Dessert people, rejoice—there’s a fragrance family specifically made for you. Gourmand scents are made for people who would rather eat desserts first (or skip savory food entirely). Simply put, gourmand scents smell good enough to eat. Gourmand perfumes are filled with mouth-watering edible notes like candy, caramel, vanilla, almond, peach, cherry, coffee, and honey.
Though not for everyone, these perfumes are much more versatile than you probably think. When people think of gourmand scents, they tend to think that they’ll smell sickeningly sweet. In reality, however, many gourmand scents are incredibly complex and wearable. At this point, fragrance houses have nailed making dessert-flavored scents that are sweet and rich without veering cloying. Keep reading for our favorite gourmand scents in every category.
Key notes: iris aldehydes, chocolate, musk. Nothing encapsulates spun sugar more than Prada’s Candy fragrance line. Candy night embraces the richer side of candy with chocolatey notes and orange for a scent good enough to eat.
Key notes: heliotrope, tonka bean, whipped cream, sugar. Striking the perfect balance between cream and sugar, this scent will make you smell like fresh whipped cream—subtle but still alluringly sweet.
Key notes: salted caramel, pistachio, vanilla. This is the scent to reach for if you want to smell like dessert, full stop. Caramel, pistachio, and vanilla meld together for a fragrance that smells like an incredibly indulgent ice cream sundae.
Key notes: blackcurrant, peach, caramel. If you want a caramel perfume that isn’t overpoweringly sweet, this is the right scent for you. It smells like caramelized fruit with just a hint of musk.
Key notes: freesia, plum, amber, cashmere woods, vanilla beans, cistus oil. Byredo’s Vanille Antique is not your usual vanilla scent. This fragrance takes vanilla and turns it on its head—the note morphs into something smoky, earthy, and deep, while still being unmistakably vanilla.
Key notes: pear, rose, vanilla. The vanilla used in this perfume is sustainably sourced, and it also has aromatherapy benefits. Bursting with pear, rose, and vanilla, this scent is the perfect blend of fruity, floral, and sweet.
Key notes: almond, jasmine, vanilla. Dior’s Hypnotic Poison is the quintessential almond-forward scent. It’s sweet with a slightly bitter edge, making it a truly intriguing scent.
Key notes: almond milk, iris, musk. Incredibly luxe, this fragrance takes almond milk, iris, and musk, and whips them into a scent that’s nothing short of hypnotic. It’s basically a lesson in smelling like a rich person.
Key notes: Pêche de Vigne, blood orange, patchouli. In France, the “pêche de vigne” (or peach of the grapevine) a type of heirloom peach that’s only available for a few weeks in late August. This fragrance is bursting with pêche de vigne and blood orange oil for a peachy fragrance that’s juicy but not cloying.
Key notes: amber, jasmine, peach, vanilla. Peach is complemented by vanilla, jasmine, and amber notes. The overall effect of this fragrance is smelling like a late-summer dessert.
Key notes: black cherry, tonka bean, almond. At their worst, cherry-centric scents smell like cough syrup. At their best, they open up beautifully in a way that’s both deep and juicy. Tom Ford’s Black Cherry is a cherry scent at its best—potent, seductive, and dripping in sticky sweetness without being too sweet.
Key notes: cherry, plum, almond, balsam, heliotrope, hawthorn berries, black vanilla, tonka bean. If you’ve ever wanted to smell like cherry pie, this fragrance is your ticket there. Zara’s Cherry Smoothie perfectly marries cherry with notes that balance it out.
Key notes: rum, coffee, vetiver. If your go-to drink is an espresso martini, you need this fragrance in your collection. Coffee and rum make the perfect match, with coffee adding deep dimension while rum adds a caramely spike.
Key notes: black coffee, white flowers, vanilla. Coffee and vanilla are the perfect pair—there’s a reason Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is so popular. Add in white flowers, and you have a truly unique combination that smells good on everyone.
Key notes: dark rum, honey, vanilla bean. If you swear up and down that you don’t like sweet scents, Ellis Brooklyn Bee will turn you into a convert. This blend of rum, honey, and vanilla smells like ice cream melting off of a cone in mid-summer heat, and one whiff is never enough.
Key notes: cassis, acacia honey, peach. This is a sparkling take on honey. It will transport you to a blooming garden—it’s sweet, light, and airy.
