Whether sparkling and sweet or fresh and fruity, these seven gourmand scents are luminous reminders that spring is inching closer.
There’s something inherently nostalgic about sweet scents that land somewhere between melted ice cream and toffee apple.
Gourmand scents that tend towards sugary confections were synonymous with growing up in the late 1990s and early Noughts – and many millennials may remember the chokehold Britney Spears’ Fantasy had on us all.
So it was with much collective delight when gourmand scents made their steady return to the zeitgeist, starting in 2024 and gaining momentum in 2025.
Derived from the French term for enjoying food (“gourmandise”), the fragrance family is defined by sweet, edible notes including caramel, chocolate, vanilla and toffee, along with savoury elements like freshly brewed coffee or salty popcorn.
In 1992, Thierry Mugler launched the world’s first gourmand fragrance with the now-iconic Angel.
“It was unheard of to have a feminine fragrance without florals, so it was particularly groundbreaking,” says Danielle Lagos, communications and social manager for L’Oreal Luxe and PPD New Zealand.
Danielle agrees sweeter scents tend to bring us back to our childhoods, which is why we subconsciously lean into them. She adds gourmand notes of coffee and vanilla continue to be popular – as seen in the original YSL Black Opium and the new Black Opium Glitter, which adds notes of marshmallow.
Juicy fruits are also considered gourmand, and Danielle adds strawberry has been tipped as the next “it” red fruit for its association to love and passion, as seen in Si Passione Red Musk.
Ready for your sweet fix? Discover seven recently released gourmand fragrances to sink your teeth into.
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Armani Si Passione Red Musk 50ml eau de parfum, $230
What it is: The newest iteration in the Armani Si family comes Passione Red Musk, a sweeter take on the original with its blend of soft musk and luminous strawberry. Described by Armani as a scent that wears like a second skin, Si Passione Red Musk captures both the passion and intensity of the fragrance house – exemplified further by the vibrant red bottle and matching cap.
What it smells like: Top notes of luscious strawberry and clean musk, a heart of milk and rose absolu, with a sensual base of sweet vanilla and warm musk.
Available from: Farmers or Farmers.co.nz
Jo Malone London Raspberry Ripple 100ml cologne, $296
What it is: Dreaming of summer? Jo Malone London’s playful new scent channels a scoop of raspberry ripple ice cream with its blend of sweet, juicy fruit and soft white musk. The uplifting fragrance evokes a sun-soaked summer day by juxtaposing gourmand notes with verdant undertones to channel the freshness of being outdoors. It promises a lingering scent trail, especially when applied to wrists, neck and pulse points, allowing body heat to help diffuse the fragrance throughout the day.
What it smells like: Fruity top notes of redcurrant and blackcurrant, a heart of fresh red raspberry, with base notes of clean and powdery musk.
Available from: Farmers or Farmers.co.nz
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YSL Black Opium Glitter 50ml eau de parfum, $242
What it is: A sparkling memento sure to illuminate any bedside or dresser, YSL’s glittering new take on Black Opium oozes magnetism and sex appeal. With its shimmering silver bottle, Black Opium Glitter highlights a blend of marshmallow musk accord, freshly brewed coffee and luminous orange blossoms, said to ignite feminine energy of the wearer as they shine long into the night.
What it smells like: Citrusy top notes of green mandarin, pear and lemon, a heart of orange blossom, with vanilla absolute, coffee, marshmallow, musk and patchouli as its base.
Available from: Selected department stores including Mecca or Mecca.com.
Ellis Brooklyn Guava Granita 50ml eau de parfum, $201
What it is: Escape to Palm Springs with Ellis Brooklyn’s tropical new olfaction – one designed to capture both the irreverence and luxury of its fictional Club EB beach club. Bedecked in hot pink to channel the hue of ripe pink guavas, Guava Granita contains Haloscent, a proprietary and patented technology that enhances fragrance longevity by helping to release raw fragrance materials over time (but without being overpowering or cloying).
What it smells like: Juicy top notes of guava, banana, bergamot and tropical waterlily, a heart of Cavaillon melon, coconut palm and mango blossom, with a comforting base of vanilla, sandalwood and almond milk.
Available from: Mecca or Mecca.com.
Marc Jacobs Daisy Love Eau So Sweet 50ml eau de toilette, $140
What it is: Considered a sheer floral twist to a sweet gourmand, this Marc Jacobs offering builds on the Daisy story with Daisy Love Eau So Sweet – capturing the addictive and unexpected spirit of the Daisy Love woman. Captured on film by fashion photographer Alasdair McLellan, the campaign is fronted by model of-the-moment Kaia Gerber, the brand’s new muse.
What it smells like: Top notes of white raspberry, bergamot and crystallised cloudberries, a heart of daisy tree petals and jasmine milk, set among a base of sugar musk and white iris woods.
Available from: Sephora or Sephora.nz
Burberry Her Intense 50ml eau de parfum, $215
What it is: A bolder, sweeter take on the original Burberry Her, Her Intense is classed as a vibrant gourmand. The ultra-feminine fragrance is designed to accompany the wearer on whatever adventure awaits, with its intense blend of sweet citrus and comforting woods. While the bottle still acts as a call back to Burberry’s British roots, the flacon is dressed in a deeper shade of lacquered matte pink, cementing the scent’s feminine energy.
What it smells like: Another strawberry-scented gourmand, the olfaction options with wild strawberry, unfolds to a heart of orange blossom and culminates with a warm, ambery wood in the dry-down.
Available from: Sephora or Sephora.nz.
Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal Le Parfum 50ml eau de parfum, $235
What it is: Few fragrance bottles are quite as recognisable as Jean Paul Gaultier’s shapely bust, which was turned on its head (quite literally) when Scandal was welcomed into the fold – a flacon celebrating bare legs akimbo. Scandal Le Parfum is as cheeky as the bottle itself, an intense floral amber fragrance with sweet caramel notes and intoxicating vanilla. With each spritz, a daily reminder to unleash your fabulous, free-spirited side.
What it smells like: Sweet and sensual, it opens with top notes of jasmine, a heart of salted caramel and a base of black vanilla.
Available from: Farmers or Farmers.co.nz
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