I’m a scent nerd. I collect perfume, I overthink perfume, I’m fully the person sniffing my wrist at a stoplight.
So when it came time to test Dedcool and I had the option to choose between perfume, hand lotion, and laundry detergent, I picked three fragrances because I wanted to actually test scent quality and complexity. I love perfume and I compare everything to my personal heavy hitters like Le Labo and Thin Wild Mercury, which are insanely layered and detailed.
I’ve been wearing and testing Dedcool for 30 days, and this post reflects what I actually smelled, what I kept reaching for, and where Dedcool fits in my perfume lineup.
This is my honest Dedcool review and is not sponsored in any way.
My Dedcool Review After Testing For A Month
I got these perfumes over a month ago and have been testing them out for 4 weeks!
Why You Can Trust My Nose
I’m a certified wine expert (WSET Level 2), which basically means I’ve spent a lot of time training my sense of smell and learning how to describe notes without just saying “this smells good” or “this smells bad.”
Perfume isn’t wine, obviously, but the skill transfers. I’m used to picking up subtle shifts, noticing what changes as something opens up, and clocking what lingers on skin and fabric.
So when I say Aura is pear-forward, Fragrance 02 dries down into a strong sandalwood, or Red Dakota sticks to hair and clothes, those aren’t just vibes. That’s me doing the same sniff-and-note thing I’d do with a glass of wine, just on my wrist instead.
My Quick Take On Dedcool As A Brand
Dedcool is a vegan, genderless parfum brand (they do Eau de Parfum) and they’ve expanded way beyond perfume into beauty and home stuff like lotion, room spray, incense, dryer sheets, a Dedcool sampler, and laundry detergent.
Everything is handmade in Los Angeles, which I think is worth noting because it’s part of their whole vibe and production story. The brand visually feels very SoCal to me, which I love as a California girl myself.
If you’re someone who likes your fragrance to feel modern and cool, Dedcool makes sense. If you’re someone who wants ultra niche, “I need to decode 18 notes and a story arc” perfume complexity, Dedcool is far simpler than Thin Wild Mercury or Le Labo. Still, it’s a big step up from basic mall scents and I’m a fan.
Also, the price is part of why people are into it. It’s $90 for a 50ml unit, and that feels pretty fair considering how expensive perfume has gotten. You can easily spend $200 on the same size bottle at another perfume house, so Dedcool hits the sweet spot on price.
What Dedcool Perfumes I Tested For 30 Days
I tested three Dedcool perfumes and wanted to share the way I wore them and how they developed on my skin:
I wore these on real skin, on normal days, and paid attention to:
- How the first spray compares to the dry down
- Longevity and projection
- Whether the smell stuck to clothes and hair
- Whether the scent turned weird after a few hours
Packaging note: the bottles are clean and minimal (barcode vibe). Not “display art,” but they look good on a vanity and feel nice in your hand.
Now let’s get into the three I tested.
Dedcool Aura Review
Aura perfume is listed with a ton of notes (lemon, pear, cassis, marine, lotus, rose, jasmine, patchouli, cedar, musk, caramel, vanilla).
Here’s what notes I actually get: pear. Overwhelming pear. But I like it.
Aura smells like a fresh winter pear moment. Not piney holiday candle, not spicy Christmas, more like “it’s cold outside and I’m slicing a crisp pear.” The top has a little extra fruit and a tiny bit of floral, but pear is the headline.
As it dries down, I start getting the cedar. That cedar note gives it a cleaner edge so it doesn’t feel like a sugary pear body spray.
Aura is supposed to have caramel, but I don’t really get caramel on my skin. I’m fine with that. I like the brighter, fresher version.
Aura Vibe Check
- Best for winter into early spring
- Genderless, but on me it leans slightly more feminine
- If you love pear, this is an easy yes
- If you hate pear, skip it, because you will smell pear
The Aura box is a green-to-yellow gradient, and it weirdly matches the scent. Fresh, fruity, a little sunny.
