Edible perfumes and sweet treat-inspired fragrances are the latest craze as Americans eat less actual food

Food perfumes have been all the rage this year, with brands like Phlur making tasty vanilla, tangy tangerine, and strawberry options, as well as Sol de Janeiro’s cherry and fig scents coming out on top with Gen Z.

Fittingly, Phlur also offers its own ‘mini edible trio’ for hungry shoppers. 

Those aren’t the only wildly popular food flavors – Kayali offers a pistachio gelato scent and Maison Margiela is famous for its Coffee Break, which promises the ‘comforting and tasty sensation of a break over a warm and creamy coffee,’ complete with soft milk mousse. 

The rise in food-inspired fragrances and edible options has come about as Americans are eating less than ever while embracing scents that smell like their favorite snacks.  

Gourmand perfume isn’t just about smelling like desert and ‘you smell good enough to eat’ isn’t just a saying – brands are cooking up edible sweet scents. 

The cult classic ice cream chain Salt & Straw launched a range of $65 culinary perfumes that can be used atop your favorite sweet treat or spritzed onto a body and licked off for a subtle snack. 

The desert brand’s scents include A Cloud of Cocoa, which is mix of Ecuadorian chocolate, malted milkshake, and Japanese whiskey and describes itself as ‘Like stepping into the back kitchen of your favorite old-world bakery.’ 

A Plume of Blooms is for floral fans who can’t get enough of lavender lattes, as it offers notes of honeysuckle and jasmine, with one reviewer describing the scent as ‘so good it should be illegal.’

A Swoon of Citrus spotlights key lime pie, lychee, and lemon. 

These aren’t the only fragrances that allow wearers to take a bite if they work up an appetite. 

Haute Sauce Beauty offers 100 percent edible, vegan, sugar-free perfumes that are made with food-grade ingredients, including vanilla, strawberry glaze, marshmallow, and cherry perfumes.

The brand explains, ‘A sweet flavor accompanies the sophisticated scent in a blend that is fully edible, pH-neutral and not sticky, urging buyers to “spritz this formula all over your body to achieve skin that smells and tastes divine.”‘

Most of Amoretti’s edible perfumes, including vermouth, toasted coconut, and wild strawberry cheesecake have sold out on its website, although simple options like pineapple, peppermint, and passion fruit are still available.  

Many of these food scents can evoke positive memories for the wearers, whether it’s a particular bakery’s best indulgence or a favorite fruity food. 

These foodie fragrances are the ultimate sweet treats, especially since Americans are eating them less.  

According to a Cornell study published in 2024, there has been an 8.6 percent decline in spending at fast-food chains, coffee shops, and limited-service restaurants. 

Much of the decrease had to do with people who were taking a GLP-1s for weight loss like Ozempic.

They were able to cut their spending on groceries by around 6 percent, and avoided buying decadent options like chips, cookies and other baked goods.

Despite not buying these deserts, out of a sublimated desire Americans started spending more on sugary fragrances, instead. 

Food focused fragrances are also particularly popular with men, who tend to like sweet but not overpowering scents, including vanilla, lavender, and cinnamon.

However, wearing a food fragrance can potentially make you hungry by increasing your desire for that type of food, according to research from the National Institutes of Health.

The study found that olfactory food cues could potentially increase appetite for products similar in taste.