All my life I’ve loved sweet vanilla-ish fragrances, not just in perfumes, but also candles and other scented items. Except for a brief time in the 90s when I went through a sunflower obsession. But for the most part, vanilla is the obsession.
But now I’m in my 40s and still wearing sweet perfumes and I started to think I ought to be wearing more mature floral perfumes. Or am I just being self conscious for no reason?
Is there a good sweet mature perfume that I should consider?
My girlfriend will, on occasion, spray me with a sweeter more feminine scent. However most of my collection is unisex so it really doesn't bother me. Ironically I get more compliments from wearing a more female leaning scent than a male leaning one.
This should be the top comment!
This is the correct answer 😁⬆️👍
There have always been sweet perfumes of the highest quality (costing a small fortune!) that were certainly not created for juniors.
Guerlain L'Art & La Matiere Spiritueuse Double Vanille Eau de Parfum comes to mind.
Yesss to SDV! Not many 20-year olds wearing that one, I suspect.
May be my favorite perfume of all time
Life is too short, wear what you like, dress how you like! If you like it, that’s all that matters 😍
Hear hear ❤
Perfume is ageless. It might smell like a popular style during a certain time period, but we like whatever we like.
I’ve been wearing Comptoir Sud Pacifique’s Vanille Abricot for like fifteen years and I’m almost 40. People regularly get into elevators with me and ask if I smell cookies too, it literally just smells like pure baked goods on me, and I will wear it until it’s discontinued because it’s my vibe and I frankly don’t care who thinks I smell like a baby stripper(as I have seen expressed here about many sugary gourmands.)
I mix Vanille Banane with Utopia coco... It makes me feel like I'm a human coconut and banana cream pie! It's awesome!!!
YES. I love the Vanille Banane to layer! It just smells like those marshmallow bananas and I don’t care.
Oh. My. Word. That sounds heavenly to me!
It's pretty darn good... And I don't normally mix fragrances.
That fragrance is a compliment magnet! I’ve had mine for 10+ years and yep people always say it smells like cookies and love it!!
Vanille Abricot is my husband’s favorite scent that I wear.
The best perfume to wear at any age is whatever you want ☺️.
I love this!
Never!!! If you want to be 65 and smell like vanilla cake, that's perfectly ok
Wear what you want. Sometimes Victoria’sSecret Lovespell is just where you wanna live your life sometimes.
I’m 33 and I’ve been considering buying a bottle of Love Spell 😅. I have vivid memories of all of us passing around a bottle of it after gym class in high school.
I hadn’t thought about it in years and then a bottle of it showed up in my work bathroom community toiletries basket. I time travelled and was surprised to find it holds up 😂
I still have a bottle of it from years ago I need to bring out and rock today. I wear it with a BPAL.
Ooh - Which BPAL do you wear VS Love Spell with?
Bordello
I'm 55, (Please read that as schwity-five like it's intended) and I'm going to wear sweet perfumes until I die. Which probably won't be very long from now.
I'm one word - no
I'm in my 40s and I rock sweet perfumes like nobody's business, as I mention in frag subs, I wake up in the morning and decide what I'm gonna wear that day, whether it is super sweet, floral, earthy or whatever, I bought it with my own money so I like it, I wear it.
Dulcis in Fundo is an orange/vanilla marshmallowy masterpiece, and it's definitely not for kids, I'd be shocked if I met someone under at least 25 wearing it, and I'd expect much older- not because it smells overly mature or whatever, but bc it's so rich, powerful, complex. It is to a creamsicle what a steak is to a burger.
Citrus + vanilla + marshmallow is such a lovely combo. All my favorite candles in a perfume sounds magical haha
It's pricy but the quality is honestly worth it if it's within your means!
Wear what works for you. That being said our body smell/chemistry and our ability to smell changes as we get older. So don’t be surprised if one day a love becomes a dislike or you find yourself craving a different family or vibe. Just roll with it.
eta: sweet perfumes are already becoming “old fashioned” to the younger gen. I see more fresh and unisex fragrances leading the way.
Fascinating!
Don't worry about it. My mom is a boomer and she just started wearing Prada Candy last year.
You know, my great-aunt had Lolita Lempicka as a signature scent in her 80s. She just smelled so good!
naaa! you do you!
