Donna Karan Is Officially The New Gold Mine Of Fragrances
Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. The Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market’s most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations.
The majority of our Deep Reviews will feature our editors’ honest, ultra-hot takes on entire product categories or multiple products from a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we’ll sprinkle in a special single-product format called Honestly, I Love It. As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors can’t shut up about. This time, I’m sharing my favorite new fragrance collection from Donna Karan New York.
(Image credit: @itsmayalala)
There’s no question that the Donna Karan brand is synonymous with New York elegance. The fashion line perfectly combines timeless silhouettes from with an affordable price point that everyone can get behind. What I didn’t know until very recently, however, was how well they could do fragrances that fully embody the brand’s aesthetic.
Recently, the brand launched The Cashmere Collection featuring four fragrances that combine a cashmere note with florals, woods, fruits, and ambers. Reminiscent of the brand’s first cult-classic Cashmere Mist Eau de Parfum that launched Donna Karan into the beauty space, these new fragrances offer the crème de la crème of clean, understated fragrances. Since we’re in what could only be described as a Sex and the City renaissance, I like to think of these fragrances (Cashmere & Tunisian Neroli, in particular) as the Natasha Naginsky of my perfumes.
Remember how the youthful and chic qualities of Mr. Big’s first wife lived rent free in the mind of the show’s protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw for years? Well, my thoughts have been inhabited by this collection. The four new Natasha-worthy fragrances scream “I 100% have my life together,” with every spritz. And if the minimalistic black and gold packaging wasn’t already more than enough to obsess over, the glass bottles that house these fragrance look as if they belong in the hallowed halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art right across from Grecian urns and statues.
If you’re ready to learn more about them, keep scrolling for my impressions of each of the perfumes and a look into the talented minds behind their creation. Spoiler alert: it’s all about women.
Donna Karan
Cashmere & Tunisian Neroli Perfume
Let’s start with my personal favorite. I knew seconds after taking a look at the fragrance’s notes of bergamot, neroli, and cedarwood that this citrus floral scent would be right up my alley. While it’s definitely smooth and sensual, there’s something light and airy about it that makes the fragrance perfect for everyday wear. I’ve received nothing but compliments whenever I step out of the house wearing it, and often find myself preparing to offer the name of the fragrance to strangers before even been asked.
Donna Karan
Cashmere & Tiare Flower Perfume
Donna Karan’s Cashmere & Tiare Flower was a surprise to me because I wasn’t sure what to expect from another solar floral fragrance. As a beauty editor, I’m constantly exposed to new scents entering the market that claim to be a true solar floral fragrance, but have a tendency of falling short. However, this perfume fully delivered everything I could want from something in this fragrance family by opening with a blend of soft ashoka and bergamot before shifting into tiare flower and vetiver.
Donna Karan
Cashmere & Wild Fig Perfume
Over the last few months, I’ve becoming absolutely obsessed with fig fragrances that are more fresh than fruity. Donna Karan’s Cashmere & Wild Fig strikes the right balance between the two while also offering spicy black pepper, bamboo, and cedarwood notes. Yes, it’s definitely a woody floral fragrance, but like the rest of the perfumes in this collection it also smells clean. For better or worse, this one makes me want to finally book my dream vacation to Thailand without ever glancing at my bank account.
Donna Karan
Cashmere & Palo Santo Perfume
I’ve yet to meet an amber woody fragrance I haven’t loved. Cashmere & Palo Santo is an addicting perfume that combines juicy golden peach, labdanum absolute, palo santo, and vanilla bean for a scent that’s beyond addicting. If you’re looking for an easy way to feel elevated in your daily life, I would recommend reaching for this one while heading out the door. I know I’ll be wearing this nonstop come fall and winter (amber woody perfumes are my go-to for cold weather).
(Image credit: Courtesy of Walter Johnsen)
To get to the bottom of why I love these fragrances so much, I caught up with Walter Johnsen, the VP of Product Development at Interparfums. According to him, while this collection is certainly connected to and inspired by the original Cashmere Mist Eau de Parfum, the development team drew inspiration from the shared experience of womanhood. Donna Karan’s first fragrance was inspired by the feel of cashmere upon a woman’s skin, and owed its unique bottle design to the female figure.
The fragrances included in Donna Karan’s newest collection are also inspired by women; but this time, in a very different way. “It was not about the single woman but acknowledging each woman with many layers and complexities with various aspects to her personality,” says Johnsen “The truth is, no one is one dimensional. So, in our design approach we started our development as a collection of fragrances that celebrated the many beautiful facets of women.”
