Ermahgerd, a Fragrance Friday! A bit short, but hey! Now excuse me while I go work on coding particle verbs in a German toddler's speech (it's more fun than it sounds).
I used to think I didn't like gourmand scents. With Angel being the poster child, can you really blame me? (Blech.) But then I fell down the perfume rabbit hole, and came to discover that I can enjoy scents in families I had formerly written off. Case in point: All the perfumes in this post. I tend to dislike really sweet scents, so most of these are on the spicier end of things, though there's a fair amount of vanilla to be had, too.
Arquiste Anima Dulcis (Gourmand: cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, chili): This is the perfume that set off my quest for oriental gourmands. It's the first gourmand I've encountered that I really, truly, love, and it's made me realize I should find others! This quest is off to a good start (see Volutes and 5 O'Clock au Gingembre, below). It smells like chocolate and spices and incense, foreign and familiar at the same time. I think everyone should smell it. Yes, you too, gourmand-hater. It might change your mind!
Solstice Scents Manor (musk, vanilla, agarwood, aloeswood): Vanilla and oud. It's so delicious, y'all. And so long-lasting! I've really enjoyed most of the Solstice Scents I've tried, and this was the one that got me started on the brand (thanks, Larie!). Also, fragrance oils are just great for those of us who don't want to bother others with our perfume––I find them to be plenty strong enough for me to smell, but they stick very close to the skin which makes them nice for office/work environments.
Diptyque Volutes (Aromatic: iris, honey, tobacco, dried fruit, pepper, saffron, hay, immortelle, opoponax, myrrh, styrax, benzoin): Another spice and incense affair, this is slightly less gourmand-y than Anima Dulcis. It has the same airy feeling as Diptyque L'Ombre dans l'Eau, even though they smell actually nothing alike, and bears a kinship to L'Artisan Safran Troublant as well. It's evanescent and cozy and light and spicy and really, really beautiful. This is one I may actually get a bottle of (at $88 for 1.7 oz, it's one of the cheapest niche scents I've come across!).
Serge Lutens Five O'Clock au Gingembre (Oriental Spice: bergamot, tea, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, patchouli, honey, cacao): Smells like black tea and gingerbread, and it is delightful. And delicious. And I will be wearing it a lot this winter. That is all.
Solstice Scents Jack and the Devil (vanilla, tobacco, oakmoss, amber, patchouli, pumpkin, spice): The first time I wore this it was dabbed on my arm, and I thought it smelled exactly like pumpkin pie. The second time I wore it dabbed down my shirt, and thought it smelled like vanilla coca cola. I don't know what to tell you.
Guerlain Shalimar (Oriental Floral: lemon, bergamot, cedar, mandarin orange, rose, vetiver, jasmine, patchouli, iris, civet, musk, opoponax, leather, sandalwood, tonka bean, incense, vanilla): The most recent time I wore this, both the boy and my mother said it smelled like talcum powder. I haven't tried rewearing it since. Here's hoping it's not been ruined for me forever, but only time will tell...before the unfortunate powder association, it smelled like leather and vanilla and classiness.
Guerlain Jicky (Oriental Woody: lemon, bergamot, mandarin, rosemary, jasmine, basil, orris root, tonka bean, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, leather, spices, rosewood, vanilla): This is one that I've written about before, and that I still quite like, but when I wore it earlier this week I found it to be a bit off, perhaps due to its relation to Shalimar. It's still very much a comfort scent, though, and reminds me of the ocean.
Sonoma Scents Tabac Aurea (Oriental Woody: cedar, sandalwood, tobacco, leather, vetiver, patchouli, clove, tonka bean, labdanum absolute, amber, vanilla, musk): This is tobacco, but it's also intensely sweet on me, very rich and heady and decidedly gourmand. The sillage and longevity are remarkable, but I find it to be a bit too much for most days. Applied sparingly, though, it' a perfect Christmas Eve in front of the fire with hot cocoa (alright, fine, add in some schnapps) kind of scent. All the Sonoma Scents are just wonderful, and if you haven't ordered from her yet, you really should. Right now. Go. You won't regret it. (Get Forest Walk!! IT IS SO PRETTY.)
