One’s first foray into the fragrance world often takes on a gourmand tone. Whether it’s the cupcake and white chocolate notes of Britney Spears’ Fantasy; the soft tropical fruits present in Victoria’s Secret’s Lost In Fantasy; Sol de Janerio’s ever-popular line of soft gourmand perfume mists; or one of the many nauseatingly sweet vanilla-suffused scents present in the Juicy Couture lineup, the olfactory entry-point seems to be tinged with gustatory notes.
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Most gourmand scents today can be traced back to Angel by Thierry Mugler, launched in 1992, it featured ethyl maltol, a synthetic sugar note, alongside a heady array of dessert notes, including juicy berries, cotton candy, chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. While a revolutionary fragrance at the time, over three decades — and enough scents to fill an olfactory dessert buffet — later, the syrupy sweetness is starting to feel a touch stale.
However, it doesn’t mean the fragrance industry is doing away with lucullan delights altogether. No, the new breed of gourmand fragrances has simply matured; rather than bookending a meal, they look towards the earlier courses for inspiration. Cauliflower, parsley, cucumber, sweet potato, and carrot have entered the chat, with herbaceous and vegetal notes contributing to nuanced, complex scents.
Where their fruity, dessert-like counterparts tend to appeal to tweens and teens, vegetal scents take on a distinctly adult tone. Catering to those who’ve ditched the cherry on top and are looking to savour the main course, perfumers like D.S. & Durga, Officine Buly, COMME des GARÇONS, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian are among those incorporating a veritable grocery list of vegetables and herbs in their scents. Far from smelling like a detox juice, these new gourmand fragrances are earthy, grounded, and sensual, with their vegetable notes lending an aura of mystery unattainable by their sweeter counterparts.
So, if smelling like an alluring artichoke or a seductive sweet potato takes your fancy, these are the best vegetable-infused scents to try.
1. Officine Buly Eau Triple Scandinavian Redcurrant & Peruvian Tomato
Tomato girl summer has entered the olfactory realm. One of a series of fragrances inspired by a vegetable garden, this scent by French fragrance house Officine Buly is optimistic and uplifting, teaming golden tomato (yes, technically a fruit but it still counts!) with tangy currants, hardy rosemary, and bright bergamot.
Brand: Officine Buly
Scent notes: Inca fruit, boreal currant, fresh plant stems, rosemary, bergamot
2. COMME des GARÇONS Rouge
Rouge by name and rouge by nature, this scent derives its vibrant hue from beetroot. The earthiness of the root vegetable is tempered by bright pink peppercorn, zesty ginger, and faintly metallic geranium leaves. A resinous base of incense, patchouli, and cistus underscores the scent, creating an unexpected yet elegant earthy scent.
Brand: COMME des GARÇONS
Scent notes: beetroot, pink pepper, ginger, mint, incense, labdanum, cistus, patchouli
3. D.S. & Durga Coriander
Call it coriander or cilantro, it’s doubtless one of the most divisive herbs; with some likening the taste to soap (this can be attributed to the presence of a certain type of olfactory receptor genes that are capable of identifying the scent of aldehyde chemicals — present in both coriander and soap). For those not in possession of those genes, D.S. & Durga Coriander compliments the cool, verdant, pungent aroma of its namesake with lime peel, rosemary, clary sage, and geranium to create a bright, sparkling scent that’s the perfect olfactory accoutrement to a crisp white shirt and jeans.
Brand: D.S. & Durga
Scent notes: coriander, pepper, juniper needle, geranium, clove stem, clary sage, musk, magnolia, mace
4. Jo Malone London Earl Grey & Cucumber
Jo Malone London has long known the olfactory power of a good vegetable. The British fragrance house’s Earl Grey & Cucumber cologne sees the sparkling, citrusy quality of bergamot paired with cool, watery cucumber to create a light summer scent with a hint of sweetness.
Brand: Jo Malone London
Scent notes: bergamot, cucumber, beeswax
5. L’Artisan Parfumeur Tonka Blanc
Combining the natural creaminess and subtle sweetness of cauliflower with refreshing bergamot and tangerine as well as almond and tonka bean, L’Artisan Parfumeur Tonka Blanc is soft and warm, with just the right balance between savoury and sweet. Using cauliflower oil from Symrise’s Garden Lab collection, it’s the first fragrance on the market to feature a natural vegetable extract.
Brand: L’Artisan Parfumeur
Scent notes: cauliflower, mandarin, tonka bean
6. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Media Cologne Forte
Now, Maison Francis Kurkdjian may be best know for its virtually ubiquitous Baccarat Rouge 540, a gourmand woody scent that’s been embraced by quite literally everyone, but its Aqua Media Cologne Forte is a quiet achiever. An ode to freshness, it sees citrus notes of verbena and bergamot accented with the understated sweetness of fennel and a base of musk to create a joyful fragrance that bottles the carefree nature of summer.
Brand: Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Scent notes: verbena, bergamot, fennel, hedione, musks
7. D.S. & Durga Bistro Waters
Capsicum (or bell pepper!) takes centre stage in this decidedly savoury fragrance. The addition of green capsicum takes refreshing and sweet notes of lime blossom, pear, mandarin, and basil into main course territory. Spicy, savoury, and a touch masculine.
Brand: D.S. & Durga
Scent notes: lime flower water, coriander seed, pear, mandarin, bell pepper, pea flower, basil, nutmeg and moss water
8. Diptyque Eau Rose
While it’s not the main character, vegetal artichoke lends an unexpected element to this rose fragrance, which is complemented by lychee and chamomile. Each ingredient adds a layer of complexity to the scent, while working to bring out the nuances of the damask and centifola roses.
Brand: Diptyque
Scent notes: damask rose, centifola rose, lychee, chamomile, artichoke
Words by T. Angel
