I Want to Smell Delectable—These Almond Perfumes Make Me Smell Like a Luxury French Patisserie
I’m someone with a sweet tooth (my stash of chocolate hates to see me coming mid-afternoon), so naturally, when it comes to fragrance, I have a bit of a soft spot for gourmand perfumes. However, many of them can be a little too sweet for my liking. Vanilla perfumes? Love them. But just thinking about some sweet perfumes or fruity fragrances is enough to give me a migraine. However, I think I’ve finally found the perfect middle ground of gourmand scents that remain sophisticated through one expect fragrance category—and that’s almond perfumes.
Whether it’s used within a fragrance to conjure a freshly baked almond croissant, warm from the oven in a patisserie, or to lend a smooth, nutty quality to floral perfumes, almond is the unexpected gourmand twist in some of my favourite perfumes right now. Much like how pistachio had its moment last year, we’re now seeing more fragrances tapping into savoury gourmands such as almond. It adds just the right amount of sweetness, without venturing into sugar-induced headache territory.
“What I love most about almond is its duality. On one hand, it has this soft, round, almost nostalgic quality; it feels comforting, familiar, almost childlike in a way,” says David Benedek, founder and creative director of BDK Parfums. Think cherry bakewells, marzipan sweets and sugared almonds. “On the other hand, it can also be incredibly sensual and addictive,” says Benedek. “Almond brings depth and warmth to a composition, but it also adds something a bit mysterious, something that makes the fragrance more desirable, more magnetic, without being too obvious,” he says.
Subconsciously, I’ve been collecting almond perfumes into my fragrance collection over the past year, and each one is as delicious and unexpected as the next. Scroll ahead for the very best almond perfumes I’ve tried.
Best Almond Perfumes 2025
1. Parfums de Marly Valaya Exclusif
Parfums de Marly
Valaya Exclusif Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Almond, bergamot, mandarin, orange blossom, white flowers, powdery accord, akigalawood, sandalwood, ambroxan, vanilla
I have no words for this fragrance, but I’ll try to describe just how much I love this Parfums de Marly perfume. It smells like eating an almond croissant while bundled in 1000-thread-count sheets in a 5-star hotel, with a silver platter of sugared almonds on the side. Bouquets of white flowers fill the room, and a cool spring breeze caresses your skin through an open window. It’s breathtaking. The original Valaya is ethereal, airy and goddess-like, but the addition of the smooth almond in Valaya Exclusif makes it even more alluring, creamy and long-lasting on the skin. This is perfect if you want an almond perfume that doesn’t venture too much into gourmand territory and remains light, powdery and cloud-like. It may be one of the best perfumes I own.
2. Acqua di Parma Mandorlo di Sicilia
Acqua di Parma
Mandorlo di Sicilia Eau de Toilette
Key notes: Star anise, Italian bergamot, Italian orange, green almonds, ylang-ylang, vanilla, cedarwood, tolu balsam, musk
This Acqua di Parma perfume is so delectable, it makes me feel giddy whenever I spritz it. It’s like a buttery almond pastry that has ribbons of chocolate, orange and vanilla woven throughout. But with it being Acqua di Parma, it’s not sickly sweet, but instead smooth with a zesty and woodsy twist. Part of the Blu Mediterraneo collection, it celebrates Italy’s coastlines, and this particular scent pays tribute to almond—a staple ingredient in Sicily. Combined with citrus, vanilla and cedarwood, it’s like enjoying a slice of almond cake under the dappled sunlight of a Sicilian orange grove. Delicious.
3. L’Occitane Almond Delightful Hair & Body Mist
L’Occitane
Almond Delightful Hair & Body Mist
Key notes: Bergamot, freesia, vanilla, hawthorn, almond, amber, musk, tonka bean
You will likely already know and love the coveted body oil and shower oil of L’Occitane’s iconic Almond body collection, which has a heavenly almond scent. So, you’ll be pleased to know the collection has been expanded to include a hair and body mist in the same beloved almond scent. To me, this scent is a little sweeter than the fragrance of the body care line (so if you already know and love the classic scent, expect a slightly sweeter take). But, it’s a great body mist to spritz on your skin post-shower, or even layer with the Almond Shower Oil (£22) and Almond Body Oil (£40) to leave your skin delicately scented with a delicious almond trail all day long.
4. Glossier You Rêve
Key notes: Buttercream, plum butter, toasted almond, iris, sandalwood, ambrox, ambrette
If you’re a fan of the classic Glossier You perfume and you love the smell of almonds, then you’ll love the recent flanking scent, You Rêve. Both nutty and jammy, it’s like cutting into a plum and almond tart. It’s fruity, velvety and the addition of toasted almond gives it an addictive creaminess that dries down into skin-like musk. and while having the signature ambrette note that runs through all the Glossier You versions. You—and everyone around you—won’t be able to stop smelling it.
5. Givenchy L’Interdit Parfum
Givenchy
L’Interdit Parfum
Key notes: Pear, bitter almond, orange blossom, tuberose, jasmine sambac, mimosa absolute, patchouli, vetiver
The newest parfum addition to Givenchy’s L’Interdit collection is its most intense yet. While almond isn’t the star here, it does play a supporting role in this hypnotically fruity, white floral scent that is designed to get you noticed and complimented. Opening with a burst of pear, it paves the way for seductive, creamy and opulent white florals, entwining with smooth almonds before drying down to an addictive patchouli and vetiver base. It’s one of those fragrances that smoulders and unfurls on the skin, making it a great evening or date-night perfume.
