Eau d'Italie Morn To Dusk Eau de Parfum as seen on harpersbazaar.com.au...
and available online at Beauty Frontier
What is a gourmand fragrance? Explaining the tempting scent trend.
These fragrances are irresistible, even if you don’t have a sweet tooth.
VANILLA, CHOCOLATE OR strawberry? Take your pick, because gourmand perfumes are the latest fragrance trend truly indulging our senses.
It was the caramelized sugar and spiced saffron notes of Maison Francis Kurkdijan Baccarat Rouge that began to change our taste in fragrances in 2021. Then in 2024, Sabrina Carpenter’s cherry connotation had us head over heels for a cheeky, sultry scent. Even millennials and minimalists were tempted by the sweeter You Rêve eau de parfum edition of Glossier’s much loved musk. This year continues to serve up gourmand scents, edible accords and sweet notes as the most irresistible fragrance trend.
Below, BAZAAR breaks down everything you need to know about gourmand perfumes with guidance from scent expert and MECCA Fragrance Education Lead, Steven Ross Glyde.
What is a gourmand fragrance?
“Gourmand refers to fragrances or fragrance notes that smell edible, good enough to eat,” says Steven Ross Glyde, MECCA’s Fragrance Education Lead. Think of notes like sweet vanilla, caramel, coffee and honey accords, plus fresh fruits like watermelon, grapefruit and peach. Glyde notes that vanilla and pistachio are proving popular in perfume, and tomato summer is still going strong for candles and home fragrance.
Is vanilla a gourmand scent?
Yes, vanilla is a gourmand. “Vanilla is a lot more nuanced and complex than most people realise,” explains Glyde. “There is that classic, sweet vanillin scent and this is a synthetic vanilla that smells a lot like what we use in baking,” explains the expert. But, “if we look at a real vanilla absolute, this will actually have rich, leathery facets with chocolatey accents. Vanilla absolute is warm and enveloping, often described as having a rum-like quality,” Glyde continues. For three unique interpretations of the note, Glyde describes Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk eau de parfum as “decadent”, Eau d’Italie Morn to Dusk eau de parfum as “effortless” and Diptyque Eau Duelle eau de parfum as “sophisticated” — something for everyone.
In the right hands, this makes vanilla fragrances far more complex than expected. “The art of perfumery allows an artist to highlight unique facets of the vanilla when bringing their creations to life. Modern perfumery is always finding unique ways to use various expressions of vanilla to create these incredible tapestries of scent that celebrate the comfort and decadence of vanilla,” says Glyde.
What perfumes have a hint of vanilla?
“Vanilla fragrances always hold a special place in the hearts of our customers,” says Glyde, citing Maison Francis Kurkdjian Gentle Fluidity Gold Eau de Parfum and Maison Crivelli Hibiscus Mahajád Extrait de Parfum as favourites at MECCA. For those already smitten with vanilla scents, “Morn to Dusk from Eau d’Italie is the next fragrance you need on your radar! It is everything you want from a vanilla while remaining delicate, sophisticated and timeless,” shares Glyde.
Photo by David Castillo (@davidcastillofotografo)
