As someone who’s spent the last 15 years writing a dessert column and many a perfume article, writing a book on French cakes, and publishing a cookbook called Chocolat, maybe it’s no surprise that people often ask me if I wear a gourmand perfume. My answer—always a flat-out no—seems to make people suspicious.
I understand the confusion. Why, if I love sweets, would I not want to smell like one? I could say I’ve no desire to smell like a cupcake; I love my dog beyond all reason, but don’t need to smell like him. I could ask why anyone would assume I’m sweet simply because I can bake my way out of a box. (Perhaps not the best PR tactic.) These would all be earnest responses. Instead, I tell them another truth: I do love a good vanilla perfume, just not a sweet one.
Years of sourcing the best vanilla beans have, in fact, made me a deep appreciator of vanilla’s irresistible and complex aroma. Vanilla is universal, and talking vanilla creates trust, nostalgia, a sense of home, and a shared experience, but, with its defiant sexiness—unlike a note like patchouli—vanilla is considered at once equally comforting and seductive.
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