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Chai is the new muse for beauty, fragrance and home décor
From perfumes and home fragrances inspired by masala chai to lip care options in chai-inspired flavours, India’s favourite brew is moving beyond the teacup.
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As temperatures dip, the warmth of cardamom, ginger, milk and sugar is as much about comfort as it is about flavour. Now, this recipe for tea is finding its way into perfume bottles and makeup bags. Google searches for “chai flavour” worldwide have risen 80% in the past week, with year-on-year interest recording a breakout of more than 5,000%. Similarly, “chai fragrance” has also noticed an uptick in search volume. From gourmand fragrances that capture the aroma of spiced tea to warm nude lip colours, chai is brewing up a new identity with brands taking note in India and abroad.
In the scent department
Prada set the tone in January with Infusion de Santal Chai. Now, Indian fragrance brands are following the footsteps.
Fraganote’s Cutting Chai Eau de Parfum combines saffron and cardamom with a rich chai heart and dash of sweetness. Co-founder Garima Kakkar explains, “We started studying the trend late last year and approached it the way an Indian fragrance house should. Nothing can do justice to a chai fragrance from India like a cutting chai. The world has interpreted chai. We wanted to bottle the one India drinks.”
Bombay Perfumery’s Chai Musk takes a more evocative approach, with lemongrass, ginger root and green tea, a heart of osmanthus, mate and roasted nut, and settling into a warm base of cade oil, sandalwood and a milky accord.
The cuppa is also infiltrating home fragrance, with brands such as Ikkis, Wara and RAD LVNG bringing chai-inspired scents to their candle collections.
Vineet Arora, Founder, RAD LVNG, notes, “The idea was to recreate the warmth and familiarity of a freshly brewed cup of masala chai through fragrance. There is something incredibly comforting about the aroma of tea blended with spices. We wanted to bring that feeling into people's homes, allowing them to experience it in a completely different way.” A cutting chai glass with a Parle-G biscuit dunked into it is also one of Diwali’s most sought-after candle gifts this year.
On the beauty shelf
While chai-inspired fragrances may be a newer proposition for Indian perfumery, the beverage has been a familiar presence on makeup shelves for years. Its warm brown hue translates into an easy, wearable nude, making it particularly appealing for Indian and South Asian skin tones.
This trend is continuing with newer lip care launches such as Indē Wild’s Dewy Lip Treatment in Masala Chai. Founder Diipa Buller-Khosla says the idea stemmed from chai’s deep-rooted association with home and nostalgia: “Chai is such a big part of our culture. For me, it’s so tied to feelings of home and nostalgia. We also spent a lot of time getting the shade right because finding that perfect warm nude, especially for South Asian skin tones, was really important to us. We wanted to capture a little bit of that everyday magic in something you could carry with you and wear all the time.”
Other brands are exploring the idea. The limited-edition Mamaearth x Chaayos Kulhad Chai Tinted Lip Balm offers a glossy brown tint with chai extract and mango butter, while CITTA’s Vanilla Chai Nourishing Lip Balm combines vanilla, ginger and nutmeg extracts with nourishing oils and butters.
A passing fad or one to stay?
Kakkar believes chai has the potential to become a lasting category in perfumery, much like vanilla. “Global brands have been naming products after chai because the word instantly signals warmth and comfort. That tells us chai is not a passing launch; it’s a proven consumer cue. Notes tied to everyday habits don’t fade. They become staples. We see chai doing for Indian perfumery what vanilla did globally,” she explains.
