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