Our Editors Can’t Stop Spritzing This Under-$30 Perfume Brand

With sweet, comforting notes that are reminiscent of food and desserts, gourmand perfumes have captivated the fragrance world for some time. Take the enduringly popular vanilla note as an example. Almost every fragrance house has released a vanilla-forward scent at this point, with many of them promptly going TikTok viral (Phlur’s Vanilla Skin comes to mind). Yet, finding a gourmand that not only smells delicious but is also affordable is a rare joy.

Enter: Le Monde Gourmand, a brand that offers a range of fruit and dessert-inspired fragrances that won’t break the bank. Its sweet-yet-sophisticated creations, all $30 and under at Nordstrom and Ulta, have received lots of love from fragrance content creators, editors, and insiders alike. While the accessible price point means that “blind buying” (purchasing without smelling it first) won’t be too risky, reading an honest review is always going to help.

Ahead, our beauty editors put Le Monde Gourmand’s bestsellers to the test. Here are the ones that have viral perfume potential — and the ones to skip.

“Fragrance content creator Caroline Stern called this scent ‘the sexiest perfume under $30 on the internet’. Given this glowing endorsement and my love for all things chai, I was more than ready to give this one a spritz. It’s so warm and uniquely inviting: musky blonde woods and sweet fig bring out a familiar and sweet scent profile, while lily of the valley and violet add a sensual nuance that lingers on the skin. It reminds me more of chai-flavored sweets or ice cream rather than the actual drink, thanks to a brown sugar scent that wafts up as you get closer to the skin. For a $25 price tag, the hold is excellent. I can see why Chai Épicé comes highly recommended for a sexy night out; it envelops you in an intimate, desirable scent bubble that lures you right in.” — Venus Wong, senior writer

“Pistachio Brûlée serves up a smorgasbord of edible notes, from pistachio crumbs to moreish vanilla. It’s an understated gourmand that leans fresher, thanks to a splash of milk. There’s a clean, just-shampooed-hair quality to it that leaves me feeling uplifted and refreshed throughout the day — never sticky or overwhelmed, like many sweet, gourmand scents tend to do. Fans of pistachio perfumes will naturally want to compare it to the OG nutty scent: Kayali’s Yum Pistachio Gelato. Le Monde Gourmand’s take is lighter and crisper, while Kayali’s is richer, thanks to a glug of rum and a handful of roasted hazelnuts. That said, it doesn’t last quite as long, but at this price point, I don’t mind topping up as often as I like. The nifty bottle also slips easily into most of my handbags, which makes reapplying it so easy.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, beauty director

“I’m not really a vanilla perfume girlie, but I spray Crème Vanille on repeat on days I’m working from bed. Why? It’s a straightforward, clean scent that reminds me more of freshly showered skin than the sweet spice. The initial blast is a tad on the alcoholic side, but once it settles, the beautiful mix of apricot, jasmine petals, and amber feels like a familiar embrace. To take a page from Marilyn Monroe and Chanel No. 5, I love wearing this cozy scent when I’m lounging in bed with not much else on; I’m convinced that it makes me take better naps. It does fade quite relatively quickly compared to Chai Épicé, but it lasts longer when you layer the two, and they smell beautiful together.” — Venus Wong, senior writer

“I never like sweet scents, but Le Monde Gourmand’s Miel Bébé is one exception. It’s quite possibly my favorite gourmand fragrance I’ve tried; it literally smells like a dessert I’d happily eat my entire weight in. It’s warm, sweet, and complex, thanks to notes of praline, mandarin, sandalwood, and honey blossom. It has an almost maple syrup-like quality to it and lingers for hours after I initially spray it. Perfect date night scent: Found.” — Karina Hoshikawa, senior writer

“Lait de Coco threw me at first — the liquid itself looks just like milk, which I guess makes perfect sense given the name means coconut milk in French. It has a rich, nutty warmth thanks to sweet vanilla and bitter praline, like a vanilla soft serve rolled in peanuts. But the burst of citrusy bergamot gives it a clean, fresh edge, making it so wearable. As it dries down, it becomes soft and intimate — truly the ultimate skin scent. I think it’s my favourite of the bunch, and it lasts a little longer than the others I’ve tried. It was also a surprise hit in the office, and this says a lot since we rarely agree on fragrance!” — Jacqueline Kilikita, beauty director

“Le Monde Gourmand’s Santal Supreme is similar to the most famous santal perfume (Le Labo Santal 33, which I have and love). However, the lasting power on this one just didn’t work for me. It smells utterly delicious at first spritz — warm, woody, sensual — but for some reason, I felt like it disappeared within the hour (which is odd, especially because Miel Bébé lasted for ages in my clothes and hair). All in all, I still think it’s a beautiful fragrance at an accessible price point, and I hope anyone who tries it has better luck with staying power than I did.” — Karina Hoshikawa, senior writer