Gourmand perfumes

A gourmand perfume borrows its notes from pastry: vanilla, caramel, praline, tonka bean, chocolate, honey, coffee, almond milk. It is the family behind the worldwide success of Dubai perfumery in recent years, with Khamrah and Yara as its two flagships, because it combines strong wear with a trail that is noticed without effort.

This page gathers the eaux de parfum, musks and mists with a frankly sweet base.

The main gourmand profiles

• Vanilla and tonka — the foundation of almost every oriental gourmand, warm and slightly almondy. Yara combines it with a fruity heart and a sandalwood and musk base.
• Coffee and praline — the most grown-up reading, roasted and a little bitter: Khamrah Qahwa, Teriaq.
• Caramel and chocolate — dense, almost edible; Minya Caramel Dulce fully embraces the register.
• Marshmallow, candy floss, pistachio — the most recent wave, airier and milkier: Marshmallow Blush, Khair Pistachio.
• Dates and honey — the Gulf version, where dried fruit replaces white sugar.

Sweet without being cloying

What separates a good gourmand from a sweet-shop perfume is what surrounds it: a spice (cinnamon, saffron, cardamom), a wood (sandalwood, patchouli) or a resin (benzoin, incense) that gives structure to the sugar. If you fear excess, choose a gourmand whose base mentions a wood or a resin rather than a second sweet note.

How to wear it

Gourmands project a lot: one or two sprays are enough in the daytime, three for an evening. They are at home from October to April; in summer, prefer the milky or fruity versions and apply to clothing rather than warm skin. They stay noticeable for hours.

To go further

Amber perfumes share the same warmth with less sugar; fruity perfumes offer the lighter version. The brand's full range is on Lattafa, and the whole selection in Dubai perfume.