2026 has without doubt been the year of the gourmand.
From garden and spice cupboard-inspired scents to chocolate, vanilla and caramel, gourmand is still going strong. And if we're honest, we don't see this trend stopping.
So, what is the next trend in Gourmand?
Gourmand fragrances are getting a softer, creamier makeover.
Taking inspiration from ice cream, gelato and much-loved dessert flavours, the Soft Serve trend is bringing a playful sense of indulgence and nostalgia to personal care and fragrance.
While sweet, edible-inspired scents remain hugely popular, the direction is evolving. Moving away from rich, syrupy compositions, this new wave of gourmands focuses on lighter, more sophisticated interpretations of sweetness. Think whipped vanilla, creamy coconut and smooth almond milk. These fragrances feel comforting and indulgent without being overpowering. We are dialing up the decadence and using scent to give us those feel-good vibes.
A Softer Side of Sweetness
The appeal of ice cream and gelato-inspired fragrances lies in their ability to evoke familiar feelings of comfort, happiness and nostalgia. These scents capture the simple pleasure of a favourite dessert, translating it into something that feels sensorial, uplifting and effortlessly wearable.
Vanilla remains a key ingredient, but rather than dominating a fragrance, it is increasingly being used to add softness and warmth. Pairing vanilla with coconut water, almond milk, oat and sesame, these sumptuous scents are adding a different dimension to traditional gourmand profiles.
But this is not just another variation of the vanilla trend. Fruity notes such as strawberry and raspberry, or richer accents of caramel and pistachio are creating a more nuanced approach to sweetness.
To add an alternative direction to this trend, in our latest ice cream-inspired creations we added a touch of peppermint, which gives a cooling, icy facet that lifts the whole fragrance and brings a fresh and tingling aspect to the scent.
The result is a new generation of gourmands that are less about obvious sugariness and more about texture, softness and understated indulgence.
Fragrances to Watch
The Soft Serve trend is already finding expression in fine fragrance, with several launches exploring creamy, edible-inspired compositions:
A Whiff of Wafflecone – Imaginary Authors
A playful take on the comforting sweetness of an ice-cream cone.
Vanilla Era – Boy Smells
A modern interpretation of vanilla with a softer, more sophisticated gourmand character.
Yum Pistachio Gelato – KAYALI
A deliciously playful interpretation of pistachio and gelato-inspired sweetness.
From Dessert to Daily Beauty
The trend is also influencing the wider beauty and personal care market, where consumers are increasingly drawn to products that make everyday routines feel like a treat.
A great example is P.Louise's Soft Sundae Ice Cream Whipped Moisturiser. With its playful, dessert-inspired aesthetic and whipped, creamy texture, the product taps into the growing appetite for sensorial skincare experiences that blur the boundaries between beauty and fragrance.
It reflects a wider shift towards products that offer more than functional benefits, creating moments of enjoyment through texture, scent and the overall experience of use.
The Soft Serve Fragrance Palette
For fragrance development, this trend offers plenty of opportunities to explore the relationship between creamy textures, delicate sweetness and refreshing accents.
Soft Serve represents an evolution in gourmand fragrance, where indulgence meets freshness and nostalgia takes on a more contemporary feel.
Whether expressed through fine fragrance, body care, moisturisers or everyday personal care products, the trend offers an opportunity to create scents that are comforting, playful and sensorial, without relying on overpowering sweetness.
Because sometimes, the sweetest things are the ones that feel effortlessly soft.
