All the Cool Kids Smell Like Pistachios Right Now

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Perfumers are going a little nutty this spring—in a good way. Not only is pistachio milk taking up shelf space at your local grocer, but it’s also making its way into a surprising new category: fragrance. Although pistachio has made cameos in a few popular scents before—Tom Ford Soleil Blanc and Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa ’62 among them—the little green nut is enjoying a moment in the spotlight unlike ever before.

As anyone who has ever enjoyed a slice of baklava can tell you, the trend is no doubt due to the increase in popularity around gourmand, or sweet, scents. Vanilla, once largely thought of as basic, was the most-searched scented perfume in the last year, according to Google Trends. Meanwhile, searches for gourmand fragrance increased by 400 percent over the last five years in the United States. And as of this month, search interest for “pistachio perfume” reached a 10-year high.

That spike could be partially thanks to boutique fragrance brand DS & Durga. It launched its newest perfume, aptly named Pistachio, in January—though it first appeared back in 2021 as a limited-edition Studio Juice drop. Only 100 bottles were sold, and the crowds went wild. “When we made the Studio Juice version, it sold out in a few hours and received so many comments and inquiries,” David Moltz, cofounder of DS & Durga, says. The brand listened: “Gotta give the people what they want!”

It seems, like the food itself, pistachio fragrances leave people wanting more. The scent has a straightforward list of fragrance notes (pistachio, “more pistachio,” and “even more pistachio,” the label reads) that nods to the cheekiness the brand is having with the scent. As for why this particular fragrance took off, Moltz says it can be appreciated by just about everyone: “People who like gourmands. People who don’t like overly sweet gourmands and want one with some depth,” as well as “people attracted to fun things.”

If there is one word to sum up the pistachio trend, it may very well be fun. “I’ve always loved the aroma of pistachio desserts. The fake green ones. And pistachios themselves,” Moltz says. “There’s just something about its color and unique taste.”

Emmanuelle Bonte, CMO of Scent Beauty, credits the return of fun in a post-COVID world for the popularity of sweet scents in general. “With the end of the pandemic, people want to feel the comfort and positivity a gourmand fragrance can bring,” Bonte says. “It’s a remedy for anxiety. Gourmand fragrances get you back to the smell of your childhood, the sweets of the candy shop or the fun fairs.”

Of course, one way people let loose is through travel. In the last year, the Mediterranean was as common a location tag as New York or Los Angeles. But for those who couldn’t book a ticket halfway around the world, fragrance became a way to mentally transport ourselves.

For Hermès in-house perfumer Christine Nagel, that concept was taken to another level when she created the new Hermès Un Jardin à Cythère eau de toilette, which was inspired by a trip to the Greek island of Kythira. “I have always loved pistachios, and the pistachios produced in Greece have a richly deserved reputation for excellence,” Nagel says, adding that “they are so delicious that once you start eating them, it’s hard to stop.”

She credits Pierre-Alexis Dumas, creative director of Hermès—not to mention “an aesthete and expert on Greece and Greek culture and history”—for introducing her to fresh pistachios. “They have a shell-like pink color and are nothing like the pistachios we are used to eating,” she explains. “Their texture is different: full of water, a little oily, creamy, and very gentle.”

Due to the lockdown, Nagel created the scent entirely from those scent memories. “This creation is a pure piece of perfumery work, a poetic task,” she says. “There are no extracts of olive wood, grasses, or fresh pistachio on which I could base it. Everything is composed from my memory.”

Of course, pistachio is also associated with another Mediterranean country: Italy. Boy Smells’ Italian Kush perfume and candle feature the note, alongside limoncello, basil, and cannabis. And Kayali’s latest offering, Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33, is inspired by the dessert after which it’s named.

“Back in 2014, I went on a short girls trip to Rome with my sister, Alya. It was there that I discovered and fell absolutely in love with pistachio gelato,” Kayali founder Mona Kattan recalls. “Fast-forward to two years ago, I was briefing our fragrance house, Firmenich, on a dessert fragrance, and pistachio gelato became the hero note. Being that I wanted to create something delicious and gourmand, I approached the father of gourmands, Olivier Cresp, and his son Sebastien to help bring this sweet fragrance dream to life.”

Meanwhile, under a beach umbrella across the Atlantic, Sol de Janeiro's best-selling Cheriosa '62 gathers inspiration Brazilian beach culture. In addition to pistachio and almond, it features floral notes, vanilla, and sandalwood. “[I wanted to] create a fragrance that evokes the radiant sun on salty skin and the warmth of the sand,” Sol de Janeiro perfumer Vincent Kuczinski says.

And just as the ingredient is used in both sweet and savory dishes, it’s equally versatile in fragrance. For instance, Italian Kush is bright and herbaceous—and not at all sweet. Hermès Un Jardin à Cythère combines the fresh pistachio with olive wood and golden grasses for an earthier take. “I love the tenderness and delicate flavor of pistachio that adds suppleness and grace,” Nagel says.

If the sudden spike in pistachio perfumes seems surprising, consider that their popularity is unexpected even to those who conceived them. “It’s so bizarre,” Moltz says. “When we made it, I had never seen a pistachio fragrance or thought that it was a thing.” The appeal, he posits, is that “people are intrigued by a grown-up gourmand—it’s like a license to take things less seriously, let go, and have fun. Like wearing a loud cheetah-print sweater.”

Perhaps it boils down to feeling a bit more joyful—and the memory of simpler days. As Kattan says, “It reminds me of good times and overall just makes me happy.”

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