What are your favorite gourmand perfumes?
I used to think I didn't like gourmand scents. With Angel being the poster child, can you really blame me? (Blech.) But then I fell down the perfume rabbit hole, and came to discover that I can enjoy scents in families I had formerly written off. Case in point: All the perfumes in this post. I tend to dislike really sweet scents, so most of these are on the spicier end of things, though there's a fair amount of vanilla to be had, too.
Arquiste Anima Dulcis (Gourmand: cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, chili): This is the perfume that set off my quest for oriental gourmands. It's the first gourmand I've encountered that I really, truly, love, and it's made me realize I should find others! This quest is off to a good start (see Volutes and 5 O'Clock au Gingembre, below). It smells like chocolate and spices and incense, foreign and familiar at the same time. I think everyone should smell it. Yes, you too, gourmand-hater. It might change your mind!
Solstice Scents Manor (musk, vanilla, agarwood, aloeswood): Vanilla and oud. It's so delicious, y'all. And so long-lasting! I've really enjoyed most of the Solstice Scents I've tried, and this was the one that got me started on the brand (thanks, Larie!). Also, fragrance oils are just great for those of us who don't want to bother others with our perfume––I find them to be plenty strong enough for me to smell, but they stick very close to the skin which makes them nice for office/work environments.
Diptyque Volutes (Aromatic: iris, honey, tobacco, dried fruit, pepper, saffron, hay, immortelle, opoponax, myrrh, styrax, benzoin): Another spice and incense affair, this is slightly less gourmand-y than Anima Dulcis. It has the same airy feeling as Diptyque L'Ombre dans l'Eau, even though they smell actually nothing alike, and bears a kinship to L'Artisan Safran Troublant as well. It's evanescent and cozy and light and spicy and really, really beautiful. This is one I may actually get a bottle of (at $88 for 1.7 oz, it's one of the cheapest niche scents I've come across!).
Serge Lutens Five O'Clock au Gingembre (Oriental Spice: bergamot, tea, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, patchouli, honey, cacao): Smells like black tea and gingerbread, and it is delightful. And delicious. And I will be wearing it a lot this winter. That is all.
Solstice Scents Jack and the Devil (vanilla, tobacco, oakmoss, amber, patchouli, pumpkin, spice): The first time I wore this it was dabbed on my arm, and I thought it smelled exactly like pumpkin pie. The second time I wore it dabbed down my shirt, and thought it smelled like vanilla coca cola. I don't know what to tell you.
Guerlain Shalimar (Oriental Floral: lemon, bergamot, cedar, mandarin orange, rose, vetiver, jasmine, patchouli, iris, civet, musk, opoponax, leather, sandalwood, tonka bean, incense, vanilla): The most recent time I wore this, both the boy and my mother said it smelled like talcum powder. I haven't tried rewearing it since. Here's hoping it's not been ruined for me forever, but only time will tell...before the unfortunate powder association, it smelled like leather and vanilla and classiness.
Guerlain Jicky (Oriental Woody: lemon, bergamot, mandarin, rosemary, jasmine, basil, orris root, tonka bean, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, leather, spices, rosewood, vanilla): This is one that I've written about before, and that I still quite like, but when I wore it earlier this week I found it to be a bit off, perhaps due to its relation to Shalimar. It's still very much a comfort scent, though, and reminds me of the ocean.
Sonoma Scents Tabac Aurea (Oriental Woody: cedar, sandalwood, tobacco, leather, vetiver, patchouli, clove, tonka bean, labdanum absolute, amber, vanilla, musk): This is tobacco, but it's also intensely sweet on me, very rich and heady and decidedly gourmand. The sillage and longevity are remarkable, but I find it to be a bit too much for most days. Applied sparingly, though, it' a perfect Christmas Eve in front of the fire with hot cocoa (alright, fine, add in some schnapps) kind of scent. All the Sonoma Scents are just wonderful, and if you haven't ordered from her yet, you really should. Right now. Go. You won't regret it. (Get Forest Walk!! IT IS SO PRETTY.)
What are your favorite gourmand perfumes?