Dedcool Fragrance 02 Review
Fragrance 02 comes in a dusty rose box with a gradient to white, and I swear it smells like what it looks like. Soft, warm, slightly moody.
Official notes list juniper on top, then green floral / sheer woods / patchouli, and a sandalwood base. On my skin, it reads mostly juniper and sandalwood, and both show up clearly.
It starts off more juniper-y, then it dries down into a strong sandalwood smell. I love sandalwood, so this works for me.
It’s not a super complex perfume. It’s more straightforward, and it leans more masculine. My husband likes to wear this one, and honestly it smells great on him.
This is also my favorite of the three for layering. If I’m wearing something sweeter or more floral and I want to ground it, Fragrance 02 is the one I reach for.
Fragrance 02 Vibe Check
- More masculine, warm, clean
- Great if sandalwood is your comfort scent
- Best if you like layering and building a signature scent
- Easy everyday fragrance when you don’t want anything loud
Dedcool Red Dakota Review
Red Dakota is listed with clementine, gardenia, woods, amber, and wild berries.
On me, it’s a flower field. And I want to be specific: flower field, not vegetable garden.
This one is very gardenia-forward. As it dries down, I get more warmth from the amber and more depth from the woods. It’s floral, but not powdery on me.
This also has serious staying power. I can smell it for a long time, especially in my hair and on clothes. It’s one of those scents that clings in a good way.
The box looks woody or stone-like and reads more masculine than the scent, which is funny because the fragrance itself is very floral.
Red Dakota Vibe Check
- Late spring and summer, easily
- Smells like walking through a flower field
- Long lasting scent, especially on hair and clothes
- If heavy florals give you headaches, test first
If you’re searching for Dedcool perfume reviews because you want a floral option, Red Dakota is the one I’d tell you to sample.
Xtra Milk Fragrance, Milk, And Mochi Milk
Even though my 30-day testing was Aura, Fragrance 02, and Red Dakota, I still want to mention the Milk family because people look it up nonstop.
Xtra Milk Fragrance
The Xtra Milk Fragrance is Dedcool’s bestseller. It won an Allure 2024 Best of Beauty award, and it’s available in a lot of formats beyond perfume.
Notes are bergamot, white musk, and amber.
This is the category of “warm skin scent” that people call a safe blind buy, but I still recommend sampling first if you can. It ends up being a lot of people’s signature scent.
Milk
Milk is the softer, subtler sibling. A lot of people use it for layering or as an everyday fragrance when they want something low-key.
Mochi Milk
Mochi Milk is the one I was tempted to shop for. Notes include marshmallow, peach nectar, incense, sweet rice milk, vanilla bean, jasmine petals, sandalwood, amber, and white musk. Dedcool describes it as sleeping on a cloud, and that tracks with the note list.
If you’re curious about any of these, a Dedcool sampler makes a lot of sense so you can test on skin instead of guessing.
Dedcool Taunt And The Laundry Stuff
I didn’t test the Taunt perfume for 30 days, so I’m not going to pretend I did. But I am including Dedcool Taunt here because it matters for laundry.
People search Dedcool detergent reviews for a reason. Dedcool’s detergent is called Dedtergent, which I think is funny.
It’s $35 for 32oz, with 60 washes, and it’s 100% biodegradable. You can use it in a machine or for hand washing, and it’s made for clothes, sheets, intimates, and delicates. You can also choose the scent strength (light, medium, heavy), which I appreciate because not everyone wants their laundry to scream fragrance.
Taunt as Dedtergent is described as creamy and flirty, with:
- Top: bergamot, fresh dew
- Middle: floral, cassis
- Bottom: vanilla, amber
The bottle is aluminum and meant to be refilled, which I love. Eco-friendly that still feels functional.
Dedcool Fragrance Longevity And Projection
Here’s how these Dedcool fragrances performed for me after 30 days of real life wear. I’m talking skin, hair, clothes, and whether I could still smell it hours later.
