The saccharine aroma of chocolate truffles and caramelised toffee, doused in freshly ground coffee with a playful touch of vanilla and marshmallow – a gourmand perfume allows you to embody those desserts physically. This subcategory of fragrances was first established in the â90s by Thierry Muglerâs sensually scintillating âAngelâ with notes of delicate praline, freshly spun cotton candy, and sweet red berries. At its core, the gourmand perfume mimics the addictive and delightful rush of joy experienced when the silky strawberry gelato melts on your tongue, or walking into a warm bakery offering endless displays of tantalising pastries, or the nostalgic embrace of a hot cup of cocoa. For those who adore their sweets and confectionery, it’s no wonder that market analysis shows the growth in interest for dessert-like, comforting scents. Searches on TikTok and other platforms for food-inspired fragrances and especially vanilla perfumes have continued to rise sharply. But do we simply just enjoy the smell of indulgent treats, or is there a potential correlation with the current discourse of diet culture and the growing use of weight loss drugs?
The enjoyment and comfort derived from fragrances is a result of the direct connection between the olfactory bulb, the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the nucleus accumbens in our brain. The buttery smell of crisp, flaky croissants evokes an immediate, vivid, and emotional response in us. The signals from the olfactory bulb make a direct, straight-line to these structures, bypassing the thalamus â meaning smell is less rationally filtered and more emotionally raw. The amygdala, our emotional headquarters, welcomes warm chocolatey notes and sweet fruity scents by coding them as rewarding and safe, which floods us with feelings of softness and indulgence. Alongside it, the hippocampus stirs, weaving memories and past experiences into these aromas. We are transported back into our childhood kitchens, or sitting around a cozy fire watching the mini marshmallows melt and swirl into a mug of hot chocolate, or to the memory of Pancake Tuesday as a kid, impatiently waiting to drench warm stacks with maple syrup. Feelings of pleasure and rewards are heightened even more with the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, a neurotransmitter that spikes in anticipation in response to dessert-like smells. We feel intoxicated and addicted, even when the food is only imagined through a spritz of perfume. Our desire is activated, and the pleasure is simulated without the physical act of consumption.Â
A study by Abeywickrema and colleagues investigated sensory-specific satiety, the idea that our desire for a certain taste can be reduced after exposure to the aroma. The findings suggest that high-intensity vanilla aromas at breakfast can reduce cravings later in the day for sweet snacks, partially fulfilling the brainâs reward system by releasing dopamine in anticipation. Of course, this is just one study and might not be generalisable, but it explains how we may experience satiety neurologically through scent alone. A handful of recent publications have begun asking whether the smell of indulgence might influence our choices as consumers, including experiments testing how dessert-like scents could possibly steer children and adults alike away from unhealthy choices at the supermarket, or even using food-derived aromas as a way of addressing overweight and obesity.Â
But what are the broader implications in todayâs social scene? TikToker Amy Nose Scent (@amynosescents) asks her viewers the question, âHave you noticed that perfume gets sweeter every time we get thinner?â before delving into the return of diet culture and the infamous GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic. Like most things, history repeats itself.
Gourmand perfumes first rose in popularity back in the 2000s. An era defined by âheroin-chicâ fashion, Kate Moss, scathing tabloid headlines, and outrageous standards perpetuated by shows such as Americaâs Next Top Model. In those days, perfume boutiques filled their aisles and shelves with notes of caramel, white chocolate, and frosted cupcakes. Fast forward to the present, and we find ourselves in a second wave of weight control. Without doubt, youâve definitely come across buzzwords and trends all over social media, from Ozempic to âalmond daughterâ to comparative WIEIAD (What I Eat In A Day) vlogs, with every fad we spiral deeper into an unhealthy obsession with food restriction and thinness. As a response, the market offers us an alternative to achieve the dopamine rush once obtained from consuming food, now subdued by GLP-1 drugs. Our so-called forbidden cravings for sugar can be fulfilled with gourmand fragrances â allowing our brains to bathe in the cascade of dopamine.Â
Are we wearing dessert-inspired scents to suppress our cravings as dictated by society, or are we simply drawn to the alluring comfort of vanilla, cocoa, and cake? Perhaps itâs both. Whether these gourmand perfumes are a tool used in a culture to moralise eating or to wrap ourselves in delightful moments of nostalgia, whatever the reason, our appetite for them is stronger than ever. If your curiosity has been piqued, there is an abundance of luscious options to exploreâŠ
- Tom Ford Vanilla Sex Eau de Parfum
- Tom Ford Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum
- ZARA Gourmand Coffee Eau de ParfumÂ
- Ariana Grande MOD Vanilla Eau de Parfum
- Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum
- Mugler Angel Eau de ParfumÂ
- Killian Paris Angelsâ Share Eau de Parfum
- Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 71 Hair & Body Perfume Mist
- Jo Malone London Ginger Biscuit CologneÂ
- Phlur Heavy Cream Body Mist
âŠjust to name a few!
Sources & Further Reading:
- Abeywickrema S, Oey I, Peng M. (2022). Sensory Specific Satiety or Appetite? Investigating Effects of Retronasally-Introduced Aroma and Taste Cues on Subsequent Real-Life Snack Intake. Food Quality and Preference.
- Godyla-JabĆoĆski M, Pachura N, Klemens M, Wolska J, Ćyczko J. (2025). Natural Appetite Control: Food-Derived Aromas as Appetite Decreasing Agents-A Proof-of-Concept Study. Nutrients.Â
- Biswas D, Szocs C. (2019). The Smell of Healthy Choices: Cross-Modal Sensory Compensation Effects of Ambient Scent on Food Purchases. Journal of Marketing Research.