Caramelise This!

This toothsome roundup explores the subset of gourmand perfumes whose restrained sweetness comes from caramelisation: the place where heat meets sweet. We’re talking not just the blow-torched sugar crust of crème brûlée, but also the dulcet starch of fluffy white rice, the mellow richness of malt, even warm milk at bedtime. These are nuances that are as much about texture as flavour: the just-snuffed wicks of beeswax candles, the ticklish nosefeel of almost-charred wood. The gourmands du jour are not literal holograms of desserts: olfactory versions of cupcakes and cookies. This new breed is more abstracted — lightly-browned, subtly-sweet accords of milk, starch or nuts, suggesting comfort rather than calories. Soothe yourself with the intimate indulgence provided by this ambrosial selection.