I’m 50 and my favourite perfumes are fruity/vanilla/gourmand. I’ve been regularly wearing cloud pink and vanilla mod by Ariana grande. You can wear whatever and smell however you like. Same with clothes and hairstyles etc. just be YOU!
I won’t deny that there is a social expectation that sweet fragrances are meant for young ladies. But that’s an expectation to be challenged—wear what you like!
Is there really though? Unlike with clothing, expectations when it comes to fragrances are much looser ime. Sure, a few people might think this or that and if you are working in a conservative environment you might wanna be a bit more careful, but overall even the sweetest, most teen-ish perfume doesn't make enough of a statement for most people to care, unless it's strong and oversprayed or they just dislike the scent (but this is true of any)
Bvlgari has a range of wonderfully sweet but sophisticated perfumes.
Here are some of my favourites:
Selima
Lazulia
Nylaia
My favourites from Xerjoff are:
Dama Bianca
Gran bal
Dolce Amalfi
Via Cavour I
Budget favourites
Banana Republic Tobacco and Tonka Bean
Abercrombie & Fitch Authentic Self Woman
Escada Fairy Love
The Merchant of Venice Le Fenice Pour Femme
Classic Favourites:
Black Opium Le Parfum
Hermes’ L’Ambre Des Merveilles
Narciso Poudree
Fire at Will Jovoy
Never too old to wear what you makes your heart sing.
That is a terrific list. The Hermes is a fall favorite.
That one is beautiful. I wear it mostly in Autumn and it layers beautifully with Guidance. Always on my repurchase list, especially now that I am downsizing my collection.
This is a great list, thank you so much for taking the time!
I very much dislike floral fragrances, and I'm 69 years old. The closest I got was Ombre Rose, in the 80's, and now, I really dislike it. In fact, I am veering MORE into vanilla. I DID wear Fresh Cream for a number of years, but it seems to be getting weaker and weaker, at least on me (maybe my skin is drier?). But lately, I love KayAli Vanilla 28.
No.
Personal taste is just that. It’s ok to like what you like.
Not at all! Smells don’t have ages or genders! Since we wear them for ourselves, I say we wear what makes us happy!
Scent is very subjective to each individual. The person is who makes the perfume, the perfume never should dominate you.
As long as you are comfortable and confident with what you wear, there is zero issue.
Enjoy any fragrance your little nostrils please :)
I'm 35 and wear Giorgio Beverly Hills, Opium, Poison, Fracas, Chanel No. 5, Oscar De La Renta and my Grandmother wore these perfumes. All my perfumes are vulgar and bold, just like my personality lol!
You can pry my Chabaud Lait de Biscuit out of my cold, dead sweet-smelling hands....
“Too old” & “in my 40’s” 😩
Guerlain L’homme Ideal Extreme is very Sweet—I love wearing it when I’m in the mood. Wear what you like and stop when you don’t feel it anymore.
Thank you, I will check it out.
No. I’m 45 and everything I love is at least a little sweet.
You do you and wear what makes you happy. I'm about your age and I love wearing vanilla at this time in my life. In my teens and early 20s, I was all about freshies and aquatics. Now I love wearing Bianco Latte, Cruz del Sur II, Wanted by Night, Dolce Amalfi, banane Vanille, Lolitaland, Black Opium, etc. But I also like the occasional fruity-floral, musks, tobacco, cinnamon and spices, etc. I have a bit of everything, as long as I like wearing it. Depends on seasons and my mood or what my day will be like.
This is exactly me too! I love vanilla and Gourmands but also love spicy/woody scents as well
Wear what you like, but also accept it if your taste in fragrance changes. I just entered my 40s as well, and I have noticed I don't like the things that I use too.
Absolutely not! I am in my 50s and sometimes I want to smell like candy or a fresh baked cookie.
Absolutely not, if you smell good, you smell good, who cares if it’s too sweet or too musky
As a, ahem, mature woman myself, do you really want to smell mature, or is being mature enough?
Haha point taken, just mature is enough.
No.
For me I am 35 yo male and I think Rabanne invictus DNA is too youthful same as some of the One Million as well.
As I get older I prefer more dark and dense perfumes.
NOPE! Wear what makes you happy.
