From Dubai, with love.

Oct 10, 2026 — Soft Services newsletter

Soft Services — Cocoa Delight 96 One could argue—and convincingly—that the world is full enough already with fragrances based on Dubai chocolate. The minds and noses in our Product Development Department thought as much surveying the enamel-blasting sugariness that the category is chockablock with. That is, until a chance encounter made possible by another Buffing Bar —the famed Debaser—changed all that. S.

Durga back in 2024, chef Gerardo Gonzalez prepared a dessert-course fig-shaped riff on Dubai chocolate. His “Dubaser Chocolate,” filled with fig jam, had a rock-hard chocolate shell that had to be cracked (honestly hammered) open to enjoy. It was a hit in flavor, interactivity, and just-one-more-bite-ness that Soft Services’ CEO Rebecca made a small batch in her kitchen the following night. More shells were hammered, more palates pleased. Eureka.

When developing the fragrance, the main trick was tempering chocolate’s sweetness while injecting addictive intrigue. We worked with French ‘nose’ Berenice Watteau to fine tune our own melange : “I began building Cocoa Delight around a bittersweet chocolate accord, layering pistachio and black sesame facets to recreate Dubai chocolate’s richness and texture.

” “I began building Cocoa Delight around a bittersweet chocolate accord, layering pistachio and black sesame facets to recreate Dubai chocolate’s richness and texture. ’ It’s not unlike baking—two soap bases are mixed in what could be thought of as an industrial-size KitchenAid, and what emerges is a total transformation of the ingredients.

It’s not unlike baking—two soap bases are mixed in what could be thought of as an industrial-size KitchenAid, and what emerges is a total transformation of the ingredients.

After five rounds of color refinement, dialing our brown and green soap bases to capture the rich matte depth of bittersweet chocolate (not too milky, not too dark) and pistachio’s signature shade (the line between ‘tennis ball’ and ‘mint’ is surprisingly fine), the final product of Cocoa Delight was born. Enjoy Cocoa Delight in Buffing Bar Miniature Collection: Volume II during this season of indulgence. com , and expected on Sephora shelves starting 10/23. Bon appétit

Tags: Dry Skin, Buffing Bar — Original