Aura Longevity And Projection
Aura sits closer to the skin. It’s not a “walk into a room and announce yourself” scent. I notice it most when I’m doing little wrist checks throughout the day, and it feels clean and fresh without being loud.
If you want something that feels easy and low-stakes, Aura works. If you want a scent trail that follows you around, Aura probably won’t be your pick.
Fragrance 02 Longevity And Projection
Fragrance 02 holds on better than Aura, especially once it dries down into that strong sandalwood on me. The opening juniper fades, and what sticks around is the warm, woody base.
It also wears really well for layering because it doesn’t fight other fragrances. It’s more like a grounding “base layer” you can build on.
Red Dakota Longevity And Projection
Red Dakota is the longest lasting of the three on me. It clings to hair and clothes in a way that feels very noticeable. If I spray this before going out, I can still smell it later, especially on whatever I’m wearing.
This is also the one I’d be most cautious with if heavy florals can trigger headaches for you. It’s gorgeous, but it’s not shy.
Which Dedcool Scent Should You Buy First
If you don’t want to overthink it, here’s the simplest way I’d choose based on what you like and how you want your fragrance to behave.
Buy Aura If You Want Something Fresh And Fruity
Pick Aura if you love pear and you want a bright, clean scent that feels easy to wear. It’s the most “fresh winter fruit” of the three, and it stays pretty close to the skin.
Buy Fragrance 02 If You Love Sandalwood Or Want A Layering Base
Pick Fragrance 02 if sandalwood is one of your favorite notes or if you like layering perfumes to build your own signature scent. This one leans more masculine, and my husband likes wearing it too, which tells you where it sits on the genderless spectrum.
Buy Red Dakota If You Want A Floral That Lasts
Pick Red Dakota if you want a gardenia-forward floral that actually sticks around. It feels like walking through a flower field and it lasts especially well on hair and clothes.
If You’re Still Torn, Start With A Dedcool Sampler
If you’re not sure where you fall, the Dedcool sampler is the smartest move. These smell different on different skin, and sampling saves you from buying a full bottle and realizing the dry down isn’t your thing.
Dedcool FAQ
Is Dedcool Worth The Price?
For me, yes. $90 for a 50ml bottle feels fair, especially compared to brands like Thin Wild Mercury and Le Labo. Dedcool isn’t as complex as those, but it performs well and feels elevated.
Are Dedcool Fragrances Long Lasting?
Red Dakota is the longest lasting on me by far. Fragrance 02 also holds on well once it dries down into sandalwood. Aura is lighter and stays closer to the skin.
Madonna Lily is another Dedcool scent people ask me about a lot, but I haven’t tested it on my skin yet.
Does Dedcool Smell Good On Everyone?
Not automatically. Skin chemistry matters a lot with perfume, and Dedcool scents can shift after the first spray. If you’re unsure, start with a Dedcool sampler so you can test the dry down before committing.
What Dedcool Scent Is Best For Layering?
Fragrance 02 is my favorite for layering because it dries down into a strong sandalwood base that pairs well with sweeter or more floral fragrances.
Milk is designed to layer with any scent.
Is Dedcool Laundry Detergent Worth Trying?
If you care about your clothes and sheets smelling good all the time, I get the appeal. Dedcool’s Dedtergent comes in Taunt and you can pick the strength level, plus the refillable aluminum bottle is a nice eco detail. I haven’t tested it long-term yet, but it’s on my list because I love the idea of scent that lingers on fabric.
Final Verdict: Is Dedcool Worth It?
Yes. I really like Dedcool and I’ll be buying from them again, especially since I want to try their laundry detergent since I want my clothes to smell better like, all the time.
For $90, you get a solid sized bottle, and the scents feel elevated. They aren’t as complex as Thin Wild Mercury or Le Labo, but they’re a big step up from basic perfumes, and they perform well.
If you want a bright fruit scent, Aura delivers. If you want warm sandalwood you can layer, Fragrance 02 is the move. If you want floral that lasts, Red Dakota is the one.
If you’re unsure, start with a sample or a Dedcool sampler and save yourself the stress.
