Cheirosa ‘40 is Sol de Janeiro’s darker, fruitier take on its own gourmand formula. Released in 2021 and sold as a hair and body perfume mist, it trades the famous salted caramel chestnut of Cheirosa ‘62 for something juicier and more autumnal: ripe plum and blackcurrant sitting on warm amber and vanilla.
What Does Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa ‘40 Smell Like?
The opening is the most distinctive part of the fragrance. Plum arrives first, backed by tart cassis and a dark, slightly boozy black amber note. Several reviewers mention a brief harsh alcohol edge in the first minute before the mist settles, which is common for this format. Once that burns off, you get a jammy, wine-like fruit effect rather than a candy sweetness.
After about half an hour the heart shifts toward florals. Orchid and jasmine soften the fruit and give the composition a creamy, almost powdery texture that keeps it from smelling like pure syrup. This is where Cheirosa ‘40 feels closest to a proper perfume rather than a body spray.
The drydown is where it becomes unmistakably Sol de Janeiro. Vanilla and light woody notes carry the rest of the wear, joined by a clean musk that keeps things skin-close. The final hours read as soft sweet vanilla with faint fruit lingering on top. If you know Brazilian Crush ‘62, think of ‘40 as its moodier cousin: same cozy vanilla backbone, different fruit, less caramel.
Performance
This is a mist, and it performs like one. Community consensus and editorial testing land on 3 to 5 hours of longevity, with projection staying within roughly a foot of the skin after the first hour. The sillage is polite enough for office wear, but anyone expecting an EDP-level trail will be disappointed.
Two practical fixes help. Spray onto moisturized skin or hair, where mists cling noticeably longer than on dry forearms. And reapply once midday if you need the scent to last through an evening. At the typical price for a large 240ml bottle, generous respraying is part of how the product is meant to be used. Value stays solid precisely because you get so much juice per purchase.
Best Clone Or Alternative
The strongest documented dupe is Perfume Parlour Plum Orchid, a UK oil house’s interpretation sold at £10 for a 30ml EDP spray. Perfume Parlour lists an identical pyramid for it: plum, black amber, and cassis over orchid and jasmine, drying down to vanilla, woodsy notes, and musk. Buyer reviews on the product page repeatedly call it nearly identical to the original, and several say it outlasts the mist since it ships as a concentrated EDP spray rather than an alcohol-heavy body product.
The tradeoffs are real. Perfume Parlour’s versions can render the floral heart slightly thinner and more synthetic, quality control varies batch to batch, and the brand has far less community scrutiny than Sol de Janeiro. One reviewer on the listing disagreed with the near-identical consensus entirely. For UK buyers, though, paying roughly a quarter of the price for the same scent DNA is an easy experiment.
When To Wear It
Cheirosa ‘40 fits daily wear across spring, fall, and winter, and community data shows plenty of summer use too thanks to its restrained projection. The plum and amber character gives it a clear lean toward cooler months and evening settings. It works for casual daytime errands, office days, and date nights alike. Its closeness on the skin makes it especially well suited to intimate settings where a loud fragrance would be too much.
Who Should Buy It
Buy it if you already like Sol de Janeiro’s gourmand style but find ‘62 too sugary, or if you want a fruity-vanilla scent for fall that will not overwhelm a room. It also suits anyone who enjoys reapplying throughout the day and appreciates a big bottle at a fair price.
Who Should Skip It
Skip it if longevity is your priority. Three to five hours of skin-close wear frustrates anyone who wants one morning application to last. Fans of fresh, clean, or woody fragrances will find the plum-and-vanilla profile cloying, and serious collectors may consider the format too lightweight to justify shelf space next to true EDPs.
Final Verdict
Cheirosa ‘40 does one thing well: a juicy plum and vanilla gourmand that smells more expensive than its format suggests. It is not a powerhouse and was never meant to be. Judge it as a comfortable, versatile everyday mist and it earns its spot. If budget matters more than packaging, Perfume Parlour Plum Orchid gets you remarkably close for far less.