Fragrance accord guide

What Is the Gourmand Fragrance Accord?

A gourmand accord usually smells edible or dessert-like, with qualities that may be sweet, creamy, nutty, roasted or warm. Vanilla and marshmallow can make it soft and comforting, praline and almond can add a nutty sweetness, while coffee and cacao create darker, roasted or slightly bitter sides. Tonka bean can add warmth with sweet, almond-like and powdery qualities. The result can range from light and creamy to deep and rich, so not every gourmand perfume smells heavily sugary.

Vanilla, cacao, coffee, tonka beans and chestnut representing a gourmand accord in perfume

What Does the Gourmand Accord Smell Like?

Gourmand accords work by creating scent associations with foods and drinks. Vanilla is one of the most familiar building blocks, but its natural character can include woody, leathery and darker facets as well as sweetness. Coffee and cacao bring roasted depth, while almond and praline can introduce softer nutty effects. Marshmallow and sugar-like materials move the composition towards a fluffier, sweeter style.

Other accords can change the gourmand effect significantly. Fruit can make it juicier, florals can lighten it, smoke can create a toasted or darker character, and warm woods can reduce the feeling of obvious sweetness. A Gourmand accord should also be kept separate from a Sweet accord: gourmand suggests an edible aroma, whereas sweetness is simply one scent quality. It is also different from Luxaro's Sweet & Gourmand fragrance family, which describes the overall style of a finished perfume.

Notes That Can Create the Gourmand Accord

Natural vanilla pods with a vanilla orchid flower and green leaves
Fragrance note

Vanilla

Vanilla in perfume usually smells sweet, warm and creamy. It can also have soft woody, powdery or spicy sides, depending on the material used and the notes around...

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Natural tonka beans with open seed pods and green leaves
Fragrance note

Tonka Bean

Tonka bean in perfume usually smells warm, sweet and powdery, with notes that can remind people of vanilla, almond, hay and soft tobacco. It is rich and comforting...

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Whole almonds, cracked shells and white almond blossoms on a light pale blue background
Fragrance note

Almond

Almond in perfume usually smells sweet, nutty and slightly creamy, with a marzipan-like character. It can also have bitter, powdery or cherry-like sides, especially when the accord is...

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Open cacao pod with fresh cacao beans, dried cocoa beans and green leaves on a dusty rose background
Fragrance note

Cacao

Cacao in perfume usually smells dark, powdery and chocolate-like, with bitter, earthy, roasted and softly sweet sides. It may suggest dry cocoa powder rather than a sugary chocolate...

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Coffee plant branch with ripe red cherries, green leaves and roasted coffee beans on a muted teal-grey background
Fragrance note

Coffee

Coffee in perfume usually smells warm, roasted and dark, with bitter, nutty, earthy and chocolate-like sides. Some coffee notes suggest freshly ground beans or strong espresso, while others...

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Toasted nuts, caramelised sugar and cocoa representing a praline perfume accord
Fragrance note

Praline

Praline in perfume usually smells sweet, nutty and caramelised, with vanilla, chocolate, toasted almond or hazelnut-like sides. It is a constructed gourmand accord rather than one natural fragrance...

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White marshmallows with vanilla pods and pale petals on a lavender-grey background
Fragrance note

Marshmallow

Marshmallow in perfume usually smells soft, sweet and powdery, with vanilla, sugary, creamy and fluffy sides. The perfume note normally represents the confection rather than the natural marsh-mallow...

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Sugar crystals, sugarcane, vanilla and caramelised sugar representing a sweet perfume accord
Fragrance note

Sugar

Sugar in perfume usually smells sweet, crystalline and gourmand, with candy, caramel, vanilla and lightly toasted sides. Plain sucrose is experienced mainly through taste, so a recognisable sugar...

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Luxaro Perfumes With the Gourmand Accord

Related Accords and Fragrance Families

Rose, jasmine, peony, tuberose and orange blossom representing a floral accord in perfume
Fragrance accord

Floral

A floral accord can smell fresh, green, airy, powdery, creamy, sweet or intensely rich depending on the flowers and materials used. Rose may add a fresh, fruity or...

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Pear, peach, raspberries, blackcurrants and plum representing a fruity accord in perfume
Fragrance accord

Fruity

A fruity accord can smell crisp and fresh, juicy and sweet, tart and sharp, or deep and ripe. Apple and pear often give a cleaner, watery or crunchy...

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Charred wood, tobacco leaf, leather, styrax resin and smoke representing a smoky accord in perfume
Fragrance accord

Smoky

A smoky accord can smell like dry wood smoke, glowing embers, incense, burnt leaves, tobacco or lightly charred materials. Some versions are dark and tar-like, while others are...

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Vanilla, tonka, honeycomb, almonds, praline and benzoin representing a sweet accord in perfume
Fragrance accord

Sweet

A sweet accord usually smells soft, rich or sugary, but the exact character depends on how the sweetness is built. Vanilla can feel creamy and smooth, honey can...

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Amber resin, vanilla, myrrh, tonka, saffron and chestnut representing a warm accord in perfume
Fragrance accord

Warm

A warm accord usually smells smooth, deep and comforting, with possible ambery, resinous, spicy, woody or softly sweet qualities. Vanilla and tonka bean can make it smoother, amber...

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Jasmine, rose, tuberose, orange blossom, vanilla and warm resins representing the Floral & Warm fragrance family
Fragrance family

Floral & Warm

Floral & Warm fragrances typically smell floral first or have a clearly noticeable floral character, with a softer and deeper background that prevents the scent from feeling purely...

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Bergamot, grapefruit, mint, green leaves, sea salt and mineral stones representing the Fresh & Bright fragrance family
Fragrance family

Fresh & Bright

Fresh & Bright fragrances generally smell crisp, open and energising rather than dense or heavy. Bergamot, lemon and grapefruit can provide sparkling citrus freshness, while mint and green...

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Cedarwood, sandalwood, patchouli, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and oud representing the Spicy & Woody fragrance family
Fragrance family

Spicy & Woody

Spicy & Woody fragrances generally smell warm, dry and structured, with noticeable spice layered over woods or deeper earthy materials. Nutmeg can bring dry warmth, while cardamom often...

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Vanilla, tonka, almonds, coffee, cacao, praline, honeycomb and marshmallow representing the Sweet & Gourmand fragrance family
Fragrance family

Sweet & Gourmand

Sweet & Gourmand fragrances usually smell soft, sweet, creamy, edible or comforting, but they can range from light and smooth to dark and roasted. Vanilla and marshmallow can...

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Amber resin, vanilla, sandalwood, tonka, saffron, myrrh and benzoin representing the Warm & Ambery fragrance family
Fragrance family

Warm & Ambery

Warm & Ambery fragrances generally smell smooth, rich and enveloping. Vanilla and tonka bean can create softer sweetness, sandalwood adds a creamy woody quality, and resins such as...

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Cedarwood, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, tobacco and charred birch representing the Woody & Smoky fragrance family
Fragrance family

Woody & Smoky

Woody & Smoky fragrances usually smell dry, earthy or woody, often with touches of smoke, leather or tobacco. Cedarwood can give a clear, dry structure, while vetiver and...

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