6 Fragrances for dessert lovers

6 Fragrances for dessert lovers.

Rich chocolate layer cakes. Sumptuous warm toffee cakes. Sweet and tart fruit galettes. Creamy vanilla custard. The art of baking and the craft of blending luxury fragrances have gone hand-in-hand for more than a century. That’s because the sweet gourmand notes of dark chocolate, Bourbon vanilla, honey from Provence, smooth caramel, toffee and fruits of all sizes and shapes have been popular ingredients in perfumers’ palettes. Scent enthusiasts find these fragrances comforting and reassuring.

“During the 1980s, almost every fragrance was finished with a vanilla note,” explains perfumer Kilian Henessy. “Vanilla came to define the decade in perfumery because people found it reassuring.” It’s interesting to note that vanilla has once again become hugely popular in modern fragrance compositions.

He says that gourmand ingredients are almost exclusively used in base notes as they have longevity and blend well with woods, patchouli and musk. A gourmand note can last upwards of five hours in an eau de parfum. They also perform particularly well during cooler months.

Scent Lodge has selected six exceptional fragrances with rich, high quality gourmand notes. When it comes to sweet ingredients, quality plays a huge role. When perfumers have the budget to invest in premium chocolate, vanilla and caramel notes, you can immediately smell the results. Vanilla in particular varies wildly from budget varieties to ultra-prestige versions. You’ll smell the difference in these six scents.

Philipp Plein No Limits

Gourmand notes: dark chocolate, Bourbon vanilla, ginger, cinnamon & caramel

Master perfumer Alberto Morillas achieves the perfect balance of chocolate, ginger and cinnamon in this rich, sexy scent for men. At first sniff, you can smell the dark chocolate, but it isn’t overpowering. Morillas is able to get all these spices to blend seamlessly.

Chopard Vanille de Madagascar

Gourmand notes: vanilla, caramel, tea,  

Swiss luxury jeweller Chopard has created a modern-day masterpiece with this vanilla-themed fragrance. That’s because the brand uses the absolute finest quality vanilla in the world which isn’t overly sweet. It has an almost dry character with beautiful nuance. The caramel note adds a touch of sweetness and the tea calms.

Atkinsons Pirate’s Reserve

Gourmand notes: rum accord, Madagascar vanilla, heliotrope cocoa bean

For anyone who enjoys a dessert of glorious chocolate and aged rum, this fragrance is for you. It channels the spirit of Caribbean vacations when you sit under palm trees sipping exotic drinks and watch the ocean waves. This is particularly good in cold winter weather as the rum gives a kick of warmth.

Versace Crystal Noir

Gourmand notes: black fig, black currant, vanilla

When perfumers want to create a sexy evening fragrance, they will often reach for black fig. This a vastly underappreciated note in fragrance as it adds a sweet, slightly fruity note that blends beautifully with warm vanilla. Black currant keeps the composition from becoming too sweet with a little tart note.

Moschino Fresh Gold

Gourmand notes: grapefruit, mandarin, pear, white peach, mango, rhubarb, vanilla

If your idea of the ultimate dessert is a fresh fruit galette with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, Moschino Fresh Gold is for you. It’s a refreshing blend of citrus, smooth pear & peach and tart mango and rhubarb. Sweet vanilla brings all these ingredients together into a seamless fragrance that is light and uplifting.

Jimmy Choo by Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum

Gourmand notes: toffee, orange, pear

Dessert chefs have paired toffee, orange and pear for years into sumptuous desserts. Smooth sweet toffee wraps around the orange and pear to decadent effect. This is an incredibly sexy fragrance.