In 1821, in Zara, on the Dalmatian coast, a man named Girolamo Luxardo set up a distillery. He was posted there as Sardinian consul, and what he set out to perfect was Rosolio Maraschino, a cherry liqueur that Dalmatia had been making since medieval times, often in convents. His wife, Maria Canevari, drove the recipe work. The house later made Original Maraschino Cherries, the ones that end up in cocktails. People have been taking cherries seriously for two centuries, well before they became a fashion motif.

Coach made the jump from cocktail glass to handbag in its own way. The cherry charm became a small phenomenon, and in 2026 the brand turned it into a scent. Stuart Vevers, Coach's creative director, said the fragrance concept was inspired by the popular Cherry charm, and that he wanted to explore the same spirit of self-expression. Coach Cherry perfume was made by Interparfums, the company behind Coach's fragrances, with Storm Reid as the campaign star. It is listed as a floral chypre fruity: cherry, mandarin and pink pepper on top, jasmine sambac, magnolia and rose in the heart, patchouli, tonka and Ambrofix underneath.

The trick is to read that pyramid before you expect candy. Pink pepper and patchouli give it a darker, drier shape than a lip-gloss cherry. The first grid is the whole Coach shelf. Cherry Parfum in 90 ml is the real thing, and the 2-Piece Cherry Parfum Spray Set is the one to choose if you want a bottle at home and a spray in your bag. The Collectible Cherry Charm is exactly what it says, a charm for a bag or a key ring and not a scent, but it is the thing that started the whole idea. Coach's Gold Parfum, Love, Floral, Wild Rose and the 30 ml Eau de Parfum round out the family for anyone who wants to compare.

Cherry perfume splits into two camps, dark and sweet, and it is worth knowing which one you are before you spray. Try one from each camp on two wrists and see which one you keep sniffing.

On the darker side, Tom Ford's Lost Cherry has black cherry and rose in the name, and it is the statement one. KAYALI's Lovefest Burning Cherry and PHLUR's Cherry Stem are the two I would compare first, since both lean into the fruit in the name. The 7 Virtues' Cherry Ambition comes with marshmallow, which tells you which camp it is in.

The fun side of the shelf is the pop stars. Ariana Grande's r.e.m. Cherry Eclipse and Sabrina Carpenter's Cherry Baby are the two celebrity bottles, and Truly's Cherry Baby is the sibling with a near-identical name, so read the label before you buy. Afnan's Cherry Bouquet is the last of the eight, and the name suggests a cherry with company.

Next to Coach Cherry, these show how much range one fruit has. Coach sits in the middle, less sugary than a gourmand and less serious than Tom Ford. That is a perfectly good place to be.

What I would skip: a marshmallow cherry on a humid day. Sweet scents get louder in heat.

Cherry color works best as a stain, not a coat. Dab it on the center of your lips, press with a finger and let it fade naturally, and the color looks like you rather than like a cherry.

Start with care. Sephora Collection's Moisturizing Cherry Lip Mask and its Nourishing Lip Sleeping Mask in Cherry + Vanilla are the overnight pair, and they do the dull work so the color can look good in the morning. Truly's Cherry Baby Luxury Lip Oil is the glossy option, and it matches the brand's cherry perfume.

For color, Juvia's Place The Reds Cherry is a velvety matte lipstick, the most dramatic thing on this shelf. Fenty Beauty's Cherry Mouth 3-Piece Lip Set comes with a pouch, which is handy for a small bag. Benefit's You've Got Benetint duo is a lip tint and cheek stain in one, and Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk Blush Balm Sheer Lip Tint does the same double duty in a softer shade.

Dolce&Gabbana's Cherry Glaze Bar is the cream blush stick. Dab it high on the cheekbones and blend with your fingers.

A pairing I like: a lip mask at night, a tint in the morning, and a dab of cherry perfume behind the ears. It is a small routine with a clear theme.

What I would skip: a matte cherry lipstick on very dry lips. Fix the lips first.

Body mists are for layering, and the easiest way to layer is to match the mist to the perfume. Spray the mist on damp skin after a shower, and then add a single spray of perfume on top.

Gisou's Glazed Cherry Honey mist is a hair and body one, and the honey in the name makes it the sweetest on the shelf. Sephora Collection has two cherry options, the Cherry + Whipped Cream Body & Hair Perfume Mist and the matching Cherry + Whipped 24HR Hydrating Body Lotion, so you can build a little set from one family. KAYALI's Lovefest Burning Cherry appears here in mist form, which is one way to wear the scent's idea more lightly.

If you want berries instead of cherry, PHLUR's Berry Cream and LoveShackFancy's Berry Kiss with marshmallow are the two berry mists. NEST New York's Santa Barbara Strawberry is the summery one, and Emi Jay's Aura in Lychee Baby is the wild card, a lychee rather than a berry.

These go well with Coach Cherry as a base layer, because a mist lets the perfume do the talking.

What I would skip: two sweet mists on top of each other. Pick one.

For me, the cherry worth trying first is the Coach one, because it is the most grown-up reading of the fruit, and the charm is a fun way to carry the idea around even when you are not wearing the perfume. Try it beside one sweeter cherry so you know which side you are on.

Then add a mist or a tint and leave the rest. Do not try to wear every cherry in one day, because the fruit does not need help. Luxardo put cherries in a bottle in 1821, and Coach put one on a bag. You are allowed to do both. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Coach Floral Perfume and Coach Dreams Perfume.