Room for Dessert: The Gourmand Fragrances Everyone Will Be Wearing Next
April 17 | 4 minute read
Words by Danielle Gay
Vanilla fragrances have had a rebrand of late – no longer sickly, overly airy or too ‘high school’, the new cohort of gourmand scents are deliciously unusual and turn heads for all the right reasons.
This shift in sweet-smelling fragrances has been brought about by unexpected pairings – think candied notes with marine salt, creamy accords and warm, spicy amber, or a balsamic note alongside rich tonka. Some are food-adjacent in the comfort sense, like buttery lactonic scents. Others capture transformation in a bottle: the moment nectar turns into honey, or raw milk is condensed – meaning you’re less likely to smell like a cupcake than you are the waft of one baking in the oven.
And if you love the vibe of a vanilla scent but want a perfume that’s slightly more elevated, these trending dessert fragrances go beyond the classics. Try them as the finishing touch layered on top of a woody fragrance (look for cashmere in the notes) – or wear alone as your next signature scent.
Dessert person? There’s no better time to peruse the fragrance menu...
TikTok-loved fragrance brand PHLUR has recently dropped Honey Moon, a warm nectar-like addition to its gourmand offering. Designed to smell like the wearer is dripping in honey, the sweetness is offset by subtle notes of mandarin and a hint of saffron that dries down to the creamiest of vanillas.
Like its namesake, it signals the excitement of new, though somehow familiar, beginnings. Warm and grounded, it smells like sharing a slice of honey and orange-blossom cake on a hot spring day.
For those who covet that ‘my skin, but better’ effect, lean into this lactonic fragrance by DedCool. Lactonic scents sit close to the body and evoke the richness and warmth of milk or cream, creating a delicious lived-in feel. Mineral Milk achieves all of this and more, with an extra hit of indulgence thanks to a musky softness that settles into creamy amber and the contrast of salty ocean air and subtle florals.
Imagine sipping a lavender latte or enjoying a scoop of fior de latte gelato by the beach – it’s you, on a coastal getaway.
A smooth caramel scent for the grown-up gourmand lover. Rich and velvety without being overpowering, Ellis Brooklyn blends top notes of maple sugar, wild honey and – you guessed it – caramel, for a decadent dessert-in-a-bottle. Vanilla bourbon, salt and amber woods mean Queens Caramel doesn’t cloy, instead unfolding into a sophisticated dulce de leche aroma.
This is a fragrance designed to be worn solo – no edits – and is as delectable as a spoonful of the best crème brûlée.
Who knew milk could be so sexy?! Like any good edible scent, this fragrance begins with sticky-sweet caramel but blends into something else entirely, thanks to heady notes of black pepper, woody cashmere and a base note that is flooded with warm vanilla.
A study in contrasts, it’s a milky, melty, messy fragrance that is utterly addictive, designed to shock the senses. It’s the kind of perfume you spritz on your wrist to make someone fall in love with you (so, proceed with caution).
The original ‘smells-like-you fragrance’ gets the gourmand treatment. Known for being formulated with mostly base notes so that it reacts with the wearer’s unique body chemistry, Glossier You now comes in a Soie iteration, which pairs it with rice milk and a floral heart of tiare water and decadent jasmine.
Meant to summon the moment sunkissed skin hits the evening air, it’s somehow both velvety and sheer, with a coconutty quality and a hint of honey and salt. Think of this as the perfume equivalent of your favourite silky rice pudding.
