My snack personality has always veered towards the salty: chips and dip, cheese and crackers, those flat, brown discs that are the best part of Gardetto’s Snack Mix, that kind of thing. But, when it came to fragrances, I always went for the sweet stuff. Gourmand perfumes have been my thing ever since I was teen, ritualistically spraying Juice Bar’s Cotton Candy body mist all over my JNCOs before heading to an all-night rave. Little did I know that my gourmand perfume preferences would continue throughout my adult life. One of my perfume cornerstones was Jessica Simpson’s Deliciously Kissable “Creamy” Fragrance, which was from her aughts-era edible beauty line Dessert Beauty (which I found on eBay after writing about it on Racked in 2018). Another was my beloved Aquolina Pink Sugar (which I also rebought just a few months ago). Of course, there were dalliances with other sweet-smelling perfumes, like Harajuku Lovers G by Gwen Stefani, Tokyo Milk Let Them Eat Cake, and Whipped Cream from Eau De Vie, a forgotten line of gourmand-inspired fragrances that was sold exclusively by Sephora in the 2000s.
Over the years, friends who had similar fragrance preferences to mine would graduate to more “sophisticated” scents. Yet, I never felt the pressure to do the same, even as I got into my 30s, then my 40s, and even when other people, including a famous French perfumer I interviewed, deemed gourmand fragrances to be tacky. (First of all, I love tacky. Secondly, I do what I want!) But in recent years, I’ve noticed more people proudly proclaiming their love for gourmands, especially on TikTok, where the hashtag “gourmandperfume” has 22.9M views and sweet-smelling perfumes like Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540 have gone viral. When you consider the olfactory differences between Baccarat Rouge 540 and Le Labo’s Santal 33, the smoky wood fragrance that gained cult status a decade ago, it might be a sign that smelling like a delicious cake or cotton candy isn’t gauche after all. Gourmand perfumes might finally be getting their time in the spotlight.
Elena Vosnaki, author and senior editor at Fragrantica.com and founder of Perfumeshrine.com, says that gourmands have currently taken over the market, alongside fragrances with Middle-Eastern ingredients, such as oudh (though she says that’s more popular in niche fragrances). “For the designer and mainstream segments, gourmands are reigning right now,” says Vosnaki, and she has a few theories why. “There are several factors contributing to that: the pandemic, which made us all seek solace and comfort, the war in Europe which created a throwback to tried and tested solutions for the market, plus the companies that have been steadily producing and launching gourmand fragrances for the past 10-15 years,” she explains.
Perfumer Marissa Zappas echoes the fact that most commercial perfumes released in the past decade are technically gourmands, even if they aren’t necessarily marketed that way. “In general, perfumes are much, much sweeter than they were 20 years ago,” she says. But even though gourmands are more common, there’s always been stigma attached to them. Zappas recalls working as a shop girl at Annick Goutal, where women would walk in and loudly announce they ‘hate sweet’ and ‘don’t want anything remotely sweet,’ but walk out of the store with the sweetest perfume they had. “It’s hard for people to ultimately walk away from what they truly want. Strong aversions to sweet perfumes always feel a little misogynist to me for some reason, also a lot of cheaper perfumes are sweeter,” she says. “Humans crave sugar, fat, and salt.”
The concept of experiencing dessert in ways in which you can’t actually eat them goes beyond wearing traditional perfumes. Take for instance Bath and Body Works, which is famous for its dessert-scented hand soaps, body lotions, and candles as it is for the body mists that many had as their junior high signature scent. “The gourmand category is an important part of our fragrance portfolio and we are always mining for the next fragrance to satisfy our customers’ sweet tooth,” explains Noelle Marois, Associate Vice President of Product and Fragrance Development at Bath & Body Works. “The food and beverage industries are ever-changing, so we love to look to the flavor trends on menus, festivals, or even local grocery stores for fragrance inspiration to identify the next idea.” For its newest holiday scent, Fa La La Latte, the brand found inspiration from the cookie butter trend, adding hints of espresso and sweet vanilla foam.
The personal care brand Native is known for its creatively-scented deodorants and body care products, including holiday-themed deodorants like Sugar Cookie and Spiked Egg Nog. “Gourmand fragrances are inspired by edible notes like coconut, vanilla, coffee notes, chocolate, honey, desserts, and tropical fruits. And these notes really deliver comfort, balance, and trust,” explains Natalia Lebedev, Native’s Chief Fragrance Officer. “It could be a nostalgic feeling for some, while it could represent a feeling of hope for others. But now more than ever consumers are looking for something that can provide that comforting experience.”
As fashion and beauty trends from the past tend to come back again, so can fragrances like gourmands. Vosnaki also believes people like these types of scents because they find them comforting and familiar. “The rich tastes of desserts are something that relaxes and makes you feel good about something you know and trust,” she says. She doesn’t believe gourmands attract a particular person, but points out that they’re typically geared more towards younger women, like millennials and Gen Z, because they came on board after a certain period in time. “Previous generations were brought up in older style perfumes—oriental, spicy, heavily floral or chypre—so they’re accustomed to them and they don’t feel odd. Whereas for younger women the flavor of caramel is more familiar than say the one of oak moss, which is a very characteristic scent in older, vintage chypre perfumes.”
