Current sociopolitical motivations notwithstanding, the gourmand craze is not an overnight sensation. “Gourmands never went away. Angel was one of the fragrances that confirmed the trend. Everybody wanted to smell yummy and attractive with a big sillage,” Ulrich Lang, founder of Ulrich Lang New York, tells BeautyMatter. “This current trend of gourmands was probably accelerated by all these crises in the world because they want to have something that's really cozy and cocooning.”

— Read more in Will Gourmand Fragrances Hit Sugar Peak? at BeautyMatter.

The rise of marshmallow scents marks a subtle shift within the category, moving away from overtly edible signatures and towards a more ethereal and cozy interpretation of sweetness. It’s an innovation that’s satiating the growing (and very hungry) gourmand consumer; according to Spate, searches for “foodie fragrances” are up 139.6 percent year-on-year.

“Unlike the richness of caramel or the intensity of chocolate, marshmallow delivers a light, fluffy sweetness that beautifully balances nostalgia with sophistication,” says DSM-Firmenich perfumer Gabriela Chelariu.

— Read more in The Marshmallow Fragrance Trend Captures Everything You Want In a Gourmand Perfume at Marie Claire.

Tapping into the trend doesn’t necessarily mean entirely new formulations. Legacy brands like Lancôme and Dolce & Gabbana have been reworking their hero scents with a neo-gourmand twist. Lancôme’s Idôle Nectar, introduced in 2022, features notes of vanilla, caramel and popcorn, while Dolce & Gabbana launched an intense version of its Devotion fragrance this year that opens with a hazelnut pop (and is based in vanilla). Mugler recently expanded its decades-old Angel line with Fantasm, which blends the original with dollops of creamy piña colada.

— Read more in Fine Fragrances Are Getting a New Gourmet Twist at Business of Fashion.

Search trends mirror what fragrance buyers are seeing behind the scenes: Across both Google and TikTok, searches for caramel perfume, gourmand fragrances, and vanilla scents have grown significantly over the past 12 months, according to Spate, the trend-forecasting agency, which predicts this positive growth will continue into the new year.

Perfumers, however, are cooking up new and exciting gourmands that go beyond traditional confectionery-inspired scents. Dubbed “neo” or “new” gourmands, these fragrances are still “edible” and delicious, but softer, more sophisticated, and more complex.

— Read more in 2025’s Biggest Fragrance Trends Are a Feast for the Senses at Allure.