If it feels like you’ve been seeing vanilla gelatos, caramel drizzles, and chai lattes everywhere in the fragrance department this year, you’re not wrong. Gourmand perfumes are the fastest-growing category of scents, Chanel’s head perfumer Olivier Polge previously told Bustle. Not to mention, the research (and recent launches) are backing up this super-sweet takeover.
According to Spate, searches for “gourmand scents” have increased 137% year-over-year since 2024. Celebrity launches like Sabrina Carpenter’s lemon-pie spritz and Ariana Grande’s vanilla-macaron perfume have been flying off the shelves, while Lush’s Sticky Dates scent has taken over TikTok. But why now? It might, in part, coincide with the rise in semaglutide use.
“Gourmands have always been big, mostly because humans love reward, and sweet, edible notes directly trigger the brain’s ‘reward system’ through scent,” says Iggywoo founder Richard Saint-Ford. “They give you the anticipation of pleasure without eating anything, so your brain lights up instantly. Gourmand will continue to thrive because scent isn’t just aesthetic — it’s neurological. It hits pleasure first, meaning later.” In other words, they give you a sugar spike without the sugar.
What Are Post-Gourmand Perfumes?
The more gourmands dominate, the more perfumers are sensing a countermovement. Enter the “post-gourmand” era — think caramel alongside a deeper wood or roasted pistachio paired with spicy notes.
“Typical gourmands tend to lean sweet and dessert-like, and have more familiar scent and flavor profiles like vanilla and chocolate,” explains Gabar co-founder Phway Su Aye. “Post-gourmands take these familiar profiles, but either add to them or subvert them, especially taking them into more savory realms.”
If traditional gourmands are frosting-in-a-bottle, post-gourmands channel something “more adult rather than over-playful,” Saint-Ford adds. “They appeal to people who still want reward, but with a scent that is intelligent, nuanced, and more wearable — pleasure without overload.” Keep scrolling for a full breakdown of the best new “intelligent” gourmands to try this season.
The New Era Of Sweet Scents
1. Textural Vanillas
“Textural vanillas” are the primo category of post-gourmands that Saint-Ford sees taking off, describing them as “velvety, creamy, or mineral rather than sugary.” And Rare Beauty’s first fragrance offering — which dropped this summer — proves exactly that: Vanilla scents don’t have to be cheek-puckeringly sweet to give you the lactonic vibe that you’re looking for. Rare’s Eau de Parfum vanilla base gets balanced by creamy sandalwood and caramel that dries down into a smoky flavor, courtesy of the ginger and pink pepper notes.
2. Nutty Gourmands
Instead of the “over-saturated sugar-nut that’s become predictable,” Saint-Ford says perfumers are leaning into “true nuttiness” — roasted, creamy, subtly savory — and throwing florals or citruses on top for a plot twist. His Pistachio Voodoo Child fragrance “flips the script on sweet pistachio with a rebellious backbone.” It doesn’t feel overly cloying or feminine — just perfectly balanced, thanks to the inclusions of jasmine and lily, which counteract the warm nuttiness with a light powdery finish.
3. Airy Ambers
Amber perfumes are known to smother like a syrupy coating on skin, but perfume pros are now going for “amber that’s airy and milky rather than thick and sticky,” according to Saint-Ford. Take Phlur’s new Afterglow body mist, for instance. It contains citrus and apricot top notes, which settle into the sandalwood and ambrette underneath. It’s a brighter take on the amber category, but still retains that cozy “your skin but better” quality.
4. Spice-Led Gourmands
Clearly, post-gourmands are leaning spicy rather than sweet — but what happens when they’re not dessert-forward at all? Welcome Gabar’s new Nagar Eau De Parfum, which “does away with sweet gourmand notes completely,” according to Aye, by featuring Sichuan and chilli pepper paired with cherry blossom and dark oud. For other spicy options, look for notes of chilli, cardamom, clove, pink pepper, or saffron — they’ll add depth to a creamy base. The beauty of these scents, as Aye says, is that they “embrace even more cultural stories and bring in more food and flavors from around the world.” Post-gourmands go global, beyond the pastry shops of Paris.
5. Musky Fruits
Where fruity fragrances once evoked the smell of a high-school locker room, muskier takes are the grown-up way to wear them. And the new Figue Érotique perfume by Tom Ford is basically the blueprint: It opens with a burst of fig and bergamot wrapped in molasses and musk. These fruity options are perfect for anyone who, yes, wants to smell delicious — but also a little mysterious.
