Back in 1992, Thierry Mugler’s Angel revolutionized the world of fragrance with its unique gourmand notes of cotton candy, chocolate, caramel, and patchouli. Despite initial skepticism about its sweetness, the scent became iconic and a huge success! Fast forward to 2004, and Aquolina’s Pink Sugar took the spotlight as a popular dessert-like fragrance, resurfacing recently on TikTok as a beloved nostalgic favorite. Today, gourmand perfumes are more popular than ever, with a 184 percent increase in search volume this year, according to Spate data, indicating continued growth in the future.
The Appeal of Gourmand Perfumes
Perfumer Erwan Raguenes of dsm-firmenich explains, “Gourmand fragrances are booming because they provide emotional comfort, evoke nostalgia, and offer instant appeal. They smell edible, feel indulgent, and bring joy—like self-care in the form of scent. Social media also plays a significant role in their popularity, thanks to their relatable scent stories.”
If smelling like a walking birthday cake isn’t your style, a newer fragrance category known as neo-gourmand is gaining momentum. Raguenes describes it as a twist on traditional dessert-like scents, elevating them to a more refined and artistic level by incorporating unconventional or unexpected notes like savory or woody elements.
Noteworthy Notes in Gourmand and Neo-Gourmand Fragrances
For fall and winter, Raguenes suggests that neo-gourmand scents satisfy our craving for warmth and comfort with a touch of sophistication. Expect classic sweet notes like vanilla, caramel, toffee, almond, cherry, marshmallow, coffee, and chocolate, paired with contrasting elements such as burnt sugar, charred woods, toasted nuts, sea salt, soy sauce, bell pepper, matcha, fig, basil, eucalyptus, yuzu, lemon, and candied citrus.
Senior perfumer Darryl Do of Delbia Do Fragrances predicts that citrus fruits like orange and lemon, as well as nuts, will play a significant role in neo-gourmand scents due to their popularity in both food and fragrance. He emphasizes the perfumer’s ability to blend edible notes with sophistication using a variety of essential oils and aroma chemicals to create a balanced and complex fragrance.
Top Picks: New Gourmand Scents to Try