EXCLUSIVE: "I wanted to take risks in my 40s" Khloé Kardashian on how her Armenian heritage inspired her new perfume
Nothing quite says Christmas like the Kardashians. Known for their star-studded Christmas Eve parties and iconic Christmas cards, the world's most famous pop culture family always makes a statement during the festive season. This year is no different, as Khloé Kardashian has surprised us with a debut fragrance just in time for the gifting season, XO Khloé.
The TV personality and burgeoning beauty entrepreneur stands poised before me in the opulent surroundings of Claridge's hotel, nestled in the heart of Mayfair. She’s dressed in a chic black jumpsuit, featuring a boned corset bodice. Her chestnut brown locks are sleekly styled in a half-up-half-down style, accented by an oversized black bow.
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“Sorry, I just doused myself in perfume,” she says with a playful smile. As she gives me a warm hug, I’m instantly enveloped in a bouquet of florals. Khloé’s new fragrance is luxurious and irresistibly sensual. XO Khloé opens with the sweetness of crystallized white rose petals and praline before drying now to a warm base of musk and soft woods. To bring her vision to life, she collaborated with master perfumer Alberto Morillas - renowned for YSL Saharienne and Gucci Bloom - and Clement Gavarry of the prestigious fragrance house, Firmenich.
The bottle itself is a nod to her personal mantra: “No pressure, no diamonds.” With its sparkling geometric crystal-like design, it’s sure to take centre stage on any dressing table.
“I wanted to take risks in my 40s. This fragrance was very thought out - and it reflects where I am in life right now.”
How does Khloé apply her perfume? “I’m a spritzer - I spritz all day. But first I layer my scents with body lotion, in the nude because I like how it feels on my skin, “she says candidly as she perches on the sofa. True to her on-screen persona, Khloé radiates a mix of playful humor, self-deprecating charm and grounded self-assurance.
While the star is best known for her role in the globally acclaimed reality series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians and as the co-founder of size inclusive fashion brand, Good American, this fragrance feels like her most personal creation yet. It’s also shaped by the tapestry of her Armenian heritage.
“I’m a spritzer - I spritz all day. But first, I layer my scents with body lotion."
“One of my most prominent memories of fragrances growing up was going to my grandmother's house on my dad's side, my Armenian grandmother, and there was such an identifiable scent,” Khloe recalls. “It was not like a traditional grandma scent,” she adds with a laugh. “I felt like the scents were from Armenia, and I just loved the smell.”
Armenia, with its rich history in fragrance, draws upon roses, lavender, herbs, oils and incense. Yet despite this legacy, its contributions to the world of perfumery often go unnoticed.
Khloé fondly remembers her grandmother's perfume collection: “This was when people put so much thought and creativity into their bottles. They had these beautiful, vintage atomizers that were like pieces of art. Adding, “I used to sneak into her bathroom and spray them, but most were empty - only air would come out.”
“One of my most prominent memories of fragrances growing up was going to my grandmother's house on my dad's side, my Armenian grandmother, and there was such an identifiable scent."
While XO Khloé leans lighter than traditional Armenian perfumes, she hints at incorporating more cultural influences in future releases. “I want to make a bottle that's representative of what I remember seeing on my grandma's counter. She will be the inspiration or have some part of it, so it will be a little more old school feel,” she says.
If you’ve followed Khloé’s past collaborations, from KKW Diamonds with her sisters Kim and Kourtney Kardashian to Unbreakable with her ex-husband Lamar Odom, you’ll know she’s no stranger to the fragrance world. But this solo endeavor marks an entirely new chapter for the star. She reveals, “Before my fragrances were collaborations - they weren’t just my vision or creativity and there were certain parameters around some things. With this perfume, it’s all me and it was a very vulnerable creative process.”
As her motto suggests, pressure makes diamonds, and after nearly two decades in the public eye, Khloé’s journey has been nothing but transformative. But there is a new self-assured energy to Khloe. Now entering her 40s, she approaches life and work with a renewed sense of purpose. “I wanted to take risks in my 40s. This fragrance was very thought out - and it reflects where I am in life right now.”
In her own words, XO Khloé’ is “so identifiably me.” She reveals, “I just want people to feel luxurious, sexy, confident and just enhance their own beauty.” She gestures to the bottle, explaining,“I was so intentional about the bottle being clear because I wanted people to see through me and see me for who I am.”
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Light and layered, the scent is designed to complement rather than overwhelm, “I'm not trying to change who you are,” she adds “I just want this fragrance to give you a boost of extra confidence.”
