Beyond
Marshmallow
The 5 Next Gourmand “Hero Notes” Set to Headline Beauty Launches
Gourmands are not a passing trend. They are a growth engine. Here’s what comes after marshmallow,
and why texture driven sweetness is the next competitive edge.
Gourmand is no longer “just a scent family.” It is a sensorial language scaling across beauty and personal care. What started as a fine fragrance obsession now shows up everywhere consumers build their routines: body care, shower, hair fragrance, and even home fragrance.
The data makes it hard to ignore. Spate’s year in review shows dessert coded profiles gaining real momentum, including marshmallow perfume (+91.7% YoY) and caramel perfume (+47.9% YoY). At the same time, vanilla keeps expanding as an everyday comfort cue across categories, with vanilla deodorant (+44.9% YoY), vanilla lotion (+27.0% YoY), and vanilla body wash (+10.7% YoY).
Innovation is following demand. Mintel GNPD reports that global launches of gourmand fragrances increased by seven percentage points between 2022 and 2024, signaling that R&D pipelines are actively investing in this direction.
That’s exactly why “smelling edible” keeps winning. It is instantly understandable. It is highly shareable. And when executed well, it delivers emotional comfort with a premium edge.
So what
happens after
the Marshmallow
Moment?
Marshmallow has become the poster child of soft comfort gourmands, and
2026 is proving it. In just the first months of the year, we’ve seen a surge of
launches across categories where marshmallow is the hero note, confirming
its strength as a current, cross-category signal.
But the next phase isn’t about more sugar. Gourmands are evolving.
Consumers still want comfort, but now they expect it to feel more wearable,
more refined. This is where texture and contrast start to matter more than pure
sweetness.
Below are five data backed “next hero notes” we’re betting on, because they
combine mainstream appetite with a fresh, modern twist.
Turn this concept into a market-ready beauty product. Let’s talk
The 5 Next Gourmand
Hero Notes
1. Pistachio Cream
(and the Nut Butter Family)
Pistachio has already proven it can scale. Search data shows
strong growth in pistachio perfume interest, and it’s
increasingly showing up not only in fragrances, but also across
creams, mists, and bath and shower formats.
What makes pistachio even more relevant now is what’s
happening beyond beauty. The viral “Dubai chocolate”
phenomenon pushed pistachio cream into global obsession,
turning it into a cross category signal with real cultural weight.
The next evolution expands into the broader nut butter palette:
hazelnut spread, almond butter, peanut butter, cashew cream,
pistachio cream. The common thread is texture plus comfort,
with a slightly savory, more grown up edge that keeps
gourmand from feeling overly sweet or juvenile.
2. Crème Brûlée / Custard
(and the Nut Butter Family)
If the next chapter of gourmands is “elevated dessert,” custard is
the blueprint.
It delivers creamy volume, soft warmth, and that torched sugar
effect that reads as indulgent but refined. Crème brûlée, crème
anglaise, and whipped cream style accords create a sense of
realism that feels luxurious without becoming heavy or overly
sweet.
This is where gourmand moves into a more premium territory, less
playful and more sensorially sophisticated.
3. Caramelized Sugar 2.0
(Salted Caramel, Brown Sugar, Butter Caramel)
Caramel is one of the strongest “next” signals by the numbers. Spate reports caramel perfume up 47.9% YoY.
In 2026, caramel continues to stand out as a key comfort note, with a clear shift toward more elevated profiles. Think toasted sugar, browned butter, a mineral salty edge, and a clean “milky musk” finish that keeps it wearable.
In short: the future isn’t candy. It is caramelized.
4.Raspberry Jam + Cherry Syrup
(the “Coulis” Era)
Raspberry is one of the clearest breakout notes for what comes next. Spate reported a +363.6% year over year surge in searches for raspberry perfumes in 2025, and industry data continues to position red berries as a key direction moving into 2026.
Cherry is rising alongside it, but the positioning is shifting. Instead of reading as purely playful or candy like, fragrance creators are pushing it into a more sensual profile with woods and amber in the background.
The opportunity here is strategic for brands and manufacturers. Jammy fruit notes like raspberry jam, cherry syrup, and fruit coulis allow brands to build gourmands that feel juicy, bold, and modern, while still holding a sophisticated signature.
5. Banana Bread / Banana
Milkshake
(Creamy Fruit Gourmand)
Banana is the surprise hero with real momentum. Marie Claire reported that searches for “banana perfume” jumped 100% in June 2025 (Google Trends), and that #bananaperfume passed five million views on TikTok.
Why it sticks is simple. Banana is nostalgia, joy, and creaminess. It is the bridge between fruity and gourmand, and it opens a creative lane that is bigger than “banana candy.” Banana bread, caramelized banana, and banana milkshake are where the 2026 evolution gets interesting.
What this
means for beauty
launches
(and why speed matters)
Gourmand wins fastest when it is treated as a full format strategy, not a single fragrance brief.
The same olfactive story can scale into fine fragrance, hair and body mists, shower and body care, and home scenting. Major brands are already building these
ecosystems, and consumers are responding.
If your brand wants to win the next gourmand wave, the advantage will come from
choosing a hero note with momentum, building a differentiated texture story, and executing fast across multiple touchpoints: mist, wash, lotion, hair, and home.
Where Grupo
Hada fits
Grupo Hada operates as a manufacturing and innovation partner across
categories that matter for this trend.
Gourmand is easy to say, but harder to scale.
It requires trend accurate olfactive direction, strong sensorial design, and
production readiness across formats. Grupo Hada’s manufacturing
infrastructure includes liquid lines, bar soap production, candle
manufacturing, and specialized perfumery capabilities, which makes it
possible to translate a single gourmand direction into an entire portfolio.
The post marshmallow era belongs to brands that can translate “delicious” into a scalable, differentiated product experience, fast.
If you are planning your next gourmand launch, we would love to share what we are seeing, what is rising, and how to turn it into your next big move.