Amika’s Signature Scent Is So Good, They Bottled It

If you were to ask me the thing I love most about Amika, it’s that the products make my hair look really, really good. The second? The signature delectable, fruity (but not too sweet) scent that takes the user experience to the next level. And now, they’ve bottled it – literally — into a hair and body mist that you can spritz from H2T.

“We actually had a hair fragrance once, but discontinued it about five years ago,” Chelsea Riggs, founding member and CEO of Amika, exclusively tells Refinery29. “Ever since, the requests haven’t stopped.” Not surprising in the least, since Riggs herself is the first to note that the signature scent is “a core part of the Amika experience.” (Eagle-eyed readers will also remember that earlier this year, the brand unveiled a limited-edition collab with Ellis Brooklyn, signalling Amika was serious about scents.)

Amika:Aura Hair & Body Mist, $28

Called Amika:Aura, the brand’s debut fragrance features familiar notes of pink grapefruit, apricot, lily of the valley, vanilla, and sandalwood. The result is a bright, fresh floral scent that works as an instant mood-booster. The clear pink bottle and flower-shaped cap nod to quintessential Amika color palettes and motifs. “We wanted Aura to feel like a vibe you step into: uplifting, confident, and a little magnetic —like stepping into your best, most confident self,” says Riggs. Featuring energizing, fruit-forward notes of pink grapefruit and apricot, the heart reveals a floral bouquet of lily of the valley for lightness. As you go about the day, the dry down settles into the warm, cozy base notes of vanilla and sandalwood. The result is balanced, not too sweet or twee, and not overwhelming in the least bit.”

Scenting an existing product — say, a body lotion or shampoo — is one thing, but translating that same aroma into a standalone fragrance poses a different formulation process entirely. “Haircare scents live in creams and oils, but a mist is all about precision,” explains Riggs. “We had to get the ratio of fragrance oil to solvent just right without losing any of the notes, and ensure the quality of the mist was as intentional as the scent itself.”

At $28, Amika Aura is relatively affordable by fragrance standards, and is also versatile enough to layer with other fragrances in your collection. A lot of body mists come in rather large bottles (it’s not uncommon to see eight-ounce bottles these days), which are a great value, but not the most practical if you like to carry your fragrance with you — like I do. At three ounces, Amika:Aura is perfect for tossing in a work tote, or purse to refresh on the go. (I like to keep it in my gym bag to spritz after a yoga class.) “For the packaging, every detail was intentional,” says Riggs. “We obsessed over the click of the cap, and the orange actuator is a hidden surprise: a playful nod to our dual brand colors.”

Body mists can go from zero to cloying fast, but not this one. The scent itself is super elevated, complex, and even a little sexy, in my opinion. “The idea was to bottle what Amika has always meant to our community: something warm, uplifting, and totally personal,” says Riggs. “It’s not just a scent. It’s a vibe.”