The attention to gourmand scents could be due to the culmination of several factors: Gen Z popularizing the scents on TikTok, a general mass desire for nostalgia and comfort, and maybe just the simple idea of people liking what they like, even if it might not be “cool.” Zappas says that gourmands aren’t necessarily considered edgy, and are actually more childlike. “There’s a theory about vanilla undertones occuring in breast milk—which could explain why a lot of younger people tend to pick gourmands as a first perfume. Then, once their taste evolves and they grow up, they might reach for a more complex scent category, although vanillin smells can certainly be complex,” she says. “Gourmands are for people who maybe want to smell edible.” Indeed, we do. Inspired to try one (or a few) of the absolute best gourmand beauty products out there? Keep scrolling!
From Zappas’s own line, she describes this perfume as “the ultimate gourmand,” and I agree. “Lemon frosting, vanilla cake, and buttery tuberose cake. Fun, satisfying, definitely a little extra,” says Zappas.
Why moisturize your gams in unscented lotion when they can literally smell like cookies? It may be a holiday scent, but it’s so good, you’ll want to stock up for the rest of the year.
She’s an icon, she is a legend, and she is the moment. A combination of praline, patchouli leaf, and Calabrian bergamot has made Mugler’s Angel fragrance a star, and not just for its stunning star-shaped bottle. As Vosnaki states, this is the fragrance that helped popularize gourmands back in 1992. Look to the legend!
I’m a huge fan of the famous Kilian fragrance Love, Don’t Be Shy, (known to be Rihanna’s signature scent before she launched her own fragrance), but if you want something that’s a little more spicy, try Intoxicated. It has notes of coffee, cardamom, and vanilla, which give it a warm, almost incense-y vibe. So, so nice.
While Warm Vanilla Sugar is considered another year-round favorite, Vanilla Bean Noel has been a beloved holiday scent for over 20 years. You can have your whole house smell like freshly baked cookies, or wear it as a lotion or body spray.
Ever since I got my hands on this perfume, I’ve been wearing it nonstop (I even packed it for my Thanksgiving trip back home). Not only is the bottle pink and gorgeous, it has a marshmallow note (which is my favorite) alongside fruity scents like mandarin, orange blossom, and raspberry.
Rum and honey sound good as a cocktail, but even better as a perfume. It’s warm and sensual. Perfect for cooler weather.
With two types of vanilla, nude musk and Hinoki wood, Dulce is described as “vanilla ice cream with a shot of whisky on the side.” It’s also inspired by the 90s, which speaks to my 90s teen heart.
The Strawberry Pound Cake fragrance is popular amongst Bath & Body Works heads all year long, even when it’s not strawberry season.
It’s all in the name. This perfume has notes of juicy pear, marshmallow, ambrette, and orris, giving it a perfectly fresh-meets-sweet scent.
Lush has some incredible perfumes (Cardamom Coffee $235 is a forever fave), but don’t sleep on the brand’s lineup of body sprays. Good times will be had with this one, as you’ll instantly be teleported to a county fair with its buttery, caramel popcorn scent.
This luxurious chocolate and hazelnut body wash will make you want to be your true decadent self and eat a tub of Nutella in the shower. Seriously obsessed. And your skin will feel amazing afterwards, too.
This iconic perfume is one of Vosnaki’s personal gourmand favorites. She describes it as “sweet like caramel, yet airy and diffusive.”
If you want something super sweet and buttery, the ‘71 body mist does not play. It has caramelized vanilla and macadamia that will turn you into a walking carnival (in a good way).
Lowkey, I’m a huge scented candle fan. This is a new candle brand, and I’m obsessed with every single one that I’ve smelled. Interestingly, Film Grain has gourmand notes, like vanilla, caramel, and coffee among notes of leather, iris, dust, and printed scripts, resulting in a strange yet familiar scent with a touch of sweetness. I’m hoping the founder, Ethan Gaskill, gets into perfumes at some point because I’m impressed by these complex scents. (Hey, it worked for Santal 33, which was a candle before it became a perfume!)
Kayali does a lot of sweet-smelling perfumes, and its newest, Vanilla Royale, is a total dream. It combines sweet vanilla, with patchouli, rum, crème brulée and royal oud. Delightful.
For coffee lovers who want just enough of a coffee note without going into dessert territory, Coffee Break could be the one for you. It has notes of pepper, patchouli and orange blossom against coffee, lavender, tonka bean, and vanilla, giving it a fresh, spicy, energizing scent.
This is a going-out scent, so make some plans when you wear this. This amber gourmand has rose, black cherry liquor, and moss accord for a scent that is the perfect balance of sweet and sensual.
According to Vosnaki, this perfume is one of the most popular gourmands on the market. “It’s as feisty and happy as savoring cotton candy on a boat over the Seine—incidentally the location of the scent’s commercials—which is so popular that a bottle must be selling every few seconds somewhere along the globe,” she says.
If you need extra body hydration, grab this shower oil, which smells like almond, florals, vanilla, and tonka beans, and moisturizes the skin with jojoba, avocado, olive, and wheat germ oil.
Up next, “Smell is Our Most Ancient Sense”: The 14 Most Enchanting Perfumes of All Time
