“Gourmand” is a term that refers to a category of fragrance based on notes associated with food, particularly scents that have sweet, dessert-like qualities, with aromas of vanilla, chocolate, almond, caramel, rum, honey, sugar, cinnamon, and other spices. Over the past few weeks I have been exploring the world of gourmand scents, and found a wealth of options. I started at Saks but barely scratched the surface, so I decided to see what was available at Neiman Marcus and Lucky Scent’s Scent Bar, a shop in Los Angeles that also has a wonderful website.
At Neiman’s I started at the Laura Mercier counter. Mercier is a French make-up artist whose cosmetics line also includes fragrances and beautifully scented body products. The Gourmande Collection of body and bath products was inspired by the patisseries of Paris, and was recently expanded to include Eau Gourmande scents. There are four Eau de Toilette sprays: Almond Coconut Milk, Crème Brûlée, Crème de Pistache, and Fresh Fig. The fragrances are light, and not as sweet as you might think, given their names.
I am already a fan of the Almond Coconut Milk and Crème Brûlée body creams, so was happy to sample the new eau de toilettes. Almond Coconut Milk smells exactly like it sounds, a refreshing blend of almond and coconut that is more like suntan lotion than an Almond Joy. Crème Brûlée captures the essence of one of my favorite desserts—warm caramel, burnt sugar, French vanilla beans—and combines it with soft white musk. But my favorite of the four was Fresh Fig. It was clean and refreshing, not as literal as other fig scents I’ve sampled, which can often smell like scented candles. Here the fig notes are blended with citrus, apricot, ylang ylang, vanilla and musk, creating a dewy blend that I am tempted to add to my collection.
My next stop was Jo Malone, which has a lovely mini boutique at the Neiman’s in Beverly Hills. Jo Malone is an English perfumer who created a line of scents that includes several with food notes, including citrus, fruit, vanilla, and spices. Malone is well known for her philosophy of “Fragrance Combining,” encouraging perfume lovers to combine two of her scents by layering one over another to create an entirely new third scent.
Layering does not really appeal to me, but Malone’s packaging does. The products are beautifully designed—heavy glass bottles packaged in cream-colored boxes with elegant black lettering, tied up with black grosgrain ribbon. (I confess to having purchased Jo Malone just so I could get the packaging). While Malone sold the company to Estee Lauder in 2006 and is no longer involved, her original vision seems to be intact.
Malone began her company with a gourmand scent, Nutmeg & Ginger, which combines sandalwood with, you guessed it, nutmeg and vibrant ginger. My two favorites were Vanilla & Anise and Blue Agava & Cacao. The description of Vanilla & Anise on the Jo Malone website is very alluring: “Vanilla & Anise transports you to the floral landscape of Madagascar and captures the fleeting moment of the blossoming rare vanilla orchid . . . only one or two appear in the morning, and seemingly vanish by late afternoon.” What I liked about the scent was the way the anise cut through the sweetness of the vanilla. Blue Agava & Cacao reminds me of a tropical cocktail, with lime, salt, hints of spice and a little cocoa powder, with florals opening up at the end. I assume “agava” is a different spelling for the “agave” plant used to make tequila, which would explain the lime and salt.
Tom Ford’s fragrance counter beckoned next, where I was surprised to find how much I liked a gourmand from the Private Blend line called Tobacco Vanille. Neither the name nor the description on the Tom Ford website appeal to my usual preferences in perfume. I’ve never liked the smell of pipe tobacco, and “a modern take on an old-world men’s club,” while a lovely visual, does not really speak to me fragrance-wise. Tobacco Vanille is very aromatic and spicy at first, but then the vanilla and tonka bean kick in, followed by a fruity note. I don’t think I will buy Tobacco Vanille, but I did appreciate it.
I left Neiman’s with two fragrances on my potential purchase list—Laura Mercier Fresh Fig and Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cocoa. However, I decided to wait and buy something new until I had a chance to explore at Lucky Scent’s Scent Bar.
Lucky Scent is a website that specializes in what are often called “niche” perfumes—fragrances that are not widely distributed, made by small boutique lines rather than large fragrance or cosmetics houses. Lucky Scent has a small retail space in Los Angeles called Scent Bar, and it is a lovely place to visit on a Saturday afternoon.
The Scent Bar shelves at the front of the store are arranged by category. There was a section labeled “gourmand,” so I knew I was in the right place. I was lucky that Steven was behind the counter, as he knew immediately what I was looking for, and gave me several fun scents to try.
My favorite was called “Confetto,” which is from an Italian line called Profumum. Every time I come to Scent Bar I find another Profumum scent that I like, but they are pricey, and I have not taken the plunge yet. “Confetto” is what the Italians call the pastel-colored, sugarcoated almonds many of us eat at Easter time (such a perfect name, and so much prettier than “sugar-coated almond.” Oh how I wish I spoke Italian). Confetto does smell like sugared almonds, but the sweetness is cut with anise. It reminds me of eating Good & Plenty at the beach, which may not sound appealing, but I found Confetto fresh and pretty, and if it weren’t so expensive I might have been tempted. Perhaps I will buy some samples instead (you can get them on the Lucky Scent site for $5).
I also liked L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Havana Vanille, which transported me to Havana (or what I imagine Havana might be like. Unfortunately “The Godfather: Part 2” is as close as I have ever come). The vanilla is definitely there, but it’s accompanied by a very boozy shot of rum, and a breezy floral note that I couldn’t identify, but which seemed vaguely tropical. You can find it online at Lucky Scent and the L’Artisan website (where it is now called Vanille Absolument, but according to Lucky Scent, the fragrance is the same). It is also available at Barney’s.
After leaving Scent Bar I went home and continued to explore the Lucky Scent site. I don’t know who writes their fragrance descriptions, but every one I read makes me want to try something else. Clearly more samples are in my future and I hope in yours.
