When was the last time you deliberately spritzed perfume into your hair? I mean an actual scent made just for your hair?
Exactly. I didn’t think I was the kind of person who needed hair perfume either. It always felt like the kind of extra reserved for people with colour-coded wardrobes and Diptyque candles they actually get lit.
Hair and body mists are nothing new — plenty of high-end fragrance houses have made versions, and plenty of drugstore ones have flooded the shelves with synthetic fruit notes. But few have managed to hit that middle ground: everyday enough to actually use, elegant enough to want to.
With this quartet of fragrance mists, ARKIVE may have done just that.
ARKIVE has always been about thoughtful details, with elegant but understated packaging and clean formulas. Just last year, the haircare brand, led by professional hairstylist Adam Reed, expanded into hair fragrances.
The shelf appeal
ARKIVE’s branding is done to a T. From the muted but chic packaging (those soft matte bottles!) to the subtle typography, everything feels deliberate and elevated. Just simple, functional beauty that could belong in a spa, but wouldn’t look out of place in your everyday line-up either.
As a long-time fan of minimalist, neutral aesthetics (call me boring), these are the kind of bottles I’m happy to have on display all the time, even if I end up refilling them with whatever’s on hand (imagine my excitement when I saw ARKIVE’s 1 litre refills).
What makes ARKIVE unique
ARKIVE’s “headcare” concept (self-care through haircare) makes sense. Founder Adam Reed, a professional hairstylist best known for co-founding Percy & Reed, has an extensive haircare and product development background. His experience shaped ARKIVE’s focus on nourishing, gentle formulas that protect hair while enhancing its natural texture and shine.
The new leave-in conditioner, The Bond, is my personal favourite as someone with dry, frizzy hair (I have been using it every single time I wash my hair). However, Adam’s commitment to hair health is evident in the quality of the entire range.
The four hair fragrances
1. Future Bloom
My personal favourite, this scent opens with a bright, lively burst of mandarin and rhubarb that feels fresh but not overly sharp. It softens into delicate jasmine petals, wrapped in a veil of white musk and vanilla for a little extra sweetness. It’s a subtle, uplifting fragrance that works well for daytime, especially when you want something fresh yet understated.
2. A Kind of Floral
Far from a traditional floral, this fragrance leans into warm, creamy notes. Pink pepper introduces a gentle spice, while tuberose adds a rich, almost velvety floral heart. Sandalwood grounds the scent with soft, woody warmth, giving it depth and a comforting finish. It’s refined and balanced — a scent that feels quietly confident without being loud.
3. No One Elsie
Inspired by the founder’s grandmother’s greenhouse, this is the most distinctive scent in the collection. It begins with bright, green notes of tomato leaf and rhubarb, lending a fresh and slightly tart edge. As it develops, vetiver and palo santo add an earthy, smoky complexity, giving it a grounded, natural feel. It’s fresh, layered, and unexpectedly warm — a scent with a personal story and real character.
4. Decorated Woods
This is the deepest and most intense of the group. The opening is warm and spiced, led by saffron and ginger that bring a dry heat rather than sweetness. As it settles, patchouli and amber come through with a slightly smoky richness, giving the scent a calm weight that lingers for hours. It’s deep and enveloping — ideal for a special evening out.
Wait, what even is hair perfume?
Hair perfume is a fragrance formulated specifically to be safe for your hair (and your skin too, naturally). Hair is more porous than skin, which means it absorbs and traps fragrance more easily. And because it doesn’t produce oil the way skin does, the scent tends to stick around longer without being overpowering. But spritzing your regular eau de parfum directly onto your strands? Not the best idea.
What makes a fragrance hair-safe?
Most traditional perfumes rely heavily on alcohol (sometimes up to 90%) and artificial ingredients because they help the scent evaporate quickly and spread in the air. While that works for skin or clothing, alcohol can be harsh on hair. It dries out the strands, leaving hair brittle and more prone to damage over time.
Hair perfumes like ARKIVE’s are formulated to be gentler. While ARKIVE’s hair mists contain denatured alcohol (Alcohol Denat.) to help disperse the fragrance evenly, they balance this with nourishing ingredients such as baobab oil and conditioning agents. These help protect hair from drying and keep it feeling soft.
This combination means the scent can last without causing the damage that some perfumes might. The formula is designed to be lightweight and comfortable on hair and scalp, avoiding irritation or build-up.
Additionally, hair perfumes generally have a softer scent projection than traditional perfumes. They stay closer to your hair and skin, creating a subtle, personal fragrance rather than one that fills a whole room.
Are these hair perfumes worth wearing?
One of the joys of these hair perfumes is how easy they are to wear. You can spritz one through damp hair after washing and leave it at that – the scent should settle gently and last for a few hours, but not be too in-your-face. You can wear it with your regular perfume too, and it should layer well. The hair fragrance is light enough that it doesn’t overpower or clash with most scents.
I’m usually annoyingly picky with fragrance: anything too strong or synthetic can give me headaches. These feel soft and natural, so if you’re sensitive to scents, they may be some of the few fragrances you can wear all day. While they aren’t a “must-have” product, the price tag makes them a worthwhile self-care companion – it all depends on your budget.