42 here and after going through a pretty good no gourmand phase for 10 years, I’m loving a comforting vanilla these days.
See I feel like super duper fruity perfumes are “for the young” since I was mostly wearing that when I was younger. Truthfully I will allllways wear gourmands because it’s what I like but I do tend to shy away from some overly fruity perfumes just because of the memories lol
Wait but I’m intrigued by the sunflower obsession. What good sunflower fragrances did you like? I don’t think I’ve seen that note anywhere
I’m sorry I don’t remember the brands of the perfumes/body sprays. It was a trend back then, so there were a few different ones I used and typically I could only afford to buy the cheap stuff. But when I Google 90s sunflower perfume, Elizabeth Arden comes up so that could’ve been one of them.
It's a totally unique fruity floral aquatic perfume. Sooooo 90s. I have a preference for the very similar but nicer IMO Escape for Women by Calvin Klein.
Nope
No, sweet reflects happines. The older i get (almost 50) the better i feel in sweeter stuff, it works with my chemistry and the chypres i loved to wear (Chanel Christal etc) stay untouched on my shelter for years. Enjoy the sweet stuff as much as you can.
Scent is such a personal preference, and if those warm, comforting notes make you feel great, then by all means, keep enjoying them.
Over time, sweeter scents start wearing differently or last less long. Exploring some more mature vanilla-based options could be fun.
But honestly, don't feel any pressure to change your signature scent if it still brings you joy! Perfume should make you feel confident and happy. As long as you're applying lightly, a touch of sweet vanilla can be wonderfully sophisticated at any age. Trust your nose and rock what you love.
Wear what you'd like. At 45, I don't want to smell like bubble gum or orange pop, but otherwise, I'm open. I don't like a lot of florals too.
Anyone can wear anything
If someone says something, tell them to lick your ass
No, I'm 47. It's not even occurred to me to wonder if I'm too old for anything.
Nah, wear whatever you want.
I'm an early 40s male and I just don't want to wear anything loud and sweet anymore (at least not on a regular basis). They just annoy me at this point. I'm into more personal fragrances these days unless I'm going out or to a special occasion.
No such thing! Wear what you love. Life is too short to wear perfume you don’t actually like.
Nope, you are never too old for any perfume…or too young for that matter. Wear what you enjoy wearing. If you like super sweet perfumes, then wear that sweet perfume!
I’m with you—and like you, I’ve had the same thoughts. What I tend to do now is layer my more sweet fragrances with others I own for a more complex scent with some “notes” I still love.
Never. Wear whatever you like!! I am obsessed with vanilla scents also. Some of my favorites are Bianco Latte by Giardini de Toscana, Escapade Gourmand by Maison Mataha, Vanilla Woods by The 7 Virtues, Dulce by Rosie Jane, Princess by Killian-this is more of a spicy one but so so good, Side Effect by Initio, and I also love woody/spicy scents like By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela. Enjoy your sweetness!
No. As an aside, I’m waiting on a bottle of Strawberry Letter to arrive (and I’m in my 50s).
My mom is 70 and frequently goes out absolutely reeking of Chocolate Greedy. Nothing but compliments. Wear what you want!
For some more mature vanilla recs, things that are darker or floral tend to register that way. It's pretty difficult to beat Guerlain's Spiritueuse Double Vanille in that category, but honestly all of their vanillas are exquisite. The many iterations of Shalimar are all lovely and very few of them smell particularly vintage unless you're going after the original (the current parfum/extrait is wonderful). Cuir Beluga is also impossibly beautiful - it smells like pastry cream and brand new kid leather gloves.
As others have mentioned, Comptoir Sud Pacifique has many excellent (and several awful) vanilla scents, as does Montale.
You can wear whatever you want, but I think it really depends on how you dress and how you behave more than it depends on age. If you’re dressing formally everyday, or more mature, I probably wouldn’t wear a sweet clubbing fragrance like one million. If you want sweet I’d lean more into the woody, alcohol and sweat fragrances, think kilian.
something i’ve learned is that if you don’t wear the fragrance, it will wear you. you have to be confident enough and look the part, or it won’t work.
No.
Imo, it is still ok to wear sweet perfumes but maybe not too candy-like?