6. BDK Parfums Velvet Tonka
BDK Parfums
Velvet Tonka Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Orange blossom, almond, rose absolute, Balkan tobacco absolute, tonka bean absolute, Madagascar vanilla absolute, amyris wood essence, amber woods
One spritz of this stuff makes me feel like I’m wearing a black velvet suit in a moody, smoky member’s club bar, with an almond-laced espresso martini in hand. To me, this is a boozy almond scent with a powdery trail that’s rich, velvety and expensive-smelling. It’s distinctly vanilla with the tonka bean, so it’s smooth and sweet, but with a glowing amber trail that drapes over your skin like sumptuous velvet. The almond note gives it a cosy halo that lingers on your skin for hours on end—it’s most definitely a seductive evening fragrance. “This scent is actually a very personal one. It’s a tribute to my Moroccan heritage on my mother’s side,” says Benedek. “I wanted to recreate the scent of corne de gazelle—a traditional pastry with notes of almond and orange blossom.”
7. Creed Millésime Delphinus
Creed
Millésime Delphinus Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Black pepper, incense, almond, pink pepper, heliotrope, orchid, orris butter, patchouli, tonka bean, amberwood, leather accord, bourbon vanilla
This one instantly reminds me of the delightful syrupy lacquer of caramelised almonds. Delphinus was inspired by the feeling of awe from looking at a starlit sky, and to me, it really captures the glow and warmth of stargazing around a glowing campfire. Almond sparkles and glimmers as it entwines with glowing incense, smouldering tonka bean and rich bourbon vanilla. It’s warming, cosy and makes you feel wrapped in cashmere while eating frangipane delights.
8. Dior Hypnotic Poison
Dior
Hypnotic Poison Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Liquorice, almond, jasmine sambac, orange blossom, vanilla, tonka bean
This smouldering take on almond is a fragrance I could see a femme fatale wearing. Housed in a deep crimson bottle, the juice inside is just as intoxicating as it looks—wallflowers, scroll on. With a heady dose of incense, nutty almond and hypnotic white florals that float over the rich vanilla and toka bean base, this perfume is a bold, spicy and smouldering almond. The eau de parfum is much more intense than the eau de toilette. The latter has a sweeter, fruitier and creamier take, while the eau de parfum is a lot more intense and resinous.
9. Chanel Les Exclusifs de Chanel Comète
CHANEL
Les Exclusifs de Chanel Comète Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Cherry blossom accord, iris, heliotrope, musk
I’m well aware that there are no almonds listed in the fragrance notes here. However, the cherry blossom in Chanel’s Comète gives a breezy, cherry bakewell mood to it, which makes it a really pretty scent for spring and summer seasons. “Almond and cherry both share a key molecule called benzaldehyde, which has that sweet, slightly fruity bitterness we often associate with both notes,” says Benedek. If you love the idea of marzipan enveloped in florals, you’ll love it. I’m not usually one for floral perfumes, but I’ve completely fallen for it—it’s one of my favourite Chanel perfumes. It’s inspired by stardust, the scent is powdery, sparkling, and breathtakingly pretty as it melds with your skin—think heliotrope, powdery iris, cherry blossom accord that dries into a smooth, musky base. This is one of those fragrances that you can spray in a room and you can even smell it the following day—the longevity and sillage are out of this world, so it’s a real compliment-magnet. Of course, it’s Chanel, so it’s devastatingly chic.
10. Jo Malone London Myrrh & Tonka
Jo Malone London
Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense
Key notes: Lavender, Omumbiri myrrh, tonka bean
I’d put Myrrh & Tonka in my top 10 scents of all time, and it’s by far my favourite Jo Malone perfume. It just so happens to have tonka bean, which has an accent of almond and vanilla that makes it feel warming and enveloping on the skin. The almond plays a small facet in the fragrance, but the overall effect is resinous, shrouding the skin in vanilla, glowing amber and a touch of lavender and honey that brings a smooth, sultry sweetness.
11. D.S. & Durga Pistachio
D.S. & Durga
Pistachio Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Pistachio, cardamom, roasted almond, patchouli, vanilla creme
If you want a truly nutty perfume, then Pistachio will deliver. While its namesake is the star note, there’s also a smooth, roasted almond quality that complements the green zing of pistachio. It’s a cool and niche perfume brand, and while it might not be to everyone’s taste, it’s one of the more unique scents I’ve tried. While some nutty fragrances lean sweet, this D.S. & Durga perfume steers more savoury than sickly (think salted almonds and pistachios, rather than caramelised nuts), with just a hint of vanilla and grounding patchouli in the base.
12. Amouage Love Delight
Amouage
Love Delight Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Ginger, mandarin, rosewater, cinnamon, heliotrope, jasmine, rose, vanilla, cocoa, rum absolute, cypriol
Expensive? Eye-wateringly so. Worth it? If you have the money, I’d argue so. It’s pure fluffy florals and bottled sunshine, with the heliotrope pouring a smooth, milky almond drizzle over whipped vanilla cream. It might actually be what heaven smells like. It leans more floral than gourmand, so it’s not overly sweet and sickly, but the vanilla and cocoa give a hint of smoothness that complements the velvety-ness of the petals. It’s the sort of fragrance that makes you want to put on a billowing dress and run through a field of flowers—with an almond croissant in hand, of course.
13. Sol De Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist
Sol De Janeiro
Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist
Key notes: Pistachio, almond, heliotrope, jasmine, caramel, vanilla, salt, sandalwood
One for the true gourmand aficionados who want a nutty, almond scent that’s good enough to eat. This particular Sol De Janeiro perfume mist is the iconic scent featured in its BumBum body cream—it’s instantly recognisable and smells like a beach escape to Brazil. The almond gives this sun-drenched, beach scent a smooth and creamy nuttiness that is totally addictive.
