The Nostalgic Fragrances to Take You Back in Time

When you want to go back to childhood, nostalgic fragrances can transport you to the state fair, candy store or even your kitchen. Discover the most powerful memory-prompting notes and see where your memory takes you!

Scent Memory

You may already know that smell is one of our most powerful senses. Able to help with recall, scents are intimately tied to our memories. Researchers have studied the most nostalgic scents, and these notes make us think of our childhoods.

Carnival Smells

Bold scents of candy and sweets are a dominant force in nostalgic fragrances, with notes like cotton candy, rock candy and bubblegum. But it’s not just the sweet side of things that we associate with nostalgia. Popcorn also ranks high in this category! All together, it creates the image of a carnival packed with your favorite childhood snacks and sweets.

Baked Goods

Research by the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation found baked goods and rich gourmand scents were the most common nostalgic notes. From peach pie to rich, pure vanilla, nostalgic fragrances take us back to grandma’s baking, early birthdays and special moments in the kitchen with our loved ones.

Natural Scents

It’s not just food that we associate with our childhoods, though. Research has noted that scents like bonfires, wildflowers and fresh-cut grass are nostalgic. Floral notes that trigger memory may depend more on where you grew up—whether the fence in your backyard was crawling with honeysuckle or your mom grew rosemary by the garden gate.

The Nostalgic Fragrances We Love

1 / 9

Maison Margiela ‘REPLICA’ By the Fireplace ($165)

The warming scent of a fireplace or bonfire takes us instantly back to a simpler time, and this fragrance weaves these smoky accords with sweet and delicious vanilla and chestnut notes.

• BUY ON SEPHORA – $165
• BUY ON NORDSTROM – $165

KEY NOTES

Clove Oil, Chestnut Accord, Vanilla Accord

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTES

Warm Fire

2 / 9

Anna Sui Violet Vibe ($77)

When you want to smell like a big scoop of nostalgia, Anna Sui’s ice cream-inspired Violet Vibe is a strawberry cream dream!

• BUY NOW – $77

KEY NOTES

Strawberry Cream, Lemon Zest, Jasmine Petals, Pink Marshmallow

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTE

Strawberry Ice Cream

3 / 9

BEL REBEL Bubble Gum Perfume ($210)

Bubblegum is one of the strongest nostalgic scents, and this scent captures the fresh-from-the-wrapper pink and sweet notes perfectly.

 

• BUY NOW – $210

KEY NOTES

Clove Bud, Bubble Gum, Orange Oil, Vanilla

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTE

Bubble Gum

4 / 9

SKYLAR Boardwalk Delight ($90)

Go straight to the carnival with this effervescent and airy scent from SKYLAR. You’ll be walking on cotton candy clouds!

• BUY ON AMAZON – $90
• BUY ON SEPHORA – $90

KEY NOTES

Pure Vanilla, Cotton Candy, Coconut 

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTE

Cotton Candy

5 / 9

BYREDO Vanilla Antique ($400)

There is no shortage of vanilla perfumes, but the way BYREDO’s Vanilla Antique is crafted around pure vanilla bean, grounding musks and wood creates a truly old-world feeling scent that goes straight to the purest memories of baking, sweets and warmth.

• BUY ON NORDSTROM – $400
• BUY ON BLOOMINGDALE'S – $400

KEY NOTES

Vanilla, Cashmere, Wood, Musk

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTE

Vanilla

6 / 9

Dossier Slice of Heaven ($38)

Peach meets caramel and sweet vanilla for a fruit cobbler scent paired with your favorite latte. Take yourself back to family recipes and be sure to save room for dessert.

• BUY NOW – $38

KEY NOTES

Peach, Pear, Caramel, Vanilla, Coffee

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTE

Peach Cobbler

7 / 9

KAYALI Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar ($138)

Be a kid in a candy store again with this confectionary-inspired scent, layered with notes of rock sugar and bubble gum before settling into a pastry-sweet vanilla and tonka bean.

• BUY NOW – $138

KEY NOTES

Candied Pear, Bubble Gum, Rock Sugar, Vanilla Cream

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTE

Rock Candy

8 / 9

THoO What About Pop Eau De Parfum ($240)

Salty popcorn introduces this flirty and fun scent, before sweetening into a rich caramel and milk cream that wraps the wearer in a gourmand haven.

• BUY NOW – $240

KEY NOTES

Salty Popcorn, Caramel, Lunar Flower, Amber

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTE

Popcorn

9 / 9

Marc Jacobs Daisy ($137)

Garden fresh in a bottle, this scent blooms with violet leaves and a jasmine heart, and wearers frequently note a fresh-cut grass impression that brings them back in time.

• BUY NOW – $137

KEY NOTES

Strawberry, Violet Leaves, Jasmine

MOST NOSTALGIC NOTE

Fresh Cut Grass