Cardamom Perfumes Are Making Fall Gourmands Smell More Grown Up

The most interesting new fragrances I’ve sniffed this season all have a little kick to them. The common denominator? Cardamom, the aromatic spice that I already loved in my chai lattes and now adore just as much in my perfume. Sure, pumpkin spice is nice for candles and a warm vanilla will forever be a classic fall scent, but cardamom feels like the cool, sophisticated cousin in the autumnal fragrance family. Cardamom delivers that same warm fireside energy I crave the second temperatures drop, but with a little more intrigue: The note can read warm, fresh, woody, creamy, or subtly sweet depending on what surrounds it, making it a surprisingly versatile add-on to just about any type of fragrance.Sometimes, cardamom is even hiding in plain sight. “Here’s the funny thing: I went and looked at the note lists for the two fragrances I wear most—Le Labo Santal 33 and Parfums de Marly Althaïr—and they both open on cardamom,” says Jeniece Trizzino, vice president of product development and innovation at Scentbird and Drift. “I had no idea. I just knew I kept gravitating toward the same kind of spiced, woody warmth. That’s cardamom for you. It’s rarely the note on the label, but it’s very often the reason you love something.” And with so many of the latest fragrance launches leaning into cardamom right now, I had to find out why. Ahead, fragrance experts explain what cardamom perfumes actually smell like, some options worth trying, and why this might just be the fall fragrance trend worth investing in this season.What are cardamom fragrances?Before we get into the actual smell, an important distinction: A “cardamom fragrance” doesn’t necessarily mean cardamom is the only—or even the loudest—thing you’re going to smell. Just like vanilla, musk, or sandalwood, the spice can play very different roles depending on the notes around it. “Cardamom fragrances are perfumes built around the spice’s warm, green, slightly citrusy facet, a note that sits at the crossroads of spice and freshness,” says dsm-firmenich perfumer Honorine Blanc. “It plays beautifully against creamy, gourmand bases—think coconut milk, vanilla, tonka bean, and chantilly cream, where the spice cuts through the sweetness and keeps it from feeling flat or one-note.”The reason we’re seeing the aromatic spice seemingly everywhere right now is that it “solves a problem,” says Trizzino. After all, the super-sweet gourmands that have dominated the past few years aren’t for everyone. “[Cardamom] makes a scent feel cozy and enveloping without tipping into heavy or sugary.”What do cardamom fragrances smell like?“Cardamom smells green, peppery, and subtly sweet, with a cooling, almost eucalyptus-like brightness underneath the spice,” says Blanc. If I had to sum up cardamom fragrances, I’d say they’re bright yet warm—but that doesn’t quite capture everything happening here, because what you actually smell on your skin depends heavily on its supporting cast. Cardamom is a chameleon, Trizzino quips, and explains that it can be added to a range of notes. “Put it next to apricot, apple, or pear and it makes a fruity scent feel grown up, adding depth and a slightly smoky edge,” she says. “Next to sandalwood, rose, coffee, or tobacco it turns moody and a little addictive.”Regardless of the final fragrance outcome, the throughline is that cardamom “never overwhelms,” says Trizzino. Much more subtle than a cinnamon or clove note, it works quietly in the background to create a more expensive-smelling fragrance. It’s also usually one of the opening notes of a perfume, so it tends to be one of the first things you smell when you spray it. “Cardamom has an airy, almost sparkling quality, which is why perfumers love using it as an opening note that immediately signals warmth without weight,” says Blanc.Why are cardamom fragrances trending?Maybe it’s because we’ve spent the past few years smelling like bakeries, but fragrance’s gourmand obsession seems ripe for a little spice. “Cardamom lives primarily in two families: spice and gourmand,” says Trizzino. But because it’s so versatile, it shows up in tons of fragrances you might not expect (like in Trizzino’s experience). “It’s a connector note, which is part of why it’s having such a moment: it bridges gourmand trends with more grown-up, spice-forward perfumery,” explains Blanc.It makes sense cardamom-laced scents are trending lately, now that fall is officially here. The spice gives you that autumnal edge without “smelling like a seasonal candle aisle,” says Trizzino. “It reads as fall the way a chai latte does, but that cooling, green edge keeps it wearable in September when it’s still 70 degrees outside. Cardamom works from the first chilly morning all the way through the holidays.”Of course, current trends and preferences play a role in all this too, as people continue to gravitate toward those sweeter scents in a more elevated way. Echoing Trizzino, Blanc notes that “cardamom offers a refined twist on that craving: It’s subtly sweet yet spicy, evoking warmth and security without tipping into dessert territory.” As the sweet vanilla gourmands peak, what replaces them will be “spiced and shadowy,” says Trizzino. “Cardamom next to cocoa, black tea, saffron, or a dark floral is still comforting, but with tension in it. It adds spice and lift without weight.”Cardamom fragrances Cosmo editors love:Blanc is the perfumer behind Nest New York’s new Cardamom Latte scent, a warm and spicy gourmand. “It’s a favorite because of how the cardamom plays against coconut milk and jasmine petals in the heart, finishing on chantilly cream, tonka bean, and a Tahitian vanilla infusion,” she says. Cardamom “gives the fragrance a natural, almost edible warmth without ever feeling saccharine,” she explains. “It’s designed to be a sensual indulgence: rich and soft, with real sillage, built so each facet reveals itself in turn.” Cosmo contributing beauty editor Kara McGrath has been wearing it almost non-stop since launch—mostly because it gets her tons of compliments.The vibes of Parfums de Marly’s new Dorval launch are the same as wearing your fanciest cashmere sweater in a dimly lit cocktail bar. It puts cardamom front and center, giving the fragrance a warm, aromatic spice that feels practically tailor-made for fall. Notes like pink peppercorn and cinnamon turn up the heat, while vanilla, tonka bean, and guaiac wood soften everything into a smooth finish.Belnu Still Bloom is a new launch that gives cardamom a fresh, unexpected personality. The spice opens alongside bright orange and sesame before mingling with black tea and Rose de Mai, so it feels aromatic and lively rather than full-on cozy gourmand.Alongside the aforementioned Le Labo Santal 33 and Parfums de Marly Althaïr, Trizzino loves this EDT featuring cardamom with cedarwood, amber, orris, and violet leaf. “The cardamom gives you that bright, spiced opening, the cedar grounds it, and the violet leaf keeps a cool green thread running through so it never turns heavy,” she says. “It’s warm without being sweet, which is a harder balance than it sounds. Our members tag it as mysterious and as a fall scent, and both are right. It’s an everyday fragrance that people still stop and ask about.”Amouage Decision 42 takes things in a darker direction. The aromatic cardamom hits right away alongside notes like neroli and cinnamon before frankincense, juniper and pine tar enter the picture, with vanilla and labdanum adding warmth underneath. The result is a truly unisex fragrance that doesn’t lean traditionally masculine or feminine; it’s cardamom at its boldest and most mysterious.Meet the expertsJeniece Trizzino is the vice president of product development and innovation at Scentbird and Drift, where she leads product development, regulatory affairs, R&D, and package design. She has over 20 years of experience working in the industry.Honorine Blanc is a master perfumer at dsm-firmenich in New York.Why trust Cosmopolitan?Catharine Malzahn is a contributing beauty writer at Cosmo who covers all things beauty, including fragrance. For this story, she interviewed fragrance experts to get the lowdown on all things cardamom.Catharine Malzahn is a contributing beauty writer at Cosmopolitan and was previously the beauty assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Prevention.