, and Unforgettable
Coco de Mer is not a quiet fragrance.
You know that girl that can just walk into a room and grab everyone’s attention?! If that girl was a fragrance, she’d be Coco de Mer.
With only 5,000 Coco de Mer palms in the world, and this being the only fragrance brand using the authentic ingredient, each scent feels rare, sensual, and deeply personal.
This wasn’t about finishing a bottle.
It was about beginning a journey.
This article is relevant for:
Women interested in luxury fragrance and scent rituals
Travelers exploring perfume tourism and fragrance travel
Readers seeking Black women–led cultural experiences
Visitors looking for things to do in Harlem beyond shopping
Anyone using scent for reset, intention-setting, or personal growth