(Image credit: @itsmayala)
The development team was met with the challenge of creating a line of fragrance using the highest quality ingredients that, when they were studied, also reflected that many layers of growth and harvest. Then, they settled on an overarching theme to connect the perfumes before conducting a lengthy illumination process. “We quickly found a storyline and a point of difference between the contenders. As we reviewed the 75+ submissions, we narrowed the down using a selection process determine by the quality of fragrance ingredients,” Johnsen explains.
This process also included considering how each of the ingredients included in the fragrance formulas stood out from the others. “The development was always about quality of ingredients, unique character and bold personality without being polarizing,” he says. “In the end, we had four fragrances that stood tall in their own light while celebrating each layer of a singular personality. The many layers of a Woman!” So, rest assured that there was a lot of creativity and scientific discovery that went into the creating of the Cashmere Collection’s fragrances.
(Image credit: @itsmayalala)
Of course, I had to ask Johnsen if we share the same favorite fragrance but I had a good idea of what he would say one of the brilliant minds behind all four: he doesn’t have a favorite! “That’s like asking me to pick which child I love better—it would never happen. Each fragrance brings a unique signature to the collection and celebrate themselves while celebrating each other,” says Johnsen.
He likens his feelings towards the fragrance collection to an analogy of a bold, red dress in a closet: on some days, you may wake up and feel discouraged from wearing the red dress after seeing it hanging up while on another, you may know the perfect heels to wear with it. You may even choose a little black dress over the red dress, but you’re still the same women who deserves to celebrate your personal style as it changes.
(Image credit: @itsmayala)
I’ve been using The Cashmere & Tunisian Neroli and Cashmere & Tiare Flower fragrances during the day when I’m craving a sense of control to counter my busy schedule, and the Cashmere & Wild Fig and Cashmere & Palo Santo to close out my day. “Just like the same women, all of her layers combine to make her whole with the collection. Each can easily mix and mingle with each other and its all about adventure being playful and finding your perfect mix,” continues Johnsen. There’s definitely a different scent for every mood and version of you included in the collection.
“We are given a privileged opportunity to design and create a part of their world. In my case, with the Donna Karan collection, I could create a fragrance that captures the feeling a woman has when she is putting on an article of clothing created by Donna Karan,” he shares. I definitely see the vision for behind the creation of these scents. From their undeniably feminine fragrance profiles to the soft and inviting designs of their bottles, these perfumes give me the same exact feeling I have when I wear anything from the brand.
(Image credit: @itsmayala)
“We live in the DNA of the Donna Karan brand [and were] looking to represent the sophisticated, sensual and elevated design style,” explains Johnsen. My great hope is that in our development of this collection—we achieved this by creating a group of fragrances that represent the Donna Karan Women; stylish, sophisticated, elegant and timeless.” As for the Donna Karan-ness of the fragrance collection, I couldn’t imagine anything more fighting than these perfumes.
After wearing these fragrances nonstop since receiving them a couple months ago, I truly consider myself to be a Donna Karan fan and can’t wait to see what’s next for their line of beauty products. Until then, check out a few more of my favorites from them that I have on constant rotation.
Shop More Of My Favorites By Donna Karan
Donna Karan New York
Cashmere Mist Deodorant Anti-Perspirant Stick
This effective anti-perspirant is infused with Donna Kara’s iconic Cashmere Mist fragrance which features light and sensual notes of Lily of the Valley, Moroccan jasmine, and sandalwood. It lasts me all day (including high energy reformer pilates sessions).
Donna Karan New York
Cashmere Mist Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: warm florals
Key Notes: Lily of the Valley, Moroccan jasmine, and sandalwood
This perfume smells like opulence. It’s the perfect light and air fragrance that blends beautifully with my other favorite floral scents while holding it’s own. Its housed in a beautiful, glass bottle designed to mirror the lines of the female form.
Donna Karan New York
Cashmere Mist The Body Lotion
Can’t get enough of Cashmere Mist? Neither can I, which is why I’ve already stalked up on this body lotion. Not only does it pair perfectly with the anti-perspirant and eau de parfum, but it’s sheer enough to layer with my go-to floral body oils.
Donna Karan New York
Cashmere Mist Deo & Eau de Parfum Discovery Set
My friends and family can expect to receive the limited edition Cashmere Mist Deo & Eau de Parfum Discover Set for all major celebrations this year. It’s that good! It’s available right now for only $35.
