Fluffernutter, Mall-o-Mars, S’mores, Rice Crispy Treats—this list sounds like a vintage dessert menu filled with marshmallow-infused confections. Yet these little treats, in all their cellophane-wrapped glory, are more than just comfort food confections; they're the inspiration behind a no-cavity-in-sight alternative: marshmallow fragrances.
I know what you’re thinking: has the fragrance industry reached peak sweet? We've seen a vanilla explosion, rich chocolate fragrances, and honey-tinged scents. An ooey-gooey campfire snack with 29 grams of sugar per pop sounds like the icing on the figurative fragrance cake. On the contrary: the marshmallow perfumes are actually a tamer take on gourmand perfume trend.
The rise of marshmallow scents marks a subtle shift within the category, moving away from overtly edible signatures and towards a more ethereal and cozy interpretation of sweetness. It’s an innovation that’s satiating the growing (and very hungry) gourmand consumer; according to Spate, searches for “foodie fragrances” are up 139.6 percent year-on-year.
“Unlike the richness of caramel or the intensity of chocolate, marshmallow delivers a light, fluffy sweetness that beautifully balances nostalgia with sophistication,” says DSM-Firmenich perfumer Gabriela Chelariu. She adds that while marshmallow can smell immature, you can layer them with contrasting notes, like flowers, woods, spices, resins, aromatics, and musks to create depth and refinement, transforming the sweet note into a complex, multidimensional fragrance.
The tell-tale sugary fluff of a marshmallow fragrance gives these perfumes plenty of bounce, balanced by a light and subtle dry down. “Marshmallow in perfumes can vary since it’s a fantasy accord, but often will add a sweetness that doesn’t feel dense or syrupy,” says fragrance expert Olivia Olfactory. “Rather, it adds a fleeting, fluffy texture often resembling vanilla.” It’s definitely sweet, but there’s a built-in complexity that famous noses have been keen on exploring for decades.
Olivier Cresp and Yves de Chirin famously introduced Mugler Angel Eau de Parfum in 1992, one of the first gourmands to smell like spiced cotton candy. Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noire, a 2002 launch, combines marshmallow with orange blossom for a sweet citrus, while Francis Kurkdjian’s famous Baccarat Rouge 540—the third leading fragrance in the world, according to Statista—includes a mix of vanillin and ethyl maltol, an if-you-know-you-know mixture to capture the essence of marshmallow.
Cut to the present day, though, and searches for “marshmallow perfume” have increased by 75 percent this month, according to Google Trends, and the term has nearly 2,000 hashtags (and climbing) on TikTok. “Brands are trying to hop on the edible gourmand trend as quickly as possible,” says fragrance influencer Emilia, the brains behind Perfume Professor.
Case in point: Parfums de Marley’s biggest launch of 2024, Oriana, promises a “flimsy delight of marshmallow,” and Sabrina Carpenter’s Sweet Tooth is a candy lover’s dream where “candied ginger and chocolate marshmallow playfully dance.” There’s Phlur Heavy Cream, By Kilian Don’t Be Shy, and Ariana Grande Ari Eau de Parfum—each a liquified marshmallow packaged into a pretty bottle.
But it’s Mona Kattan’s Kayali Yum Boujee Marshmallow that’s the true embodiment of dessert for your senses. “Think of all of the ingredients of a strawberry shortcake—fresh jammy strawberries, whipped cream, vanilla cake—and you get this perfume,” says Marie Claire Associate E-Commerce Editor Brooke Knappenberger, who has been wearing the marshmallow scent nearly every day since its launch last month.
While you may want to smell edible a lá Knappenberger, it's not a requirement with a marshmallow perfume as there is now a delicious smattering of offerings in the category. Emelia, for example, is not all aboard the gourmand train (she prefers a citrus or a clean skin musk), but still finds marshmallow fragrances to be welcome additions to her collection. “I love to layer sweeter marshmallow scents with my smoky vanillas to give a 'toasted marshmallow' effect,” she says. Use Commodity Milk with Maison Margiela REPLICA By the Fireplace and you’re transported to a tranquil campfire with friends. The mixture of amber and woody notes, paired with smoky and caramelized vanilla is reminiscent of “roasting marshmallows next to a fireplace while curled up in your favorite cozy blanket.”
Marshmallow truly falls into every fragrance family—it’s scent is shaped by what surrounds it. After all, a s’more is only as good as the graham cracker and chocolate sandwich. As Chelariu explains, "A floral marshmallow refines sweetness, blending it with notes like orange blossom, rose, or jasmine, and a powdery marshmallow is soft and fluffy with powdered sugar, musk, and heliotrope [creates] a cuddly texture."
Mix and match until your nose, and stomach, are content. I promise: the marshmallow fragrance trend will have you smelling good enough to eat this season.
