Petit fours and pavlova. Macaroons and madeleines. Bonbons and Bavarian cream. Cake. Custard. Marzipan. This may read like a fantasy postprandial selection for someone possessed of a raging sweet tooth, but in fact these are just a few of the confectionary-inspired notes being served up in an array of new perfumes. Consider them comfort food for the nostrils. Cavity risk: zero.
In 1992 fashion designer Thierry Mugler told perfumer Olivier Cresp he wanted a fragrance that would remind him of the Strasbourg funfairs he enjoyed as a child. Cresp went to a supermarket and bought cookies, then made history. Angel, the perfume he created for Mugler, introduced a sweet note reminiscent of cocoa and cotton candy-swirled with jasmine and a mammoth hit of patchouli—that was so distinctive and wildly popular it spawned an entirely new olfactive family, gourmand. Anyone who lived through the '90s and early aughts will recall the wave of sugar-spiked fragrances that followed Angel's tour-de-force debut, and egregiously cloying iterations (Victoria's Secret body sprays, we're looking at you) prompted a backlash like a bellyache after a binge. Fresh, airy fragrances (think Clinique Happy or Chanel Chance) and clever, less obvious gourmands (Viktor & Rolf's iconic Flowerbomb) moved in to clear our collective palates.
Now foodie fragrances are selling (and sometimes smelling) like hotcakes once again. According to industry news hub Perfumer & Flavorist, searches for gourmand fragrances surged 77 percent in 2024. The pandemic-era #perfumeTokfueled success of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris Baccarat Rouge 540-a scent with a hefty dose of ethyl maltol, the same candylike ingredient used in Angel-seems to have whetted our appetites, leaving us with an insatiable hunger for spritzes that make us say yum.
Denne historien er fra December 2024/January 2025-utgaven av Town & Country US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 2024/January 2025-utgaven av Town & Country US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE SPY Has to TRAVEL
Freck Vreeland was raised in privilege by a legendary arbiter of taste. He boarded at Groton, studied at Yale, and befriended Jackie Kennedy-then things got interesting. Here, ahead of his upcoming memoir, the high society secret agent tells all.
Game CHANGER
A century ago, Black Americans fell in love with bridge. Excluded from whites-only leagues, they made the game their own, and for a few exhilarating decades it played a starring role in the social and political lives of the burgeoning African-American middle and upper classes. Can its legacy survive in the modern age?
CHRONICLE OF A DISAPPEARANCE FORETOLD
The signs were everywhere. There was trouble at the San Antonio home of Brad and Suzanne Simpson. But when the mother and real estate agent went missing after a public fight with her husband at the exclusive Argyle club, a tony Texas enclave began to wonder if it had looked the other way for too long. Was discretion the true culprit in the still unsolved case?
What's Luck Got to Do with It?
Longevity in Hollywood can be elusive unless you're Angela Bassett. With a smart new series that puts her in the Oval Office and a summer blockbuster on the horizon, she delivers a master class in both elegance and endurance.
No Shrinking VIOLET
For a certain woman, this iconic scent has become as much an everyday wardrobe staple as her Cartier Tank and her Hermès scarf.
I Pledge Allegiance to THIS HOUSE
How a Charleston visionary came to love the demanding landmark she never wanted in the first place.
The College Counselor Rock Star Diaries
They command enormous fees to insert themselves in your teenager's life, choosing classes, extracurriculars-even summer activities-all in the pursuit of creating the perfect college candidate. Good luck getting one to see you.
The Cult of BACK PAIN
Membership in this highly undesirable club comes with its own lingo, syllabus, and gurus and now its very own antihero.
The Un-Tortured Artist
Robert Rauschenberg's compound on Captiva will once again serve as muse.
Where Is My Bodyguard?
Those four anxious little words are suddenly everywhere, casting a spotlight on the shadowy and booming business of executive protection.
