It’s no surprise that gourmand fragrances are having a moment right now—especially vanilla perfumes, which are everywhere once again. Although vanilla often gets all the love, it's not the only sweet note worth obsessing over in your scent collection. Enter: brown sugar—warm, rich, a little caramelized—which is quickly becoming a standout note in its own right.
“One of the most popular gourmand fragrance notes is vanilla, and combining it with brown sugar is seriously a match made in heaven,” says fragrance expert Kudzi Chikumbu, also known as Sir Candle Man. “Still, brown sugar fragrances straddle many categories and can result in scents that smell like a boozy Old Fashioned, a delicious baked treat, or even something woody and more grounding.”
Personally, I think brown sugar is one of the most versatile notes in fragrance. That said, it's actually rare to find a scent built entirely around it—or even one that lists it as a top note. So I’ve scoured the market for you and narrowed it down to the top three best brown sugar perfumes that truly deserve a spot in your fragrance collection.
The Best Brown Sugar Perfumes
- Best Brown Sugar Perfume Overall: Kayali Vanilla 28 Eau de Parfum
- Best Gourmand Brown Sugar Perfume: Maison Mataha Brownie Pop
- Best Nostalgic Brown Sugar Perfume: Imaginary Authors Whiff of Waffle Cone
This will likely come as no surprise to anyone who knows me, but for those who don’t: you need a bottle of Kayali Vanilla 28 in your collection. It’s one of the most universally pleasing vanilla perfumes I own—and yes, the brown sugar note is the star of the show. It layers beautifully with practically every single scent I wear day to day (which, let's be real, as a beauty writer is in the hundreds), making it one of the most versatile brown sugar perfumes on the market. The warm vanilla and brown sugar are rounded out with creamy jasmine, tonka bean, amber, and patchouli, giving it just enough depth to keep things interesting without overwhelming the senses.
Fragrance Family: Gourmand
Key Notes: Vanilla Orchid; Tonka bean; Brown sugar
Size: 1.7 fl oz
What I Love: Long-lasting; Layers well; Mid-range price tag
What I Don’t: Some testers found that the floral note overpowered some of the gourmand
Review for MC: “This is one of the best brown sugar perfumes that money can buy. The note is paired with Vanilla orchid and Tonka absolute, so it’s a delicious combination of sweet, fluffy scents that just feels super charming. It’s fantastic to layer (especially with more fresh and woody scent profiles), but it truly does stand out all on its own. I am a big, big fan of this perfume and recommend it any chance that I get.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
Ariel Baker tests Kayali Vanilla 28.
If you’ve spent any time over on the perfume side of TikTok, you’ve likely heard of Escapade Gourmand by Maison Mataha. A little less famous—yet completely underrated—is its sister fragrance, Brownie Pop. Like its predecessor, this scent is a beast-mode gourmand and smells like an intoxicating mix of brownies and popcorn. For me, the magic is in the dry down, and even though it’s one of the top notes, that's when the brown sugar in this perfume really shines and just completely takes over the scent. It’s buttery, mouth-watering, and smells like the most decadent dessert—perfect for my sweet tooth.
Fragrance Family: Gourmand
Key Notes: Chocolate; Brown Sugar; Vanilla; Sandalwood
Size: 3.4 fl oz
What I Love: A true gourmand scent; Gorgeous sillage with just a few sprays
What I Don’t: This is a niche fragrance brand, so it can be hard to track down
Review for MC: “My sweet-treat connoisseurs, step to the front. Brownie Pop by Maison Mataha is a dessert in fragrance-form, and I simply will not be told otherwise. It smells like buttered popcorn topped with a caramel and chocolate drizzle, i.e., the perfect sweet and savory treat after a long day. It’s also a true gourmand, so if you’re prone to perfume headaches, keep the sprays to a minimum, or at least test this one out instead of blind buying.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
Ariel Baker tests Maison Mataha Brownie Pop perfume.
Want to be transported to your childhood spent at summer fairs and evenings filled with campfire s'mores? Pick up a bottle of Imaginary Authors A Whiff Of Waffle Cone. Created in collaboration with cult favorite ice cream shop Salt & Straw, this scent captures the warm, toasted sweetness of brown sugar through a salted caramel note that feels rich and cozy. Paired with notes like heavy cream, vanilla, and a touch of cinnamon that maintains its sweet, confectionary DNA, this perfume is childhood nostalgia, bottled in the most wearable form.
Fragrance Family: Gourmand
Key Notes: Salted caramel; Vanilla; Saigon Cinnamon
Size: 1.7 fl oz
What I Love: Nostalgic scent; True gourmand
What I Don’t: Some may find it a little cloying, especially in the spring and summer months
Review for MC: “I'm immediately transported to Coney Island when I smell this perfume. Imaginary Authors has managed to bottle the nostalgic scent of fairs and all the treats that come with them: ice cream sundaes, fried dough, waffle cones for an extra special touch to that ice cream cone that I’d been dreaming about all week. It’s all bottled in this stunning scent that is a gourmand lover’s dream. Want to smell like a snack? Pick this up immediately." — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
Ariel Baker tests Imaginary Authors A Whiff of Waffle Cone.
What Is a Brown Sugar Perfume?
As you’ve likely gleaned by now, brown sugar perfumes tend to smell sweet and edible, which makes the note perfect to pair with others that have a similar profile. “Most of the time, brown sugar notes are paired with vanilla, creamy notes, and fruity tones,” says perfumer and founder of his eponymous brand, Simone Andreoli. “In contemporary perfumery, brown sugar is often combined with sweet, ambery notes to convey a sexy-sugary interpretation.”
What sets these apart from the headache-inducing body sprays of our youth, though, is that they're often rounded out with deeper, more complex notes—like amber, woods, or musk—which gives the sweetness a more grown-up, wearable edge.
What to Look For In a Brown Sugar Perfume
Brown sugar perfumes are a wonderful introduction to the world of gourmand fragrances, but for more seasoned noses, they can also be a unique addition to some more uncommon perfumes. “The most compelling brown sugar fragrances go beyond the expected gourmand territory into more complex and unconventional combinations,” Chikumbu says. “Rather than another sugary baked good interpretation, look for something that surprises.”
He recommends scents like Bohoboco Red Wine Brown Sugar, which pairs red wine with brown sugar, as well as Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia. The latter combines pear and brown sugar for a result that's unexpected and not overly sweet.
Why Trust Marie Claire?
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
How We Tested
To compile this list of the best fresh-smelling perfumes, Beauty Writer Ariel Baker scoured the internet and combed through countless customer reviews to find the top-rated options on the market. She also asked the Marie Claire team to share their holy grail picks. For each fragrance MC tested, we assessed the fragrance's notes, how long it lasted, and its overall scent as the day went on.
Meet the Experts
Sir Candle Man is the world's No. 1 home fragrance and candle creator, personality, author, brand consultant and curator with a mission to illuminate the world with scent, style and inspiration. A trailblazer with over 400K followers, Sir Candle Man is a curator of exquisite perfumes and candles and a connoisseur of travel and home decor, bringing elegance, scent, and style to every aspect of life. He has collaborated with many iconic brands like CHANEL, Target, and Walmart, wrote a warmly received book, "LET IT BURN" and created a candle with LAFCO which Forbes recognized as one of the best-smelling scents of 2023. Sir Candle Man has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, NY Mag, House Beautiful, The Drew Barrymore Show, and GMA.com
Simone Andreoli is a perfumer and the founder of his eponymous fragrance brand, Simone Andreoli. He uses intangible and invisible notes to give substance to an inspiration. His compositions are liquid emotions that enrapture senses, arousing magic and transport.
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