savory gourmand: 2 posts

Does gourmand have to be only about cotton candy and caramel? In my article for the Financial Times Magazine, I explore whether there is room on the perfume counter for different flavors, including salty, piquant and savory.

Most savoury gourmands aim for a subtle illusion – the tangy darkness of olives, the green sharpness of coriander leaves or the musky warmth of basmati rice. Fittingly, the biggest savoury gourmand launch came in 2010 with Womanity (from £38.50 for 30ml, second picture), another Thierry Mugler creation. The composition is built around caviar and fig, the briny nuance pushing against a backdrop of roasted hazelnuts, musk and woods. Like Angel, it provoked polarising reactions, though not the same level of infatuation. To continue, please click here.

Do you have any salty or savory favorite perfume? Today I’m wearing Etat Libre d’Orange’s Fils de Dieu, which fits the savory theme well.

Photo via FT

Does the gourmand perfume family have to include only dessert-like confections? In my new article for the Financial Times Magazine’s fragrance column, The Most Delicious Savoury Perfumes, I explain how salty and other savory notes can be used for a surprising effect and discuss a few of my favorite examples.

Most savoury gourmands aim for a subtle illusion – the tangy darkness of olives, the green sharpness of coriander leaves or the musky warmth of basmati rice. Fittingly, the biggest savoury gourmand launch came in 2010 with Womanity (from £38.50 for 30ml, second picture), another Thierry Mugler creation. The composition is built around caviar and fig, the briny nuance pushing against a backdrop of roasted hazelnuts, musk and woods. Like Angel, it provoked polarising reactions, though not the same level of infatuation. Please read the rest by clicking here.

The savory scent I would most love to smell in perfume is that of a baguette. A properly baked baguette, that is–wheaty, with caramelized, hazelnut like notes and creamy aftertaste. I love the hints of wheat in Olivia Giacobetti‘s fragrances like Frédéric Malle En Passant, L’Artisan Parfumeur Jour de Fête, and Le Petit de Guerlain, but the effect is still too subtle for what I have in mind.

Another idea I’d love explored in perfumes is bitter chocolate with crunchy salt crystals, one of my favorite treats.

Do you have favorite savory gourmands or favorite salty notes you would like to smell in perfume?

Photo via FT