We’ve already declared 2025 as the year of food-scented fragrance. But on a more granular level, we’re really interested in perfumes that smell like bread. Carbohydrates are one of life’s simple pleasures, so why wouldn’t we want to smell like a slice of cake, or a warm croissant, or a baguette covered with lashings of butter?
It turns out we do, and fortunately the fragrance industry is aligned. The best perfumes that smell like bread in all its forms (sweet, syrupy, savoury) below.
Maison Margiela Replica Coffee Break
Smells like: Coffee cake.
This is sweet and cosy, like milky coffee and cake that’s still warm from the oven. There’s also notes of lavender and spearmint for freshness.
D.S. & DURGA Pistachio
Smells like: Pistachio and chocolate l’escargot from Du pain et des idess in Paris.
This is sweet, salty, creamy and milky with notes of pistachio, cardamom and vanilla creme.
Montale Vanilla Cake
Smells like: Sponge cake, custard and vanilla meringue.
This is sweet but soft, a delicious vanilla cake perfume that’s light and airy. It’s subtle worn alone, but also perfect for layering.
Demeter Rye Bread
Smells like: Warm wheat, freshly baked bread.
Demeter is known for hyper-real single note scents and Rye Bread is true to its namesake. It’s textured, comforting, nostalgic and has a starchy sweetness to it.
L’Artisan Parfumeur Bois Farine
Smells like: Nutty flour, warm wood, and powdered dough.
This smells like the air that surrounds a bakery in the early hours of the morning: warm, nutty and woody.
Sol de Janeiro Sol Cheirosa 62
Smells like: Caramel mud cake.
Syrupy and deliciously gourmand, this is the fragrance to go for if you want to smell like salty caramel, vanilla and sugar. Sol de Janeiro fans will recognise it as the original bum Bum cream fragrance.
Vilhelm Poets of Berlin
Smells like: Lemon and blueberry cake.
This is sweet and spongy but not overbearing. Delicious blueberry is tempered with zingy lemon, warm orris, vanilla and vetiver for a cake-like gourmand that’s unexpectedly sophisticated.
Kilian Angels Share
Smells like: Rum-soaked baba.
Technically this is a cognac inspired fragrance, but it smells like a boozy, rich, rum-soaked slice of cake with cream. It’s punchy and long-lasting, with notes of cinnamon, vanilla and praline.
The Maker Dream
Smells like: Glazed cinnamon buns.
Dream is buttery and hypnotic, like a cinnamon bun or airy croissant baking in the oven. It’s rich in vanilla, amber and magnolia — sweet, creamy and good enough to eat.
Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau
Smells like: Bread that’s still warm in the middle.
Serge Lutens developed this fragrance an an homage to the simple beauty of freshly baked bread. It’s warm and familiar, with notes of barley, wheat and dried fruit.
DS & Durga Breakfast Leipzig Candle
Smells like: A cardamom roll in Copenhagen.
Honourable mention to this candle from D.D & Durga that will make your house smell like the inside of a cosy Scandinavian cafe. Note-wise, you’ll find buttery pastry, butter, leather and fireplace accord.
Images: @sophia_roe, Ella Jane for RUSSH
