My Perfume Was Supposedly a Favorite of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

“This incarnation of Egyptian musk has the soft comfort and familiar ease of a favorite white T-shirt, which is perhaps what once endeared it to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, for whom it was, supposedly, a signature scent.”—Fiorella Valdesolo

Tatler Takes 5: Lauren Santo Domingo Of Moda Operandi

As a teenager growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut, I was aware all the cool older girls, like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, wore Egyptian musk. We would buy it from a street vendor in New York City. I recently heard through a childhood friend that the same street vendor, Abdul Kareem, still produces the fragrance, which is sold online at Charlotte Vale-Allen. It smells of teen spirit.

Carolyn Besette-Kennedy’s Hard-to-Find Fragrance is Going Viral

“I really enjoyed the scent; it felt both subtle and strong…I don't have a signature scent because most modern fragrances give me a headache within 10 minutes. This scent did not have that effect. It smelled real, not synthetic, and was easy to apply. Overall, would I wear this scent again? Absolutely yes — 5 stars!”—Buzzfeed editorial staff

Here’s What Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Actually Smelled Like

"As it turns out, Bessette’s signature fragrance was rumored to be Egyptian Musk Oil by Abdul Kareem, a small brand from the ‘80s sold by an NYC street vendor. The scent—best described as crisp and clean, like a fresh laundered clothes, with subtle soapy notes—was reportedly her go-to for many years."—Sophie Dweck, Town & Country Magazine

Everyone is trying to smell like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

“Long before the minimalist aesthetic (that we now call quiet luxury), Bessette Kennedy was devoted to Abdul Kareem Egyptian Musk Oil, a simple, skin-close fragrance that epitomized everything she stood for: nothing loud, nothing showy, just an intimate, barely-there scent that made people lean in rather than step back.”—Amber Katz, All Things Lifestyle