Favorite Holiday Gourmands

The weather is beginning to cool off where I live in the US (finally!), and with the holidays coming right up... it's time to bust out some of the most delicious gourmand fragrance profiles!

I've made a list (and "checked it twice" 😉🎅) of my top holiday gourmands. As a bonus, they're all cheapies - so you can use any saved money for gift giving instead.

1. "Christmas in New York | Demeter Fragrance Library / The Library Of Fragrance"

This hidden gem is my number one favorite holiday gourmand! It encapsulates a feeling of holiday coziness with its well-blended creamy eggnog, roasted chestnut, spices, and apples. I have yet to come across another gourmand that does this note combination justice.

2. Vanilla Bean Noel

Yes, the quality and formulation has been inconsistent over the years on this one - ranging from "mentholated" to "plastic" during its flop releases.

But if you snag one of the older bottles, you'll see what a high-quality marshmallow delight it can be. And if you're like me, part of the fun is the nostalgic feeling this brings - given how long it's been around, this is associated with many core holiday memories.

3. Orange Sanguine

To me, this is tied to a very specific moment in time: cutting into the skin of a fresh orange that came in my stocking on Christmas morning, and sitting next to a fresh, live Christmas tree.

While there isn't pine or fir in this, there is a woody element with a hint of spice - and combined with the fresh-squeezed candied citrus, really does seem like a bright Christmas morning. Dry-down has a soapy feeling, leaving you refreshed and squeaky-clean.

4. Bombshell Magic

True to its name, this really is magical! I know that juniper berry isn't listed, and neither is pine - but to me it smells like a chilled juniper berry wreath in the winter, with a hint of blackberry + sexy musk.

This wears beautifully in cold weather, lasts forever + projects powerfully, and is in my top favorite fragrances of all time. (I also normally avoid patchouli, but it's gorgeous here.)

5. Strawberry Snowflakes

It was hard to narrow down what to include, as there are also gourmand classics like Twisted Peppermint , Hot Cocoa & Cream (2018) , Winter Candy Apple , etc.

But Strawberry Snowflakes is one of my favorite fragrances for this time of year - as it stands apart from the typical minty, chocolate, spicy, and creamy holiday scents.

The bergamot gives this blend a unique "icy" frosted strawberry cookie feel, and differs from the more common Strawberry Pound Cake or other lactonic/cake strawberry profiles. While a bit synthetic, it gives me delicious "pink ice princess" vibes.

(Note: this year's version is reformulated and lacks the same quality/vibrance of the one pictured here - so it's worth getting the older version.)

If you have any other favorite holiday gourmand cheapies (especially those tied to specific memories), I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!

Wishing you a very merry gourmand holiday season 🍰🎅