Nope but there is to young to young tho.
No
Not at all. I’m in my 50’s and have a group of sweet perfumes I wear. My partner especially loves them on me. I wear Killian Love Don’t Be Shy and sweet ones from a small brand called Ganache as well as Uber sweet Kyse Miel which is a photorealistic honey. She has wonderful gourmands and is quite reasonable. I’ve had sweet perfumes all along my journey and enjoy them immensely. There is no age limit.
I'm in my late 40s and have been rocking whatever sweet, vanillic, gourmandish, oriental I can get my hands on since the late 90s.
My collection is like 87% sweet scents, and the few freshies I do have must have a sweet backbone.
No, drawing the line at age 40 would be silly. Just think about it. Sure, I get that some people want to smell more mature or serious as part of their personal image, but if you are already an established person who managed to get to age 40 wearing sweet perfumes and you still like sweet perfumes, then there is 0 reason to change
No :/ Where what you like. Does not matter how old you are. You're being self concious for no reason
Mid 30s here and I love sweet complex gourmands along with fruity/herbal/witchy scents. I'm just now getting into super complex gourmand vanillas.
Where what you like!
What, that seems tiring to think about like that
I don’t wear perfume for others. I wear what I like to smell. So imo everyone should simply wear what makes them happy
My great grandmother wore EVERYTHING. Including sweet candy and gourmands. Even into her oldest. So no, there's no such thing as too old for sweet scents! They still smelled amazing on her, and I have no doubt they still smell amazing on you, too!
Just wear what your heart desires 💕
Fragrances don't see people. Wear what you want and in the mood for. I wear all kinds of fragrances myself.
Here are a couple truths I’ve learned: 1. Wear what you like. You’re the one who will be smelling it the most. 2. People will compliment what they like, but it’s essentially meaningless. 3. Being a compliment chaser makes you look insecure. Rock your frags regardless of what others think.
No
No.
You’ve come here looking for one answer, and that is “wear what you want, it’s your body! Age means nothing”. So there you go.
No, I’m just not in the know, I figured Reddit of all places would be straightforward.
(Speaking from a sociologist's background here:)
I've thought about it, and I find it difficult to identify clearly what the social norms for age-appropriate or not-done are, when it's about fragrances. It doesn't seem, by far, to be as clear-cut as norms for clothing, for instance (like, a 75 year old in leather hotpants WOULD be a social "NOOOOPE!" for most people).
Again, it's me, but I think the one thing that would be generally frown-upon for frags is over-spray, litterally olfactorily invading people's spaces.
But short of that?
Firstly, when people form an opinion of you, fragrance is much, much less top of mind than clothing or hairstyle, for instance. And that's also, I think, because not many people have an in-depth, conscious knowledge about fragrances either (usually, the reactions are more along the lines of "you smell good", "I don't like this", "it smells like an old lady", "it's like fresh laundry", "smells like cleaning product").
All I can imagine on that front (social norms about age-appropriateness or not of types of fragrance) is, there is indeed an overall strong association now between aldehydics/chypres from the 20s/30s and "old lady smell", so there would probably be eyebrows raised if a teenager wore Chanel 5 (while a 90 year-old wearing it would feel completely normal, of course).
But for the opposite situation, I don't think at all (and I've never witnessed the situation either) that it would be actively considered inappropriate for an adult / mature woman to wear sweet and/or vanillic scents (and honestly, I didn't think of florals as being per se more 'mature', either).
Now, these are all my impressions and YMMV.
Of course the best attitude is "wear what you like and don't care about other people's opinions", but that's not always possible. If you feel self-conscious about this and then would feel not completely at ease with wearing your current vanilla scents, I'd say that indeed, it could be interesting to look into more "constructed" and "complex" vanillas, perfumes that are built to highlight the note (as opposed to straight-forward, linear and single-note vanillas).
Now, reccs would strongly depend on your budget (and easy access to various types of stores too).
Novella over! ;)
Love them all, but do prefer a super strong unique scent over fruity/ candy scent.
Love YSL Libre. Soo lasting
Prada Candy is a sweet but more mature scent if you want to try it
Never ever too old. I'm in my late 20's and still regularly wear pink sugar. I love love love sweet candy scents 🩷
No. Wear what you like!