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The new pudding perfumes we’re obsessed with
Say hello to the comfort food of fragrance – a new crop of grown-up, pudding-inspired scents sure to make us feel cosy and content all winter
You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when, at the end of a gloomy winter's day, you snuggle up with something sweet… maybe crumble covered with hot custard? Sticky toffee pudding drizzled in sauce? Or warm salted caramel anything? This winter, the wizards of the fragrance world have sought to recreate that feeling through pudding-like perfumes that take 2024’s prevailing vanilla trend and add nuanced handfuls of berries, fruits, nuts and caramel – and we’re sold. They smell as good as (and sometimes even better than) than said crumble, and unfailingly trigger that inner glow.
The demand for gourmand perfumes is ever-increasing, with their worldwide market growing over 75% year on year. Why? Because during times of global turmoil, we seek sensory comfort. Often via childhood memories, sweet, creamy, milky scents are associated with familiarity and safety, and invoke a joyfulness akin to indulging in a massive serving of your favourite pudding – the ultimate mood-lifter.
“The desire for scents based on vanilla with added pudding elements certainly comes from wanting comfort,” says Jo Malone CBE, whose latest fragrance, Jo Loves Black Cashmeran & Tonka Fragrance Parfum, has the decadent quality of a deliciously boozy pud, with rum, orange, cardamom and ginger blended with vanillic tonka bean.
“These neo-gourmand scents, as we’re calling them, blend nostalgia, familiarity and comfort with innovative and unique flourishes – it’s a really exciting time for this fragrance family,” says Jo, and we’re inclined to agree with her.
Our pick of the best new gourmand perfumes
This isn’t just any gourmand; this is a Victoria Beckham gourmand, with poshest (sorry) plum bringing a juicy tartness to silky, creamy vanilla pods. If you want your foodie fragrance to be as classy as it is comforting, this is the one for you.
It seems impossible to think that strawberry liquor and condensed milk (yes, condensed milk) could create a sophisticated scent, and yet… LBTY Vine Thief is as beautiful as the print that encases it. Powdery orris root, cashmere notes and just a hint of leather help keep this vanilla-based scent balanced.
What better than a scent inspired by the heat of the Rio carnival to warm us up on colourless, cold wintry days? The fragrance in this trio kit is a beautifully sophisticated blend of cocoa, cachaça, and a medley of citrus fruits mixed in with warm woods. Fiery in the best possible way.
Rhubarb, pineapple and melon heart notes in Memoize London Aurora EDP sprinkle a sparkly optimism all over the scent’s vanilla-amber base, like a bright, brisk walk in a duvet coat.
Pineapple also features in Mugler Angel Fantasm EDP, where it’s combined with coconut and bourbon vanilla for a fruitier, more frivolous take on the original scent.
What can we tell you that the fragrance name doesn't? Kayali scents are never sparing with vanilla and this is no exception, blending the brand's signature note into a truly indulgent feast. With fluffy pink marshmallow, juicy strawberry and creamy coconut in the recipe, this is a truly decadent pudding perfume.
Softest peach is served up with lashings of vanilla bean in Donna Karan’s new Cashmere Collection Cashmere & Palo Santo EDP (welcome back, old friend; we loved Cashmere Mist the first time around), made extra cosy thanks to warm woods that give it a ‘wintry stroll in Central Park’ mood.
Ok, ok, so it's not technically a fragrance, but the scent is this hand wash has been so well considered, it really should be. Developed by dermatologist Alexis Granite, the wash's spiced amber accord was something she worked carefully on -- a gourmand scent that's very close to her heart. We recommend following up with the Joonbyrd Wonder Land Hand Lotion for double the deliciousness.
For those who prefer their pudding with a bit of bite, notes of hazelnut top Dolce & Gabbana Devotion Intense EDP, a new iteration of the scent that combines this rich nuttiness with a shamelessly indulgent vanilla base. At the risk of confusing the metaphor, we like to think of it as the Sophia Loren of pudding perfumes: voluptuous, Italian and incredibly glamorous.
Mythically inspired Creed Delphinus EDP, on the other hand, continues the theme of nuttiness but with milky almonds alongside a powdery floral heart to complement its dreamy vanilla base.
For the purists, Dries Van Noten Vanille Camouflage EDP keeps vanilla front and centre with a duo of Tahitian and Madagascan vanillas, while the refillable bottle is a dressing table forever-piece.
Far more grown-up gourmand than we anticipated, meanwhile, is Ariana Grande’s Lovenotes by Ariana Vanilla Suede EDP, in which rice milk has been added to vanilla for maximum snuggly, skin-like appeal.
Do you love the ‘gourmands for grown-ups’ trend in high-end fragrance, but find the triple-digit price tag adds a bitter note? Try Lush's affordable new option which blends butterscotch with sunny citrus, and is already a huge word-of-mouth hit.
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