Coconut has been on skin for a long time. Monoï de Tahiti, tiaré blossoms macerated in refined coconut oil from French Polynesia, has had a protected appellation of origin since April 1992, according to the official Monoï de Tahiti association. It is described as the first cosmetic product to get one. Estée Lauder later called its Bronze Goddess the cult fragrance of every beach goddess, and its notes include tiaré, coconut, amber, sandalwood and vanilla.

So when someone says coconut perfume, ask which coconut they mean. There is the creamy one, closer to coconut milk in a latte, or coconut with vanilla and sandalwood, warm and a little sweet. And there is the sunny one, closer to salt water and skin, with a bit of lime, frangipani or pineapple in it. Both are called coconut and they hardly overlap.

The first grid is the creamy and gourmand kind, including a couple that lean on vanilla. The second is the beachy and floral kind, the ones that smell like a trip.

Here is a test I like: spray a coconut scent on your forearm and smell it after ten minutes, then again after an hour. The coconut you liked at first sniff can be the note that fades. What is left, cardamom or sandalwood or salt, is what you will actually live with.

Start with the warm and comforting ones. NEST New York's Cardamom Latte pairs cardamom and jasmine petals with coconut milk and vanilla cream, and the brand compares it to being cradled in cashmere. Heretic's Dirty Coconut is plant-based, with warm vanilla, sandalwood and coconut CO2 in the heart, though it does contain nut allergens, so note that. CLEAN RESERVE's Whipped Cherry goes sweeter, with wild cherry, almond blossom and vanilla cream. Ellis Brooklyn's Miami Nectar is a warm, sweet gourmand with coconut and pink pineapple.

Then the tropical ones. Miu Miu's Fleur de Lait mixes mango and velvety coconut milk with osmanthus and apricot, in a milky white bottle. Kilian Paris's Sunkissed Goddess is a limited edition inspired by monoi oil, with tiare flower, ylang-ylang, coconut and vanilla, and it comes as a refillable bottle. SKYLAR's Coconut Cove has creamy coconut with jasmine and gardenia, and the brand says its fragrances are hypoallergenic. The 7 Virtues' Coconut Sun adds frangipani, sea salt and vanilla, and each bottle lists an aromatherapy claim on the back.

Here is a pairing I like: a vanilla-based coconut scent under a soft knit in the cold months. It smells like a warm drink.

What I would skip: any coconut scent with a sweet gourmand base on a hot commute. Save Whipped Cherry and Cardamom Latte for cooler days and go for the airy ones from the other grid when it is humid.

These are the scents that smell like being outside. Jo Malone London's Beach Blossom is a unisex cologne with coconut water, lime and mint, grounded in tonka bean, vanilla and vetiver, and it was inspired by the Seychelles and the rare coco de mer. Maison Margiela's Replica Beach Walk is an eau de toilette with bergamot, ylang ylang and coconut milk, with white musk, and the brand suggests spraying it in the creases of your knees.

Vacation's eau de toilette is the funniest here. It smells of sunscreen and poolside memories, with coconut water, pineapple, sea salt and pool water. KAYALI's Maldives in a Bottle Ylang Coco is aquatic and serene, inspired by Mona's honeymoon, and it is vegan. LoveShackFancy's Love on the Beach is a solar floral with frangipani, coconut and salt water, in a bottle with a bow on top. By Rosie Jane's MISSY has toasted coconut, juicy pineapple and frangipani petals.

For something more floral, Viktor&Rolf's Flowerbomb Tiger Lily opens with coconut milk, moves to a tiger lily heart and ends on mango. AERIN's Hibiscus Palm is hibiscus and melati blossom with cool coconut milk, and the brand describes it as a sunny island paradise.

A tip: the beach ones live in the top layer of the scent, so reapply them in the afternoon instead of spraying more in the morning.

What I would skip: wearing the sunscreen-style ones to a formal dinner. They are best when the day is bright and slightly messy.

I think coconut perfume gets a bad reputation because people remember one bad tanning lotion. The good ones are more interesting than that, and the whole category runs from lattes to sea salt.

My rule of thumb: creamy coconut for autumn and winter evenings, sunny coconut for anything with a window open. If you are unsure, go for the one with a second note you already love, like cardamom, lime or frangipani, and let the coconut be the supporting act. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Why Sì Perfume Still Smells Like Saying Yes and Yara Perfume Smells Like Orchid, Heliotrope And Vanilla.