It can't be denied: 2025 has been the year of the gourmand. Research from the global market intelligence and research agency, Mintel, showed that launches of saccharine, food-y fragrances have increased by 24 per cent in the last year alone. In fact, it's even been suggested that a reason behind their sudden surge in popularity is due to the rise of weight loss jabs.
In any case, the demand is there—but personally, I have never been able to get on board with gourmands; my fragrance tastes skew smoky, woody, and I'm partial to aldehydes. So, my curiosity was piqued when I saw that "metallic fragrances" were trending. They initially sounded off-putting, conjuring up industrial plants, cold, shiny surfaces, and even blood—but that can't be further from the truth of how the note is used in modern-day scents.
